A collaboration that deserves a second round
Reminiscing about the Supreme x Visvim collection, and why the world would benefit from a part 2.
Supreme x Visvim is probably one of my favorite all-time collaborations. During the peak of Supreme’s online reselling days—shoutout Strictly Supreme and /r/supremeclothing—this collection always felt like one of the most coveted by the community. It was rare. I mean, it was one of the first 30 collaborations that Supreme had at that point, and it wasn’t cheap either. Dropping a thousand dollars on a jacket today vs in 2008 was different.
Released on December 29th, 2008, the collection wasn’t large but it had items like the 3-layer GORE-TEX Tradesman Jacket, cashmere beanies, the ultra hype 5-panel hats at the time, and what might be the best item, the Serra Ascent boots—my personal grail.
I mean, look at them.
I bought these several years ago from Pat, who’s actually the man behind a great brand called Bexhill Court, which has been featured on this newsletter in the past. Aside from needing to re-glue the soles, these were in immaculate condition. Pat, thank you again for the hook up on these. Crazy to have these in my collection.
While the boots are great and fit so well in the current fashion cycle, these are more than boots for me. It’s about getting older and being able to buy things you once wanted as a kid—because in 2008 I had no money to try and get these boots.
Although Visvim started out with a more streetwear focus in the early 2000s, the collab still felt bold for Supreme. They were a skate brand that began experimenting with clothing through collaborations, and this was one of the first ways that Supreme had a chance to show what high-end streetwear could look like. It was cool.
Even though Visvim was more streetwear focused, they still had a menswear feel to them. These were garments that felt more grown up, and after their collaboration Supreme continued dipping its toes in more tailored focused collaborations with brands like A.P.C, Thom Browne, Comme des Garcons, and Brooks Brothers.
Now, you could try and find the Visvim collab on the secondary market but that’s going to require some patience and digging around. There is a Tradesman up for $2,000… but that’s a little bit too crazy for me. The Serra boots do pop up more often, although the prices for those aren’t cheap either.
I think that enough time has passed where a Part 2 could look really nice in the current fashion landscape. Since 2008, the way we see and collaborate in general has completely changed, and because of that, I think that there’s room for a new take on a past project. How this collaboration came about in the first place, that I don’t know. But, I’d love to see the two try to do it again.
I’d obviously love to see them do another Serra Ascent boot, but I wouldn’t mind them digging into the archive to bring out classics like the Visvim Whymper and Grizzly boots.
Clothing wise, Visvim offers way too much great stuff for me to even get into. Their denim, outerwear, footwear, and of course, the huge line up of bags and accessories are all unforgettable. There’s just way too much good stuff for both brands to work on, especially in the next context of how menswear and streetwear have come together over the last several years.
In the right context and the correct branding, all of the items I pulled from Visvim’s current collection shown above, could work in a collaboration with Supreme. It almost feels natural given Supreme’s growth and expansion with collaborations that feature cardigans, faded hoodies, military inspired outerwear, and more.
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