Your Favorite Supreme-Devoted Instagram Accounts Talk Brand Loyalty, Social Media & Product Leaks

@supreme_leaks_news

I’ve always known of the brand since I grew up skateboarding, but I mainly just knew the logo and the stickers from boards and skateboard magazines. It probably wasn’t until around six years ago that I became more actively interested in it when a friend offered to bring me some stuff back from a trip to New York.

@supcommunity

My fascination with Supreme started years ago, back before the European web shop opened and Supreme stuff was kind of hard to get here.

@suprememuseum

I really started to get into the brand around 2009/2010. I don’t remember the exact moment but I do remember just seeing Supreme camp caps popping up all over online and the patterns that were used immediately caught my eye. I was also very fascinated with the hip-hop world around this time and caught word of the whole Odd Future thing very early on, like back when Twitter was still just starting to catch on and Tyler, The Creator barely had a following. But I remember seeing those guys in Supreme and knew there was more to this than just camp caps so I began to dig into it much deeper from there.

@instapreme

I suppose it started with skateboarding. I started skating when I was 7 years old and was always into skate culture and heavily into skate clothing. At this time in early 2000, Supreme was very underground in the UK and virtually nonexistent. My first experience of Supreme wasn’t until 2009 when I met a friend who had a large Supreme hat collection; I will never forget the first time I saw a Box Logo! I remember how excited I was when he was wearing one because they represented such a rare clothing scene and was like nothing I had ever seen before.

In 2011, Supreme was still pretty rare in the UK. The only real way to get your hands on it was at The Hideout London, eBay, or by having a friend in the U.S. or Japan. In 2011, I got my first Supreme item (FW11 Black Canvas Camp Cap) from eBay for a ridiculous price!

Image Via: @supreme_leaks_news

@supreme_leaks_news

Truthfully, people approach me more often than not. I reply to as many messages as I can and try to be respectful of people who do approach me, and it seems to work well.

@supcommunity

Mostly from connections, a friend of mine (@MRBLD) and I have built during the years. We are very thankful for all these connections.

@suprememuseum

As far as the “archived” pieces go, not much. I’ve posted items where I’ve gone to the character limit for the caption because there is so much history behind the piece but I’ve also done posts like the orange on orange Box Logo tee where it was just two sentences because it’s a very simple piece. But when it comes to the criteria for posts such as partnerships or ads on the page, I’m just not accepting anyone who comes at me with money and letting that blind me. If it’s not Supreme related, not something I believe in, and not something that I think will benefit my followers then it’s a no-go.

@instapreme

There are no real criteria. I do my best to feature as many different people as possible to make it fair for everyone! And pick the best of course.

Image Via: HYPEBEAST JP

@supreme_leaks_news

It’s a fact that resell, fashion trends, recent collaborations and celebrity influences have expanded the community in a general sense. Although some people have some negative feelings about that, I don’t think it dilutes or threatens the brand or the culture for people who are genuine fans in the first place.

@supcommunity

Lately Supreme is very popular everywhere, that’s also noticeable on the account. Some years ago you would hardly see anyone wearing Supreme on the street and if you did, you knew you would get along with that person for sure. Today, it’s not really anything special if you see Supreme on the street. You can split the community into three groups of people: The enthusiasts or long time followers who are also interested in what Supreme, or an item is about and also have a lot of knowledge. There are also newer followers who started to collect and expand their knowledge not a long time ago — that is very welcome among the whole community and the older followers. The second group is people who wear Supreme because it’s “hot” or “hyped” or simply to be cool in front of their friends. Not saying they don’t care about the brand, but what often counts for them are items with big logos so that everyone can see that they wear Supreme. As the last group, I see people who do not give a shit about anything and just buy stuff to resell it afterward. What makes my account and website cool is that there is stuff for each of these groups.

@suprememuseum

The Supreme community as a whole is still very solid. There’s still the people who just buy it to sell it and the older collectors who hate the “new generation” of collectors, but overall it’s still a nice community.

@instapreme

I think the Supreme community is in a great place. It’s cool to have seen two sides of the brand, from when Supreme in the UK was extremely rare to now having a busy London store every week. I like the fact that new people are joining the community each season who have only just gotten into Supreme. This definitely helps to keep things fresh.

