l

”Down with the Ritz - long live the street.”

A critical discourse analysis on the merge of streetwear and high fashion.

Jasmin Juzbasic

Department of Fashion Studies

Institution of Cultural Sciences
Lund University
MODK63, 15 Credits. Bachelor Thesis, Spring 2017
Supervisor: Philip Warkander
Abstract
This study has given insight to the phenomenon of collaborations between high fashion
brands and streetwear brands within the fashion discourse. The study uses journalistic texts
from popular online streetwear magazines as empirical material in order to perform a critical
discourse analysis on the sub-discourses of high fashion and streetwear. By looking at this
phenomenon through the lens of personal branding, class, subcultures and postmodernist
fashion discussions the empirical material has been contextualized to a contemporary fashion
dialogue. In the analysis, I conclude several reasons as to why streetwear has been
popularized and why now is the time to execute these collaborations. This thesis is heavily
influenced by discussing the power of rap superstars and their connection to fashion. This is
coupled with the notion of influencing, where the ”perfect” partner is described, but also the
pitfalls of marketing, branding and popularization and what effect this has on subcultures and
fashion connected to them. The discussion of ”high and low” is followed through the entire
study which is ultimately the most interesting phenomenon, where the conclusion is that
streetwear and high fashion are no longer that different, and the mix between high and low
symbolic values in fashion today is something recurrent.

Keywords: streetwear, high fashion, co-branding, personal branding, collaborations,

subcultures, postfashion

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Table of Contents
Abstract .................................................................................................... 2
1. Background ....................................................................................... 4
1.1 Problem Formulation ....................................................................... 5
1.2 Aim of the Study ................................................................................ 6
1.3 Research Material, Methodology & Delimitations ........................ 7
1.3.1 Methodology ................................................................................... 8
1.3.2 Delimitations ................................................................................... 9
1.4 Previous research ............................................................................ 10
1.4.1 Co-branding .................................................................................. 10
1.4.2 Influencing & Communication strategy .................................... 11
2. Theoretical framework................................................................... 13
2.1 The Creative Class in a Postfashion Era ...................................... 13
2.2 Subcultures & Capital .................................................................... 15
2.3 Personal branding & Influencing .................................................. 16
Thesis Outline ........................................................................................ 17
3. Analysis .............................................................................................. 19
3.1 2010’s – The age of collaborations................................................. 19
3.1.1 Rap turns mainstream ................................................................. 19
3.1.2 Streetwear in the DNA................................................................. 21
3.2 – Age of influencing ........................................................................ 24
3.2.1 Supreme x Louis Vuitton............................................................. 24
3.2.2 Gucci x GucciGhost ..................................................................... 26
4. Conclusion & Discussion .................................................................. 29
5. Bibliography ...................................................................................... 32

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1. Background
When asked what ’streetwear’ is, Tommy Hilfiger, a well renowned designer, responded
”The aesthetic has to be a bit sporty, a bit athletic: […] It’s skate and hiphop, but it’s not
exclusively any of these things”. In the same article, Virgil Abloh, designer for OFF-WHITE
said:

100% yes I consider my work ’streetwear’ or any categorization that allows anyone to grasp my point of view
and where it comes from.” It’s these personal opinions and narratives – the history – that make streetwear a ”life
held in common.” […] ’Streetwear’ is an art movement, it’s a way of making things,” […] It’s a rationale
birthed by previous art movements and pop-culture life cycles. 1

Defining streetwear has become a difficult task, maybe because it is constantly redefining
itself, but perhaps also because fashion itself today is a mixing pot of different symbolic
values and cultures that make it hard to distinguish one style from another. But, as the name
implies, streetwear is associated with what you wear on ”the street”, a generic concept that
distinguishes the style from what one wears to the office or formal functions. In this way,
streetwear implies an informality and a more casual appearance.

High fashion on the other hand, according to Oxfords dictionary could simply be put as
”Expensive, fashionable clothes produced by leading fashion houses”. In the simplest form,
this might be true, but high fashion comes with its own complexity:

High fashion is made complex: it is constructed as an object to which simple words cannot be attached, as if
talking about it was impossible, as difficult as describing some intense ineffable feelings.2

High fashion has for many centuries had strong connections to the world of luxury, art, and
leisure that has trickled down from aristocracies of the world, down to the common folk. In
many ways, it still does, but with the deconstruction and democratization of fashion this
might not be true anymore. The reason for this democratization is a few different things, one
being the digitalization, where everyone has access to information quickly. Another is the
expansion of luxury and premium brands, through the introduction of cheaper products with

1
Complex – Bobby Hundreds ”It’s Not About Clothes” (April 13th 2017)
2
Burgin, V. 1986. (p. 142) The End of Art Theory: Criticism and Postmodernity. London: Macmillan

4
logos, and global sourcing.3But I would also argue that collaborations between high fashion
and streetwear has opened up new doors for fashion collaborations between brands belonging
to different industry segments.

