When talking about contemporary streetwear, its origins and current trends, sooner or later one particular name comes up: Shawn Stussy. As the founder of the Stüssy brand, there is hardly anyone else who has had such an influence on the development of streetwear. The story behind the brand begins in California in 1980. At the time, Stussy was an avid surfer and built his own boards for friends and relatives. At some point, he comes up with the idea of writing his last name on the boards to do a little advertising for himself and his surf crew. The legendary Stüssy logo is born. T-shirts and swim shorts follow, which are also very well received by the surf & skate community in Laguna Beach. Within a very short time, Stussy makes a name for himself throughout the region. He sells the shirts and shorts out of his coffer room and never has anything like a business plan. He simply does what he feels like and what goes down well - and with success. Shortly thereafter, he teams up with his friend Frank Sinatra (no relation to "the" Frank Sinatra) and begins distributing his brand in local stores as well. It's not long before Stüssy can also be found in showrooms in various major cities across America. Stussy draws inspiration from various subcultures and the urban lifestyle of the 80s. B-boying, hip-hop and graffiti are as much influences as Rasta culture or artists like Keith Haring. A few years later, Stüssy is already making millions in sales. Today, it is impossible to imagine the streetwear business without the brand. It paved the way for other major brands and virtually reinvented fashion for young people at the time. In 1996, Shawn Stussy resigned as president of the company and sold his share to Sinatra. But to this day, the world-famous logo consists of the tag that Stussy scribbled on the surfboards on a whim in 1980. Meanwhile, the product range is no longer limited to surfboards and tagged shirts. Stüssy can also look back on successful collaborations with brands like DC, Nike, Patta, Levi's, Vans or Bape. With a clear conscience, one can say that Shawn Stussy has left a lasting mark on the fashion world and that many big brands benefit from his pioneering work.