Image Via: Kim Jones

@supreme_leaks_news

It’s not a collection that I’m particularly interested in copping. I wasn’t especially interested in LV before the collaboration, but I do think it’s cool how it brings similar people – collectors who are really into fashion and clothes – from different backgrounds together.

Realistically, I don’t think it’s really meant for your average Supreme fan due to the pricing. I do think it would be cool for them to add in some more affordable Supreme-manufactured pieces. Eat the rich.

@supcommunity

As soon as we received the first leaks and info I was honestly not really sure if I should believe it or not. It’s cool to see Supreme doing stuff with a brand like Louis Vuitton. But most of the items seem to be very over-branded. What worries me a little is the quality. The Louis Vuitton box logo hoodies which appear to be F&F (friends & family) only, seem to have not that good of a quality on their stitching. Definitely would’ve been wise if they at least used box logo patches with the same quality as the Supreme ones have. About the other collaboration items, I can’t say much until they are released to the public. If I’d get something it would be something subtle such as from their accessories.

@suprememuseum

I’m fairly neutral on this one but I think the negatives outweigh the positives for me. It just feels like a cash grab for Supreme and a way to become super relevant again by Louis Vuitton, which is a big reason why everything is covered in the same pattern. But, I’d be lying if I said that I wouldn’t want one of the box logo tees but that’s more of me being a Supreme fan than anything else.

@instapreme

Personally, I’ve never been a huge fan of Louis Vuitton clothing. It’s crazy to think that in 2000 there was a cease and desist from LV to Supreme and now they’re working together! Although, I think it’s a great opportunity for both brands to gain exposure in different areas of the fashion industry.

If I was to purchase anything from the collection, it would probably be the blanket and Box Logo tee.

Image Via: @suprememuseum — “Supreme Museum Vol.1” Book

@suprememuseum

Well to just compare the items for a second, I feel like the designs back then were much more simple but also much more – not exactly original, but it was something that others weren’t doing. The first Basquiat tee that they released back in 1994 was just simply a cut out from one of his paintings but for the time, it wasn’t really a thing that any other brands were doing. Eventually, they began to use brands like Tommy as inspiration but early on they were doing great things with the basic tees and pullovers. When it comes to the collaborations, they’ve always done a great job with those. It takes time for the certain “hype” to build around it but eventually, it gets there. I do wish they connected with more streetwise-oriented brands though. The Supreme x BAPE collab has always been one that stood out to me and I feel like there is still so much to do there. With the rise in popularity that the BAPE zip-ups have gained in recent years, Supreme’s pullovers, or even doing a collab on a pair of Roadstas – I think this is one that Supreme should revisit.

@instapreme

Interesting question, I could list many. Although, I would like to think myself and @miho_umeboshi get on well. Miho’s photos are consistently some of the best in the community, the creativity put into each photo amazes me each time.

@supreme_leaks_news

I don’t think I’d be running another fan account necessarily, but I’ve always had the kind of personality where I get tunnel-vision over a certain interest for a period of time. If not Supreme, I think there would be something else I’d be into just as much. It just so happened that the whole culture around Supreme was a kind of a perfect storm of a few of my interests – skateboarding, fashion and collecting clothes – so I felt confident that I could run the kind of account that I would be interested in following myself.

@supcommunity

I can see a lot of interest and potential to run a fan account for some other brands I personally like. The most important thing for any new account is that the market or social media should not be saturated with fan accounts for the chosen brand. With big accounts already existing it’s hard to start from scratch, in my opinion.

@suprememuseum

Probably not, because I’ve tried it before. A few years ago I tried one for general streetwear and then I tried one for sneakers but it was just hard to want to do it because I just couldn’t find the drive to do so, because it wasn’t something I really enjoyed. With Supreme, it doesn’t feel like I need to find the drive because I just enjoy the brand so much.

@instapreme

Probably not, but if I was to create another page it probably wouldn’t be focused around one brand.

@supreme_leaks_news

I’d describe myself as a collector, but not so much of the “classic” collector pieces like The North Face jackets or the Box Logos. I tend to keep pieces that I like, rather than items that are super-hyped or rare. My grail piece for a while was the FW13 Loro Piana wool trench coat, which I managed to pick up about a year ago. I was pretty pleased with that as it’s the kind of piece people bought to own and not to sell, so there were very few on the resell market.

