What to expect from the collaboration between Supreme and Corteiz?

A billboard that appeared in the streets of London in recent days has spoiled the imminent collaboration between Corteiz and Supreme. Characterized by the tagline «Supreme Rules The World», it suggests that the collaboration, expected to be released in the early months of 2024, could indeed succeed in tying the two brands harmoniously: while there are "aesthetic" differences between Supreme and Corteiz, there are many good reasons why this collection could be seen as wise and congenial for both parties. Furthermore, such a significant strategic choice could be a true beacon of light for Supreme's audience: while Corteiz is a young brand in good health that has not yet encountered major media obstacles, Supreme is currently the subject of various criticisms, stemming from a diverse and hard-to-please audience.

It is crucial, therefore, to understand first how the image of Corteiz can benefit Supreme. The brand owned by VF Corporation has a strong need for innovation. The annual collaborations with Dr. Martens, The North Face, Stone Island, Vans, Comme des Garçons, and Timberland have reduced it to complete stagnation. Because the drops are too similar to each other, and because brands rarely take advantage of the opportunity to reinterpret archive pieces—or simply different ones—Supreme's collaborations have become boring and practically irrelevant. For this reason, they fail to attract a new audience that could somehow allow them to shake off the responsibility of having to please the die-hard fans, the so-called "hardcore" fans nostalgic for the brand's golden age. The collaboration with Corteiz would allow Supreme to get closer to one of the most established and loyal (and crazy) communities in European streetwear, a unique opportunity that could initiate a kind of generational renewal of the brand, currently suspended between those who fondly remember—but also with a touch of irony—the biennium 2016/2017, and a decidedly more mature faction.

How can Corteiz benefit from this collaboration instead? Precisely because Supreme has ceased to be primarily considered for collaborations and some of its iconic pieces—once one of its many strengths—in recent times, it has sought to pay, especially thanks to the work of Tremaine Emory, more attention to knitwear and the more "classic" silhouettes of menswear. If the collaboration were to take this aesthetic direction, it would indeed be Corteiz attempting to explore new horizons, considering that the most popular items of the British brand are as far from this type of clothing as possible. Regardless of which garments will be created with the logos of Corteiz and Supreme, the aesthetic side is certainly the least interesting aspect of this new liaison. The brand founded by Clint intends to score another major collaboration after the huge success of the Nike Air Max 95 trilogy. Corteiz, in initiating its first collaborations, did not have to make any kind of "deal with the devil": they are in line with their image, highlighting their strong coherence, and, above all, the brand did not have to stoop to the level of anyone else for the sake of engaging in co-branding operations. Finally, there is mutual respect between Clint and Supreme, another reason why this collaboration makes sense and, who knows, could establish itself over time as the most significant collaboration of Supreme post Louis Vuitton.

Thanks to this collaboration, Corteiz could emerge as one of the most respected brands in the European streetwear scene; Supreme, on the other hand, could rise from the ashes by returning to its roots: a brand focused on its community, strong and genuinely less "refined" than the one it has tried to communicate with lately. In any case, Corteiz x Supreme is a "win-win situation".