Corporations kill culture, it's not about people getting together for them, just about being as consumable as possible. People become part of a culture because of a shared interest, once that context is lost, it can years or even decades to recover that social context and in some cases it may never return.

Hearing all that actually explains why it was always so hard to define what "streetwear" is. Because by today's standards it just means regular clothes that the youngsters wear

That is why when Virgil said “Streetwear is dead” I tried to dig deeper rather than going crazy like other people And he definitely had some points and this year it is becoming more evident Your video has definitely opened peoples eyes more Great vid

yeah when I was a kid in the late 90's early 2000's, I remember we all wore baggy sweatshirts and things because it was comfortable and practical. I'm the youngest in my family so I would wear everyone's hand-me-downs, which is part of why they were always big and baggy, and my parents liked it because that meant I could wear them longer because if it's too big I can grow into them. like there were actual just practical everyday reasons for this "look".

I’m glad streetwear is dead to the mainstream, but for me long live streetwear (skate, punk, house music/house dance)

My 2 favorite definitions of Streetwear come from Virgil and Bobby Hundreds Virgil: Streetwear is clothing made with very limited resources (printed graphics on blanks). Bobby: (I’m summarizing his book) Streetwear isn’t about the clothes, it’s about what the graphics & logos represent. You should be able to get to know and have a conversation with someone based on their participation in Streetwear garments. It’s about community. It’s about The Hundreds of people you align with. That being said, I do think there can be a sense of culture in wearing a few popular luxury brands: Raf, Rick Owens, CDG mainline & even Balenciaga for those that love irony. These luxury brands have a core dna that resinates with fans and an aesthetic that mirrors a street influence because those designers come from it. I also think modern brands (brands created within the last 5 years) are using the term “Streetwear” so they won’t get critiqued as a luxury brand. Using Virgil’s definition, you can’t be a Streetwear brand selling cut & sewn jackets, pants and knitted sweaters. Cut and sew is a luxurious process and an exercise of resources.

I think the deeper level it goes into how from the 2010’s we have entered a hyper capitalism consumerist culture that’s accelerated from the GFC. This meaning all parts of daily life has worsened in quality for quantity. Think about how cinema has devolved into marvel and corporate films. How music is being no longer about albums but your 7 second attention span. Think about how your current phone no longer lasts as much as it once did. Even buildings see more damage in a short time span than before. This hyper capitalist accelerated culture has been bred from 08 onwards. And thus fashion was to suffer the same fate. It’s mostly controlled under a couple of corporate heads Bernard Arnault to say for one (one of the richest men in the world) thanks to conglomerating all the fashion houses and absorbing culture into profit. It’s very post modern to be ironic and replicate the for example. “Punk aesthetic” but selling it kind of defeats the ethos of punk? It’s all about aesthetics which leads to hyper trends and so on. You see I agree with all these points but the only people you can blame are the elites in all aspects not just fashion for turning current culture into what it is now. An economy like this that’s fast accelerated cannot last forever and thus it will soon implode on itself. You can’t get any shorter than micro trends on tik tok for people to consume. It’s all going to collapse and … in that moment when the system fails many. Like we have seen in centuries before. It will birth a new culture of anti movements that will delve into art and design from music fashion etc etc you’ll see a reaction to what is happening now.

Well said 👏👏 I feel you covered all bases on the this topic of discussion, I fully agree with your perspective!!

Can you bring back the JEEZOZ one time for Christmas Reggie? Long time viewer. Great content.

I recommend watching interviews with Walter van Beirendonck and the death of subculture. There are still people passionate and dedicated to streetwear, but they live in their own circles.