In terms of favorite pieces, I’m a big fan of Daniel Johnston so that was a dream collaboration for me really, same with the Neil Young tee. I do love the Kermit photo tee also, as I am a huge Muppets fan, though I don’t own it.

@supcommunity

I used to buy and collect a lot of stuff. But over the years, I kinda stepped back and I am only buying something if I really like it. Still, I have plenty of stuff that I’m not even wearing or displaying. My personal favorite season is Spring/Summer 2013. With all the shirts, tops, the collaborations with Vans, The Misfits and Comme des Garçons, it seemed to me as the cleanest and coolest season overall, up to now. One of the rarest items I still own and occasionally wear is the Peter Saville for Supreme tee with the iconic cover artwork of Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures. It released back in Spring/Summer 2005. If you are interested in checking out older lookbooks, make sure to head over to our history section.

@suprememuseum

I had sold off most of my collection a while back but a few months ago I began to get back into it. My favorite piece that I have owned will probably be a surprise to most people but the “Wrench” tee from 2009 has always been a favorite of mine due to the old school look of the graphic. The rarest item that I have owned would either be the “Kraftwerk” tee from 1999 or the original Taxi Driver tee from 1994. I have a few grails, most are the older pre-2000 tees but the one that always sticks out to me when someone asks is the Afro Skater tee from 1994.

@instapreme

Yes, but I don’t buy everything Supreme releases. I usually buy around five items each season. I have so many favorites it’s very hard to say. If I was to highlight one it would probably be the Burgundy/Tan Classic Logo Two Tone 5 Panel from FW09. I don’t own many super rare items but the rarest item I currently own is probably a Black Box Logo pullover.

@supreme_leaks_news

Nah, I don’t think it would necessarily be better. I think when people are passionate about something, they find a way, whether that’s conventions, ads in magazines or car-boot sales.

@supcommunity

I would not say that the absence of social media would be better for the community. Despite that there would be fewer people who get into Supreme, or any other brand, just to make some money, as it is very easy to sell stuff over all these platforms. Without any of these platforms, I’d see the possibility for meetups and streetwear/sneaker conventions in general. They are always a good place to connect, show collections or simply to show off their fire outfit. But then again, everything is done mostly over social media today.

@suprememuseum

I think it would mostly come from face to face interaction from attending Supreme drops, which would be unfortunate. The top collectors that I’m personally fans of aren’t from New York or Los Angeles, so without being able to do anything with social media or online as a whole would limit the product to where there’s a Supreme store. I like where we’re at right now. There may be a bit more hype than there should be and that’s obvious with resale prices tripling over the last 2-3 years but the community is as great as it’s ever been in my opinion.

@instapreme

I think it would be extremely difficult. It’s weird to think of a world without social media after seeing the effect it’s had on the Supreme community. One of the greatest things about social media is its ability to make you feel involved and part of something. Plus if there was no Instagram, there would be no @instapreme!

Photographer: RENEE NEOH/HYPEBEAST

@supreme_leaks_news

I don’t like how much people rely on other people’s opinions on what they “should” or shouldn’t be wearing. I think one of the best things about skateboarding culture and the Supreme brand, in general, is that it encourages individuality and people expressing themselves through what they wear. It’s fine to wear stuff that’s hyped, as long as you like it.

@supcommunity

The amount of people interested in Supreme and not only interested in their apparel but also the aspect to make money, respectively even the possibility to make a living from Supreme. They harm the community spirit a lot in my opinion. It’s quite saddening to see people getting robbed or stabbed in line just over a bunch of clothes. It is needed to sign up on Monday at most Supreme store locations to get a place in line for Thursday just because it was not possible anymore to have an organized and respectful campout. The “big family” spirit is missing. Besides, I like how Supreme kinda sticks to their roots and still do the same thing what they did years ago. It’s arguable if all their collabs keep to the skate brand root but in general, their store concepts, clean aesthetic and as James Jebbia once mentioned, they let the “product do the talking” is kept. They are also trying to deal with the current situation as best as possible.

@suprememuseum

This is going to be the obvious answer but the resale prices are ridiculous. I remember paying under resale for tees that had been released years ago and now they’re going for $100+. I think the best thing about it is that older collectors are now selling their stuff which from a buyer standpoint isn’t great because of the prices but from a fan standpoint is perfect because they’re showing off pieces that never pop up anymore. For someone that runs an account like mine, it’s extremely helpful.