Lately collaborations between streetwear and high fashion have become more common. This
sparked opinions from consumers and fashion house owners, because it is no longer easy to
distinguish these ’styles’ from each other. The people in the fashion world, that often are up
to date regarding trends and shifts in culture have started to utilize and expand on this
phenomenon. Fashion creators have adapted older marketing techniques to this new
phenomenon in order to increase profit, form interests and drive innovation. Co-branding
between these two camps is increasing at a high rate and with the tools provided by social
media and the impact of influencers it is quickly creating a lane for these collaborative
collections.

How streetwear, high fashion, corporate work and subcultures collaborate and correlate in the
postfashion era – the era that started in the middle of the 20th century when we entered the
postmodern times, is the focal point of this thesis.

1.1 Problem Formulation

Co-branding is a popular strategy that companies use to utilize brand names or products to
reach corporate objectives and transfer positive associations. The main purpose of these
brands is to, through cooperation, increase sales and profit margins in comparison to
competitors. The positive side-effects of this can lead to increased customer loyalty, brand
recognition and increase the brand equity overall.4 Fashion collaborations in comparison with
other types of cooperation do not heavily exchange skills or technology, but rather focus is on
using two (or more) brand images and brand identities in order to create a stronger image and
connect sub-groups for the benefit of both. For high fashion brands that rely heavily on the
concept of consumers’ self-image and expression, the challenge is to remain exclusive,

3
Kläder, shopping och flärd, Modebranschen i Stockholm 1945-2010, Gråbacke Carina 2015 (p. 200-205)
4
Mróz-Gorgon, B. (2016) Co-Branding As A Strategy – Fashion Market Perspective: Prestige or Masstige?
International Journal of Sales, Retailing & Marketing. 2016, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p 49-59. 11p (April 10th 2017)

5
original and retain high retail prices, which is even more challenging in this era of
democratized fashion.5

Research shows that the focus of brand managers is to stay relevant in a competitive
environment and borrow beneficiary traits, such as image value from partners, in this fast
changing market. Another important aspect is to keep a positive brand equity through
positive brand associations with celebrities, looks and image. Previous research also suggests
that the luxury brands are the ones that run the highest risks of brand dilution and therefore
brand managers are executing strategies to mitigate the negative impacts that may occur,
through for example limited availability and selective distributing.6

Therefore, this study provides new insight on why luxury brands today are so interested in
collaborating with urban artists, and brands placed lower in the consumer brand hierarchy,
traditionally speaking (streetwear). There is much research on co-branding and cooperative
work in fashion, however there has been little research made in English, and in the ”western
discourse” where streetwear collaborations are in focus.

1.2 Aim of the Study

The aim of this study is to understand how, through a media perspective, collaborations
between the high fashion segment and streetwear brands are facilitated in a contemporary
context. This will assist in explaining why the merge between streetwear and high fashion is
happening today. Specifically, I will investigate how certain influencers and tastemakers
operate to reach their status and how their powers can be used. The key is to understand how
different types of capital is being used today to impact fashion and how brands use this to
execute their business strategy.

Research questions:
- Why are collaborations between streetwear brands and luxury fashion becoming more
common today?

5
Jemma Oeppen & Ahmad Jamal (2014) Collaborating for success: managerial perspectives on co-branding
strategies in the fashion industry, Journal of Marketing Management, 30:9-10, 925-948
6
Jemma Oeppen & Ahmad Jamal (2014) Collaborating for success: managerial perspectives on co-branding
strategies in the fashion industry, Journal of Marketing Management, 30:9-10, 925-948

6
 - With streetwear brands increasing in popularity, how do high fashion brands choose
the appropriate partners and influencers, from a media perspective?

The research questions are focal points for the essay and provide a direction of focus for the
research, they should not be seen as separate questions, but are rather intertwined in order to
capture the wide range of the subject.