As someone not involved, it's come up a handful of times recently where I've told people that if they never understood it, it wasn't for them. Mostly it's been in response to people saying that streetwear sucks, when what they mean is a trend they didn't understand in the first place is (actually) dying and now they don't have to pretend they did anymore. It's the same thing you see when people look back on their past participation in fashion subcultures and call it cringe- it wasn't genuine and that causes embarrassment they try to justify by saying that it never was, but if they'd found something that resonated, it either stuck or is something they can look back on with understanding, since those are the thought processes and influences that they grew from. With the way things have changed recently I wonder if we'll actually see a resurgence every few years, or if we're moving into time periods over subcultures since the latter seem to be becoming less identifiable because our collective attention is focused on online spaces where newer expressions aren't as present in (and so aren't readily decoded) or in online spaces that are more socially interconnected but less visually homogeneous (and therefore get sorted into separate 'aesthetics' despite being the same.)

I agree with a lot of what you said Reggie. It’s very obvious to people when a trend is organic or forced, so when one that was organic is commodified by unfamiliar companies, it tarnishes the trend’s authenticity, this usually diminishing its exposure. While I think some products like slides, dad hats, Fanny packs, and other items have never been out of the wheelhouse of either a athletic brand or a luxury brand, it really sticks out in a bad way when say Balenciaga wholesale adopts a massive FILA or adidas logo for a ‘luxury’ piece.

As Yogi Berra said once, "..no one goes there, it's too crowded ". An old head here, streetwear to me and my friends was basically heading out to Bridgewater Mall in NJ and jacking Polo stuff in bulk. It was basically most of us wearing Polo overall. Then Union opened up on Spring Street and we saw UK brands come to NYC - where we all kinda low-key wanted to be in the Madchester scene. Things will always change.

Love the vid 🍾

my sentiments exactly, how can it be streetwear, when it didnt originate in the streets?

Fashionlover4 covered how the LVMH head has had a part to play and I think this level of awareness in the community will help change some attitudes

I could not agree more, the best part? Soon street will be ours again

i am 24 rn and did not need that little message lol

Luxury definitely changed Street wear. As someone who grew up pre hypebeast era heavily into fashion but only really learning and discovering my personal brand of fashion around the hypebeast era, I saw the rise and fall of a lot of brand identity and culture. I watched the crowds they drew and recognized that I wasn’t a part of their cultures. Slowly I saw those crowds change in demographic as luxury brands began to commodify and distort the audience to the point where it felt like anyone could essentially buy their way into those spaces.

This is why new brands need to form. Ppl alsp need to focus on individual style a lot more.

You should make a vid about how shibukaji lead to the start of the harujuku streetwear scene

this is why i subscribed to THE CASUAL a long time ago

Bro, I live in Portland, Oregon and hearing Gorpcore talked about like it’s the new wave is super funny to me. All that super cool “Gorpcore” clothing is exactly what everybody wears over the age of 35 here and it’s always been like that. I see those dudes decked out in Arcteryx and cargos and feel like they’re about to go to a PTA meeting in a minivan.

I feel like social media giving everyone an eye into the whole world made everyone want everything they see. So trending items are wanted by the world instead of a city. I'm from Toronto and there's no defining style just other styles all mixed in

Peak fashion content tbh. Rather than discussing superficial things about which items are trendy or what are the fashion trends rn, we should discuss the horror of those big fashion companies have done to the culture, to the people. Furthermore I actually sense that with the decaying of Balenciaga, the resignation of Alessandro in Gucci, the never ending quest of LV searching for CD, and the rise of minimalism/old money aesthetics, I hope we all really near the end of the hypebeastization or hypermechandising of high fashion. LVMH and Kering honestly need to be stopped.

You are spittin today brotha !!!

THANK YOU🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉!!!!!!!!!!

I definitely agree with a lot of your sentiments and I think fast fashion also helped push it to this place in its in as well

Unfortunately, I fully agree! Please put up more videos like this.

