Preppy, the New Streetwear
Image Courtesy: Rachel Zhong
My first visit to Aimé Leon Dore (ALD) was on its website, specifically, the New Balance 550 page, counting down the sneaker launch. These shoes drew my attention with the subtle elegance that felt absent from the sneaker market then – an ultramodern idea hidden under the “big apple” tongue and the oxidized vintage sole.
That was when I first experienced the synopsis of sophisticated streetwear.
Unlike its two-block-away neighbor Supreme’s take on skateboarding, ALD approached the American culture from polo. The founder, Teddy Santis, has said that his inspiration for ALD was Ralph Lauren, something as classic and elite as its shirt and logo, and the birth of ALD rendered a new spark in that fashion gene. Supreme was also, as anticipated, on Santis’ credit line but only for its marketing, not product. Perhaps the headline from Culted (IS STREETWEAR BECOMING… PREPPY?) misrepresented the trend, and so did I — ALD discovered the streetwear gene in preppy clothes.
Simply put, ALD took off on the Ralph Lauren aesthetics and landed at Soho (in New York and London). With storefronts of French cafes and a product line that mixes activewear with tailored garments, it purposefully dazes you. To consumers, this amalgamating heritage means a new bridge connecting luxury and street fashion.
Kith and Stüssy tagged along. The former was known as a concept store of contemporary wear and lifestyle pieces, while the latter remained a skatewear (and surfwear) staple for decades. Two brands happened to coincide in the preppier looks – their newest lookbooks are collared jackets, button-down shirts, and cardigans. But each paired with graffiti, color blocks, and paisleys, all laid-back elements to even out the preppiness.
A reformation was going on, where streetwear outstretched its style to a proper amount of nonchalance.
This is a statement that Stüssy’s collaborations with Our Legcay (which happened the 11th time) tried to demonstrate. Stüssy’s signature zip-up hoodie was in leather. Our Legacy’s blazer silhouette was in Stüssy tag. I saw two brands cross each other’s shadows, partially blended and partially projected, like kids wearing adult clothes, oddly comfortable.
Image Courtesy: Stussy
Just a few days ago, Supreme took a similar approach, collaborating with MM6 Maison Margiela to release an entire business-casual-for-my-skate-shop wardrobe. It was an inevitable surprise. Sooner or later, the biggest name, Supreme, in the streetwear industry would have to latch onto the goings in town. With Maison Margiela’s help, Supreme joined the ongoing discourse, finessing a faux fur jacket, three-piece suit, and foil double-knee pants all at once.
Now, the fashion truth lies in how the avant-garde takeovers reiterate their identities, bringing consumers a ready-to-wear priced collection in the name of skate brands that sell 50-dollar t-shirts (the Supreme/MM6 Maison Margiela Tees sell at $88 and $110).
Still, fashion remains a place for experimentation. Debating where the emphasis should be on – preppy or street – ruins the impetus from ALD: the streets can pulse new blood into fashion that circulates not only from boutiques but the corner shops.
Strike Out,
Writer: Rachel Zhong
Editor: Annika Chaves
Boston.
