Photographed by Mark Iantosca.To investigate the world of female sneakerheads, Fashionista's Lauren Sherman didn't have to go deep undercover. She just went to the Supreme store on Lafayette Street one Thursday morning.
Supreme, the streetwear brand beloved by urban clothes horses known as hypebeasts, has brilliantly harnessed its customers' collecting mania by doing a "drop" once a week. And, if you've ever traipsed through Soho on a Thursday morning, you can feel the collective hype — if you will — in the air. A long line of eager-to-buy folks wait in Bathing Ape hoodies and spotless Jordans, the most diehard of whom have camped out for hours or even overnight. Some won't actually get to buy anything, since Supreme shrewdly limits not only the runs of the products on offer, but the number of items any one customer can buy. Like an H&M collaboration, the aim is to create the maximum amount of excitement for a limited time. And, every Thursday, the Supreme crowd is duly worked into a frenzy — even if last month's tales of a "riot" at the Supreme store may have been slightly exaggerated.
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But, unlike most H&M collabs, a quick scan of any Supreme line shows it to be overwhelmingly male. So, Sherman asked the ladies who turned out what brought them there — besides the chance to buy this T-shirt for $32, that is. Turns out, the lady hypebeasts in the crowd didn't seem all that excited to be there. One was there with her boyfriend. Milana, a 21-year-old sneaker collector from Philly, has an 85-pair-strong sneaker collection ("That's not too bad, right?"). But, she wasn't too into the Supreme tees: She was there to buy them for friends.
Michelle, a 15-year-old, skipped school for the drop, but said she probably wouldn't do it again: "It's tiring. I don't really care for it. Some people hype it up a little too much. It's not fun until you get inside." It actually sounds like sort of a bummer and highlights the actual tedious work that goes into having the latest, freshest, most limited-edition wardrobe. Guess it can't be a riot every time. (Fashionista)