@instapreme

I’m not a fan of bots. These days it seems to be the only guaranteed way to buy Supreme. I also don’t like the fact that Supreme added CAPTCHA to their website making it much harder for manual users to buy something! But I understand why it was necessary. The best thing would be is that Supreme is still going strong 23 years later! Still producing unique streetwear that we all love it for.

@supreme_leaks_news

Sometimes, but not as often as I expected. Some people within the fanbase can be quite hostile, but I think most people accept it as part of the culture now. I think the hype and excitement of waiting for leaks and sharing theories and ideas is part of what keeps people interested.

@supcommunity

There is always haters and criticism on what I do. Mostly not regarding destroying the culture or identity, rather in terms of information I give out. For example, there was a lot of hate when and @MRBLD and I leaked the Commes des Garçons collaboration including the crumbled box logo last season. We received the information that it should’ve released last season and unfortunately, the release was postponed. But as you can see, it released now a couple of weeks ago, just one season later. Also, a lot of people do not like that with revealing stuff, things sometimes get hyped up. Hype makes it hard for some to get the item in the end. People are sometimes really sensitive with information. Still, a lot are of course appreciating what all the accounts, including me, are doing.

@suprememuseum

Oh no question, I’ve received everything. The bad messages never stay with me so it’s hard to tell which one was the worst but I remember someone saying that all the top guys in the community hated my page but I’ve had original Supreme employees reach out to show love so it stopped mattering at that point. The best praise was the earliest praise because when I only had about 5,000 followers, FRANK151 included me on their weekly Instagram post of which accounts to follow. I’ve had a lot of people reach out but for them to do that in just the first few months of the page being up and only having 5,000 followers, it meant a lot at the time.

Image Via: @jin_jin216

@supreme_leaks_news

Of course [there’s personal satisfaction], it’s awesome knowing you’re one of the first people outside of Supreme to know about something, and it’s exciting being able to pass that on to other fans.

I don’t get mad about other accounts breaking leaks, I talk to several of the other big Supreme accounts, but I do think everybody wants to be the one to post something first. If you’re not first, you’re last!

@supcommunity

Yes indeed! It’s always a satisfaction to be the first on anything. But I am not mad if there is anything revealed or posted earlier than on my account. I think it’s cool that there is a variety of accounts, there might always be someone earlier than me but I do not see it as a fight between all the accounts. Through the years I have also written with many of them and it was always a pleasure. They are all really cool people and I appreciate everyone who does their thing.

@supreme_leaks_news

I do have a day job but I recently was able to go part-time to devote more time to the account. It has also freed up more time for my other interests, like drawing, playing guitar or skateboarding. It’s given me some freedom back to just generally be creative again, which is cool.

@supcommunity

Right now, I am full-time studying computer science at university and I’m running a few other projects besides SupCommunity in which also mostly my interests are. To do stuff for the account is often a pleasant break from my everyday life.

@suprememuseum

I do a lot of freelance graphic design work, whether it’s artwork for musicians or clothing brands that need designs – I pretty much do whatever they need. But the page has afforded me a ton of opportunities with advertisers among other things so that’s been where most my attention has been lately and for good reason. I can’t really talk a lot about my other interest at the moment because it’s something I’ll be announcing on my page soon but it’s a clothing-related project that I’ve been working on for two years, and I think people who follow the page will enjoy it.

@instapreme

I’ve just recently finished studying at university. My current day job is to continue growing and expanding @instapreme until I can’t anymore. This is definitely one of my hobbies so being able to earn a living from the page and work on it daily makes me extremely grateful.

@supreme_leaks_news

I plan to mainly keep doing what I’m doing for now, though I do have some ideas for merchandise of my own somewhere down the line. Making my own clothes is something I’ve always wanted to do.

In terms of ads, I get a lot of offers to promote stuff, but I only work with brands I think are cool or relevant to the account. I just always wanted to make an account that I would want to follow.