I can’t lie you fully inspired me to create my own KZfaq channel

As a kid who grew up punk and heavily involved in the UKHC scene, a big part of me always wanted to dress more "goth" but I didn't feel comfortale doing that. My relationship with my gender identity has always been a bit odd and I felt like wearing clothes that seemed more "feminine" (read: not baggy jeans, a hoodie and baseball cap) presented a part of myself I was uncomfortable with sharing, and that the culture I was in was not extremely accepting of. When Streetwear started to become high fashion it not only gave the high fashions an "in" to street subcultures that was damaging, it did also open up some of those cultures to new aesthetic influences that were maybe seen as a little "taboo" beforehand. Hip-hop, hardcore punk etc. IN GENERAL is now significantly more accepting of androgyny and whatnot. A lot of that is due to wider cultural movements, but the merging of streetwear with high fashion definitely played a part. There are some positives from what might feel like an overall negative corporate ransacking of working-class cultures. I don't wear high fashion, despite my interest in it, but brands like Stay Cold, Blackcraft, Disturbia etc. do that Nu-Goth thing with a big ol' chunk of streetwear thrown in and I hope brands like that continue to exist. I work a very white-collar job, but I'll always be a hardcore kid at heart and my main social life is going to shows. You're not gonna find me at a beatdown show in an oxford shirt and loafers. Love you channel man, great content in this video as always. Insightful and balanced whilst not being afraid to be opinionated and speak your mind. Keep it up!

Definitely made a lot of good points. I feel like luxury getting into street ware has almost made liking street ware that isn't from a high fashion brand uncool. If you have a slightly oversized black tee you found a thrift for $3 , compared to the same thing only with a small Balenciaga logo, the later is going to have way more praise and attention because people think that brand is cool, not the style itself. Nowadays it's more "cool" to spend $1200 on a jacket rather than $40 on a jacket with roughly the same quality just without the big brand name behind it.

Big up dude! Although i like my skatepants, lowkicks, highkicks, hoodies, etc... I funny agree with you! I wear them because I like to combine my closet.

I agree, for me streetwear has always been about the brands behind them. Guys who care about the culture and made clothes for it. I have a channel on streetwear brand history, and I find that most of them lost their soul when they sold out to big business

I was like " right... right... RIIIIIIGHT..."

I think ‘We The Best’ will be a litmus test if the culture is officially dead, if both the sail and crimson bliss don’t sell out in droves around Easter 2023.

Bro you said every I’ve been thinking especially gorpcore when I seen it I’m like outdoor hiking gear then they act like it’s a new thing

Also, interesting to see how STREETwear was impacted by the lockdowns

You’re halfway right. Hypebeast culture and Resellers are half the blame because “we” started paying high fashion prices for streetwear brands due to this. Louie, Gucci, Dior all took notice at what we were spending on these “inferior” brands. LOL The fashion market reset itself a bit. High end brands started making more T-shirts and hoodies and we got collabs like Supreme/Louie, MCM/Puma, Guicci/Adidas etc. Think about it - there was never an I.O.U./Burbery collab or Triple Fat Goose/Gucci collab back in the day! LOL High end brands get to reach a younger consumer base who are already willing to spend the $$$$. Essentially the resale market got the next wave consumers used to paying high amounts for apparel they really wanted and its not even a big deal anymore.

you killed it fam! streetwear was 1000% invented on hbcu campuses, at their homecomings, the artists seeing their audience and taking notes, hip hop, black ivy the whole gang was commercialized and now its on to the next "bop" lol honestly its all streetwear to me now, an amalgamation of people copying tweaking inspiring reaching and posing lol. love the video bro!

I will keep saying this till I'm blue in the face; the democratization of fashion destroyed the fashion ecosystem. Destroying barriers also means destroying the rules that held up the culture. If anyone can rock anything, then no one stays anywhere. Combine that with the infinite and blinding speed of the internet where everyone can just make up a trend for the gram for a hot second, culture can't grow. I'm starting to see some buds begin to sprout, but these are people that are actively refusing the entire system to build up some semblance of community and culture.

3:14 nahhhh bro u did me dirty this is literally me, I thought I was too old to be part of Gen Z but apparently I am.

And saturation killed fashion.

