LOREMONSTER
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CanonAW1987 · 1987

Stüssy

International Stüssy Tribe

Shawn Stüssy

Why it matters

The International Stüssy Tribe — a grassroots network of creatives in New York, Tokyo, London, and Los Angeles, each gifted personalised IST varsity jackets — was the first structured influencer marketing operation in streetwear history, predating the concept by two decades. The World Tour T-shirt and Big Ol' S hat became the first streetwear items to achieve genuine global cultural currency. MR PORTER's journal and SVD's history document the IST's foundational role in establishing streetwear as a global phenomenon.

Defining looks

Provenance & holdings

Institutional recognition runs deep — the V&A holds a 1992 Stüssy printed cotton tee (T.276-1993) in its permanent textiles and fashion collection. Streetwear entered the museum through exactly this lineage.

Sources