1.3 Research Material, Methodology & Delimitations

The empirical material will focus on journalistic articles online pertaining to these two
collaborations:

Supreme x Louis Vuitton (2016/17)

Gucci x GucciGhost (2016/17)

Journalistic articles that relate to streetwear, will also be selected in order to provide a greater
understanding of the discourses and enhance important discussions on influencing and
culture. These text do not directly relate to the chosen collaborations, but provide helpful
information. These will be titled as ”other” in the bibliography.

This material was chosen because it highlights the contemporary contextual phenomenon that
we are ”in” right now. The collections are similar in many ways but also show two different
ways of combining high and low fashion. Within streetwear there also exists ”niche groups”
or subcultures, these are divided (although not necessarily) through for example geography,
expression forms and pop-culture interests which is where the collaborations differ from each
other. Another aspect where they are different, is that Supreme already is an established
skate-brand, whereas GucciGhost is simply a street-personality and a person, that provides
the research with interesting insight of how to execute different strategies and exemplifies
that all collaborations are not the same. Louis Vuitton and Gucci on the other hand, are
enriched fashion houses that have been at the top of the fashion hierarchy for many decades.

The samples have been gathered from three online ”urban/trendy” magazines; Complex,
Highsnobiety and Hypebeast, to study the media response. All of these have a wide variety of
different articles, surrounding fashion, lifestyle, show business and pop-culture and bring a

7
diverse although slightly afrocentric however, still representative view of the culture. When
googling ”Streetwear Magazine” on a private web browser (one that is free from data
collection) these three online magazines will be in the top six of the list.

Articles from magazines often tend to be broad, and shallow, it is therefore in the interest of
the study to add depth to the information given. Using articles from different publishers gives
a wider perspective and would also increase validity and give interesting input on how the
streetwear/fashion discourse is perceived. While it is impossible to be completely unbiased
the thesis will lift both positive and negative occurrences that impact the discourse in order to
achieve some many sided arguments and give a faceted picture of the phenomenon.

1.3.1 Methodology
The thesis will use a qualitative method, which has a focus of understanding phenomenons in
different contexts based on deeper data and more in-depth analysis of empirical material.7
The thesis has its focal point on collecting data through fashion journalism and focuses on
understanding the deeper context of the phenomenon, the problem formulation and data that
relate to my research questions.

This thesis will use critical discourse analysis (CDA) as a tool to interpret the empirical data.
Critical discourse enables us to analyze what is meant by different texts and how they interact
with each other. The purpose is to understand text in relation to different discourses, cultural
structures and processes in relation to power. Texts should be interpreted to their respective
social context, these texts are however shaped by meaning and perspectives and the term
could be employed in the sense of how people communicate.8 Discourses also work
intertextually and lay themselves within webs of political, social and cultural concerns,
however they constantly fight each other over power, where some discourses are more
powerful and control others.9

7
Bryman, A. (2012). Social research methods. (4. ed.) Oxford: Oxford University Press.

8
Fairclough, N. (1999). Critical discourse analysis: the critical study of language. London: Longman.
9
Foucault, M. (1980) (p .35) Power/Knowledge: selected interviews and other writings 1972-1977. Edited by C.
Gordon. Brighton. Harvester Press.

8
Critical discourse analysis allows me to analyze the empirical material in relation to the
current fashion discourse, the sub-discourse of streetwear in relation to current events, like
the power of influencers in the subcultures of skate and hip-hop and the age of social media.
The intention is to view text through discourse analysis which will allow me to critically
analyze the discourse and how this type of material influences the world of fashion.

Critique given to the method of critical discourse analysis (CDA) is that it can generalize
phenomenon’s. It lacks a strong connection to theories and philosophy, and this can in itself
create a bias. The researcher’s beliefs are often ideologically biased and leads the researcher
to read into text, rather than out of text. More specifically the researcher should be able to
read and analyze text in a narrow context, but not neglect the overarching context. The bias
could further be enhanced by the simple fact that the researcher selects texts that will confirm
his or her own theory – confirmation bias. Another critique is that there is much focus on
linguistics, but lack in the research of social theory, in connection to the studies’ subject or
the language itself. Further critique of CDA can be read in Edward Haigs’ (professor in
language and culture at Nagoya University) text ”Some observations on the Critique of
Critical Discourse Analysis”.10 Even though critiques can be raised, I feel that CDA is the
most fitting method to look at texts relating to my subject.