I honestly hate luxury fashion. It’s so tacky and takes away creativity out of fashion.

Great topic, We live in the universe of Street wear vs the mainstream since day 1. Our goal was to keep it underground Being the 1st graffiti fashion brand out of our city designing cut and sew pieces. We aimed to be a step towards luxury in terms of quality ppl. / consumers always seemed to equate both based off price and the feel of fabrics. But seeing the mega fashion houses re-strategies to compete with homegrown brands its bugged. Watching million dollar empires logo slap there brand's names on a hoodie, bucket hat and over tax customer is the problem. It feels like yesterday it wasn't even Fashion to them.Coming from the school of self taught designers. We knew myself personally a starting with a screen printed tee wasn't enough to show our city we meant business. So for a big company to do the opposite of elevating the design capabilities than grab a famous superstar/ media influencers is wack! The war was looking winnable until they appointment our guy Virgil. That's a story for the future. We champion what that did for our Culture and why it suffers after.... Not to mention the environment. Yo @Reggie different discussions Slow fashion and why we do it?

I agree with a lot what you say. But I think it's nuanced, for me street wear was not clothes or brands but styles that become trends that go on to become articles of clothing. The problem for street wear was the drip,the increasing importance of labels. Started in the 90s even earlier if you go way back to the custom Gucci leather tracksuits of Dapper Dan, but back then, it was a cultural take on luxury. It evolved from Wu wearing high end Nautica and Tommy Hilfiger sailing jackets and oversized chinos, less bespoke, but same approach, culture making status symbols for their own. But the mainstream hip hop and street culture of now, is all about the drip, as many labels as you can and chucking them together. Not saying it isn't stylish or cool, but it's all about the drip and nothing else, and more so the collabs. I think it is because the big fashion houses have seen the milage they can etfrom co-opting artists and pushing the narrative toward them. That's an old heads view on things.

Then : Supreme, Vetements, BAPE, Adidas, Off white Now : Tom Ford, Armani, LV, Dior, Givenchy, Etc...

Truuuuu wel spoken

So is this a good time to start a streetwear brand .

I feel like the blame is a much bigger conversation than just 'luxury killed it'. Subcultures in general are changing/no more in the way they once were, due to the internet. I'm a millennial, and was in college when the Hipster faze landed. I remember noticing at the time that the 'look' had no real culture behind it, and this felt like a first since I had grown up hearing/seeing punk/skate/hip hop/other looks from a subculture, and the hipster look was more of this weird uniform that came with certain flavors of hobbies. Corporations are doing the same thing with fashion as they are with movies, just recycling because the data says people like buying things they already know, new ideas are more of a chance. I'm so curious what conversations like this will be like in 20-30 years, once we've had a few generations that have grown up in this post smartphone/social media world.

I’m sure it’s coming already but could you cover your take on Adidas x FOG collab?

Yes. I think they did. But also, kinda stole it. I really didnt care about it until Dior did a Jordan 1. I was like, "Why?" and "What for...?". If we go way back to the beginnings, icons like Dapper Dan have always played with famous luxury brands when making custom pieces to artists. But that was different. It was OF the culture. And a very different time in streetwear and design too. Today, I wonder if its almost the other way around. Gucci looking at hip-hop and streetwear brands and copying what they think we want. I'm one of those who thinks luxury brands should stay in their lane and do suits and button up shirts, suede boots and plaid coats and stuff. Luxury brands should stay boring. And leave the colorful camo cargos and pattern hoodies to us. We whom actually appreciate the raw and loud in the culture that it comes from. The street.