@supcommunity

I can’t hide that right now we are working on a lot of new and cool stuff. We will be able to provide even more for all of our followers and the community in general. It should be finished soon. Other than that I will continue with doing what I do now. I’m not too sure if in the near future there will be any products sold nor any bots or anything like that promoted through the account. I get contacted a lot regarding promotion but I always wanted to keep the account clean and not plastered with advertisements which can already be seen on many other accounts.

@suprememuseum

I’ve always said I want the page to get to 100k followers. That just seemed like such an unreal goal but now it’s looking more real than ever. I’ve already done things through ads and products like parody tees, but I’m going to be releasing a book simply titled Supreme Museum Vol. 1, which will focus on the same things that the Instagram page does but with articles and on a more deeper level.

@instapreme

I’ve been working on something very special, although I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s just a plan to monetise @instapreme. My aim is to create a safe, Supreme exclusive marketplace designed to act as an online community for Supreme enthusiasts. The platform will eventually offer features such as discussion threads, proxies and legit checks.

I feel like the current Supreme community is massively divided and needs an online hub tailored to the needs of everyday Supreme fans. The website will ensure regulated sales in an attempt to bring the community together on one purpose-built platform and eliminate the dilution of Supreme goods across various other sales avenues.

I will be releasing more information about this soon so stay tuned!

@supreme_leaks_news

I think as long as Supreme keeps doing what they’re doing, referencing skateboarding, counterculture, art and music the way they do, and as long as people are interested in the content, then I’ll continue.

@supcommunity

I am still enjoying to run my account and love to do as much as possible for the community, I cannot see any expiration date for me personally yet.

@suprememuseum

As long as Supreme is a brand and people show interest, I’ll definitely be doing it. In order to keep that interest, I’ll have to do new things from time to time so I would love to branch out and do a pop-up shop with rare Supreme items in the near future.

@instapreme

I don’t think so, Supreme is a timeless brand. My interest will go the day they stop producing clothing. I’ve grown up with this brand and I feel like I’ll always have a special place for it no matter which direction it goes.

Photographer: SANDY KIM/’POPEYE’ MAGAZINE 2017 Spring/Summer

@supreme_leaks_news

Future of Supreme:
I think there will always be a core of fans that will support Supreme no matter the level of hype, who just really “get” the brand and what they do. Although they’ve become as popular as they are right now, they don’t pander to the more mainstream audience they have at the moment, and I think even if that level of hype fades, I think they will continue to stay true to the things they put out as a smaller brand with an audience of primarily skateboarders.

Future of fan hype:
I feel like Supreme blowing up right now the way it has, has a lot to do with people just following fashion. Fashion tends to reference trends from 20-25 years ago, and the ’90s is just the big, cool thing of the moment. A lot of the looks and references have a nostalgia value which I think has also played a part in brands like Palace blowing up right now too.

Future of Supreme fan accounts:
Any fan account has a natural life cycle, same with any social media platform. As I said before, as long as people are interested in the content, I’m happy to keep going.

@supcommunity

That’s a tough one to answer as no one can really predict trends besides that they often become popular, fall off and become popular again. I definitely can see that the brand is very hyped right now and it’s also noticeable, that some of the OGs and collectors are leaving the community as they do not want to deal with the current situation any more or rather take the money for their collection and invest it in something else. Supreme will still be around in a few years but maybe just not with the same fans as from today. As long as they don’t change their system on not giving out any info upfront on drops, collaborations and so on, I can also see a future for Supreme fan accounts. Who knows, SupremeCommunity might still be around in 2027 🙂

@suprememuseum

I hope the future is bright. They haven’t slowed down since they started over 20 years ago and it doesn’t look like they plan on stopping anytime soon. I think the fascination is great because it leads to other things. It leads to finding that you want to be a designer, a writer, or whatever your purpose may be because it all starts with finding what you initially love. As far as fan accounts go, anyone can do it but you have to be original and consistent with great content. When I made my account, there wasn’t anyone doing it and since then there’s been a bunch of accounts pop up which is great because it just goes to show that as long as you’re supplying people with great quality content, then they’ll show support.

@instapreme

Everyday Supreme gains more popularity, after seeing the growth in Supreme from 2009 to 2017 it’s been massive! There’s no doubt Supreme will continue to grow from here. Like I said previously there are no plans to stop working on @instapreme, onwards and upwards from here.

For more Supreme, check out the official look at the Michael Jackson for Supreme capsule collection.