This thesis will look at two discourses, namely the high fashion discourse and the
streetwear discourse to understand the correlation between ”high and low” through the lens
of my theories related to subcultures, postfashion, class, branding and marketing to see how
the opinion is or has changed, potentially creating a new, hybrid discourse which is a merge
of the two.

1.3.2 Delimitations
The fashion world is big, and is invested in many different cultures, therefore this thesis will
limit itself to ”western” fashion, meaning Europe and English-speaking countries. While
many of the subjects brought up here could be applied to for example, the Asian market,
there are different cultural algorithms in place which will not have the room to be brought up
within the scope of this study.

10
Heig, Edward (2008) Some Observations on The Critique of Critical Discourse Analysis

9
The thesis will not look at the objects itself, but rather what is written about them. The project
will also not look at the design process or the manufacturing aspect of these collections but
rather their symbolic value. This means that some of the aspects about trend and style will be
lost. As well as the material dimensions of the actual design objects.
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1.4 Previous research

This thesis consists of several subjects, however the main subject is collaborations within
fashion and especially the mix between high and low in the context of influencers, related to
brand management.

1.4.1 Co-branding
While there is extensive research in the field of co-branding, much is connected to co-
branding in the sense of exchanging technology and skills (for example car manufacturers,
and the development of different computer technology).12

This thesis brings up theories and information closely related to branding and marketing,
which help in explaining the consumerism of today, and the value of fashion and personal
orientation. They are key components in understanding ”the bigger picture” in contrast to the
narrow approach of this thesis.

Earlier research by various marketing and communication scholars exists, for example John
O’Shaughnessy & Nicholas Jackson O’Shaughnessy in their article ”Marketing, the consumer
society and hedonism” investigates consumers self-concept and expression through luxury
fashion. Margaret Bruce & Christine Kratz bring up important points about exclusivity, and
premium prices in regards to these types of collaborations and Uché Okonkwo in Luxury
fashion branding: Trends, tactics, techniques and Shu-pei Tsai in Impact of personal
orientation on luxury-brand purchase value talk about democratized fashion. Research
regarding status consumption and diverse consumer bases can also be found in Jacqueline K

11
I previously was going to include the impact of digitalization in the thesis, however my opinion is that
digitalization is implicitly a key factor in all of our contemporary phenomenons and that it would divert focus
from what the real aim of the study is.
12
Simonin, B. L., J. A. Ruth. 1998. Is a company known by the company it keeps? Assessing the spillover
effects of brand alliances on consumer brand attitudes. J. Marketing Res. 35(1) 30–42.

10
Eastman, Ronald E. Goldsmith & Leisa Reinecke Flynns work Status consumption in
consumer behavior: Scale development and validation.13

A master thesis by students Cristina Hidalgo Férnandez, Larry Mikano & Tom Vermeersch at
Linnéuniversitetet brings up a similar phenomenon to mine where fast-fashion brands
combine powers with luxury fashion brands. The thesis brings up interesting points on brand
extension and brand alliances and how luxury brands use these collaborations to reach a
broader audience and improve their marketing strategies, (bringing up H&M x Karl Lagerfeld
as an example). However their thesis investigates the change of consumerism between
generation X (people born 1980s or before), and generation Y (people born in the 1990s).
Their thesis examines the phenomenon by virtue of quantitative method using face-to-face
surveys to collect data.14

1.4.2 Influencing & Communication strategy

When it comes to influencing and celebrity endorsement there is a scientific article by Angela
Carroll, a business scholar at the University of Leeds Business School. She brings up
interesting research about the development of celebrity endorsement and the relationships
between brands and consumers, but she also talks about fashion collaborations of the
endorsing type in history, like: Audrey Hepburn for Givenchy, Richard Gere for Armani, but
also artists like Madonna that worked with Versace in 2005.15

While the subjects of my thesis is not about celebrity endorsement, it is closely related and
could be seen as an extension of this prior marketing strategy. The Personal Branding

13
Eastman, J., Goldsmith, E., & Flynn, L. (1999). Status consumption in consumer behavior: Scale development
and validation. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Summer, 41–52 : Tsai, S. (2005). Impact of personal
orientation on luxury-brand purchase value. International Journal of Market Research, 47, 177–206. : Okonkwo,
U. (2007). Luxury fashion branding: Trends, tactics, techniques. London: Palgrave Macmillan. : Bruce, M., &
Kratz, C. (2007). Competitive marketing strategies of luxury fashion companies. In T. Hines & M. Bruce :
O’Shaughnessy, J., & O’Shaughnessy, N. J. (2002). Marketing, the consumer society and hedonism. European
Journal of Marketing, 36, 524–547. (April 10th 2017)