I completely agree. Corporations grab whatever seems unique and not popular yet, wrap it, and then sell it to the masses. The history, culture and overall reason of existence of these styles get completely thrown out the window and marketed so that younger and more impressionable people want to buy it. And all of this ties into everyone now wanting to have a “unique personal style” and not knowing what to do. Because the meaning and culture of the clothes are completely erased and no one really wants to do any research in order to understand what they are wearing and think if it fits their personality, who they are and what they like. I’m just gonna stop rambling now lol

i dunno anything about streetwear i just found your page for the tokyo thrifting but i grew up skateboarding (2004-2015 basically) and learned how to dress thru skateboarding. andd i am a girl. it was just part of the lifestyle. i remember when it started to leak into other subcultures.. but the style was very core and limited. and i always thought it was goofy when luxury imitated it. nowadays everything is so streamlined i don't think much about it anymore. excepttt i think japanese fashion is doing things lately. cuz that stuff was really never on my radar. (cept like harajuku fruits mag type stuff)

Sigh I can’t stand skinny jeans and jordan hi’s. High tops are good with cargos, joggers, stuff that either tapers or you can tie off like military cargos. But that’s just my opinion 🙂 luxury def ruined it tho. I agree completely. I always think off the LV “skate team” that is no longer advertised on their social media since Virgil passed. I couldn’t stand those two dudes filming at local skate parks dripped in LV doing some kick flips 😂😂

my breaking point was when someone was like 'nice outfit man skater vibes' as i was on my way to the local lmao like what are yall on about

i agree with you so much but i think it started b4 luxury infiltrated to me i couldnt tolerate the new "culture" basically when supreme overtook rocking "gear" like avirex, sean john, dickies, rocawear, and so on

my opinion: street wear during my time is all about expressing, wearing something different - rebellious, not wanting to be the mainstream fashion, a lot of varieties. skate, hiphop, not stepping into the luxury, high end fashion. nowadays, streetwear become luxury, luxury wants a piece of streetwear scene. everything went sky high with the price, its more of a flex than a self expression.

I agree with this idea mostly, I guess I'm thinking, is there no fix if you're trying to create a subculture/base off of a subculture that brings people together through clothes? Ig that's the point you're making is it can't stand on it's own legs and needs a subculture but idk I need to use the discord more

Based The Casual.

Ripe opportunity to get in and present something new in terms of ideology - ethics and style - please remember everything goes full circle

what fuels your confidence? it shouldn't be through tenuous associations with depraved fashion houses. who are you really? express yourself people

The HBO series is fire though!

completely agree!! I miss the true inspiration of the "street"people showing up at the fashion week now they are only logos wearers: how boring!!! I also "shrug" at people buying distressed jeans or clothes with holes from luxury designers: how these big brands CEO must laugh all the way to the bank!!!

Social media killed Street wear

the internet ruined everything

tbh i always thought while it might well and truly be dead in the broader sense (imo brought about by a deadly combo of tiktok online gentrifiers and luxury brands, celebrities etc) for those who get the culture and have been on this for way longer itll stay much the same and eventually return from oversaturated/borderline annoying and overdone to normal. comforting thought to me lol but man they really had me tired of it all lol

Fast fashion killed everything!

Reggie, watch the show. Its entertaining if nothing else.

sauce

Celebrity fashion became the popular thing you see now how it all about celebrities is wear that is what killed "Streetwear" corporate saw how new fashion celebrities could use to make" Streetwear " trending and now we have no end where it basic what shoe is next trending but I say it individual art style for niche who like use interest to express with clothing where it wasn't about the clothing it was using what I have a look for me not buy every shine new piece of clothing and shoe but express everyday life with what is normal. (need more editing)

Yea I always wondered what the fuck is streetwear

Well said 🎉I pretty much agreed with everything all the way until u said puffer jackets aren’t streetwear lol but I get it every brand has a puffer now a days and reaching making it seem like that’s validating the entire line as streetwear.

this was some insightful ass shit Mr. Casual. Now I'm just confused. I'm just hunting for crap i like but not seeking to emulate anything in particular. Am I culture-less for not conforming to one sub-culture or the next? I'll say luxury brands sometimes offer pieces with construction choices that aren't profitable/possible at lower price points but so much of the luxury landscape is a monogrammed wasteland.

Non luxury brand. But I despise and hate Nike SB

I feel if you follow the mainstream, you will always find yourself worn down. I like to just follow ppl with stories I enjoy, and if that being hooked, they gotta do a shit ton of work😅

Big companies making money out of the poor? ... groundbreaking...

You know what could of helped avoid or atleast delay this......gatekeepers

Environment defines the culture, e.g. hip hop wearing timberland to borrow from the real working men who really owned that style. MJ shoes was a basketball shoe, how many kids you think even know how to play Bball wearing mj. My point, fashion is tries to borrow those real ‘culture’ from working men, to athletes, yoga, now real tech nerd going to be adopted into fashion.

People without personal taste (mass followers) eventually kill everything.

This is arguing for the sake of arguing; however, there’s still a somewhat valid point. I disagree WRT the industry killing streetwear. They cannot kill something that they do not control. Contrary to popular belief, celebrities aren’t the only influencers/influences driving what people wear/enjoy. Add in the pandemic, the geographical region, the age, belief, access, pay scale, etc. Long/short, there are many things that drive streetwear & clothes in general. It’s funny that you mentioned street, originators & showed a picture of Malcolm X. All of these things have since evolved, some for better, others for worse. I could go on; however, I will digress & leave with this. Streetwear or your attire is whatever "you" like it to be, people who follow what they’re into & what they like will be forever cool/validated in their own lives. Master yourself & your likes, you’ll see yourself & surroundings differently.

this is 100 percent spot on. niggas aint wearing supreme box logos no more... they got on balenciaga t shirts and sneakers

Streetwear will be just fine, especially after the trend hoppers leave.

Just realised that Pharrell is helping to gentrify streetwear .

👀 👀

I blame Kim jones

W

Derek Guy is also an excellent fashion blogger, Die Workwear.

Virgil's collection at LV : "The Art Heist" takes a whole new meaning now, the dude really stole the art as the DA of the most famous luxury brand and then proceeded to get unalived by an uncurable disease

So their main buyers are into a more mature look because they grew up and so now the whole baby gets tossed out with the water. Sounds like another thing that was pure for what it was for, fell victim to corporations. Whatever the group coming up is into is next. What's dead is luxury brands involvement because the money isn't there for them. Were the people who were into streetwear of a street culture? No, just fashion people who don't have a style of their own looking to be told what to wear and suddenly everything they own is off limits. The people that genuinely dress "street" are street so the culture reverts back to its natives roots or evolves while everyone else is looking at the flash. Old brands that started as "streetwear" hopefully didn't become too big that the fall off puts them out of business. Find themselves in an interesting tough spot where they're looked at as being luxury or designer. Can't ignore that they too had a helping hand in all this. Even so, there will be smaller brands to take their spot who are still of their roots. Wouldn't be surprised if something new has grown unbeknownst. A lesson for any subculture/niche to always put their history first. When the brands come knocking, leave them at the door. One thing I think I understand about fashion is that people/brands that are all about fashion don't care about roots or history. That's not inclusive enough for marketers trying to reach the masses. But I guess that's the problem, can't market culture. But there is a culture working behind the scenes, the one of capitalism. That bottom line that company's want to progress. With that it mind how do you keep something from going mainstream and losing itself? Can't help what others like big corporations do, especially if they want a piece. They'll steal, copy, repackage and resell, then move on to the next. But doesn't that put them in a bind when everything is "streetwear?"

"streetwear" died with supreme imo edit: when supreme hit the scene (worst brand ever)

Hmmm. Yes and no. Mainstream fashion has eaten up and spat out trends since time immemorial. As long as the culture exists streetwear will exist.

I think when reading fashion commentary, it is important to never forget that the commentary is a business that needs to continually come up with a new product (the writing) to sell to us the readers so the business receives ad revenue. The commentary needs to be punchy, dramatic, edgy (but not too edgy), etc.

Culture vultures. End.

STREETWEAR IS NOT DEAD BRO!! FOH