14
Fernández Hidalgo, Christina. Mikano, Larry. Vermeersch, Tom. (2016) The Effect of Co-Branding on the
Fashion Luxury Consumer’s Brand Equity: Comparison between the Generations Y and X. (18 April 2017)

15
Angela Carroll, (2008) Brand communications in fashion categories using celebrity endorsement. Journal of
Brand Management 17(2):146-158) (April 10th 2017)

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Phenomenon by Montoya & Vandehey (2002) will help distinguish celebrity endorsement
from influencing and further expand this thesis.

These are all subjects that correlate to co-branding and there is, like previously mentioned,
extensive research on this subject. However, there is little-to-none found on how high fashion
collaborate with streetwear which is arguably an opportunity for this thesis to fill the gap and
contribute to fashion and strategic communication research. The claim that I am making is
based on the fact that collaborations of this type are new. Even though there has been
numerous fashion collaborations, none are so heavily connected to subcultures and never
before have they had such impact, from a media perspective, on a large group of members of
our society.

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2. Theoretical framework
This thesis covers a variety of different subjects. Class, postfashion, subcultures and brand
management. The reason being is that fashion studies is a interdisciplinary field of study and
therefore, a handful of different theories regarding these subjects will be used as a
framework and will be applied in the analysis section.

2.1 The Creative Class in a Postfashion Era

Literary scholar and professor Barbara Vinken writes in her book Fashion Zeitgeist, trends
and cycles in the fashion system about the postmodernity in fashion. Fashion was for long
entitled to the aristocracy that constantly tried to reinvent fashion and what it was. Haute
Couture (high fashion) was seen as the finest form and was leading trend and fashion in
Europe. In the 1970’s the shift in fashion focused to an individual form where the creator no
longer was the ”genius” but fashion became a co-product between the creator and the
consumer and the opinion shifted from the people in power to the people in the streets. Haute
Couture became with the shift from modernity to post-modernity second to prêt-á-porter
(ready-to-wear). The bourgeoisie had entered a competition with the ”outsiders” – me and
you, people on the streets.16

The century of fashion is over: the very idea of Paris fashion is at an end – even an anti-fashion could not save
it. […] fashion now moves ’upwards’, from the street into the salons of haute couture where it is adapted and
imitated. On the one hand, the fashion-buying public has increased; on the other hand, this public no longer
determines trends, but reacts to trends that emerge from subcultures. 17

Fashion went from expensive events, like the opera and from the aristocracies’ control to the
people in the streets and subways in, for example, Tokyo, Berlin, New York and London.
This new post-modern fashion has become a mix of high and low. Haute Couture was for the
select few who were able to pay to live in this world of luxury and art.18

The economy of today is in its core a creative economy. Western countries are moving away
from production to knowledge information. According to urban theorist, Richard Florida,
knowledge is the new tool and material and innovation is the new end product, or the new

16
Vinken, B. (2005). (p. 34-35) Fashion Zeitgeist trends and cycles in the fashion system. Oxford: Berg.
17
Ibid (p. 63)
18
Ibid (p. 62-63)

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 business model. The creative explosion can be seen in the last 50 years in the United States
where the increase in patents and employment in the creative section is evident.
Infrastructures are being built around these innovative practices.19

The economy today is focused on collaboration, where the company selling the end product
usually is not the producer. Tech companies are a great example of this where companies like
Solectron and Flextronic make parts of almost every electronic product we use, but have we
heard of them? Florida brings up an example of Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger
productions that are being manufactured at the same place in Israel like the brands Banana
Republic and The Gap. Companies today ”outsource” much of the core work that used to be
independent. Marketing, production, distribution is sourced out and focus is placed on the
creative properties and design instead, to keep the image and to not succumb to economic
pressure. This means that you no longer have to build a business from the ground up, but can
focus on creativity.20 This relates to my study in the sense that influencers today have strong
artistic sides which should be considered in context to the build up of the ”creative class”.
This I believe is connected to the social media landscape of today that allows influencers and
businesses to communicate with consumers and fans through the creative content that is
simulated through Instagram and Twitter.

One important aspect of this newfound creative social structure is the different social
environments that promotes and encourages creativity in different forms – by virtue of
cultural, technological and economical characteristics. This opens up lanes for different life-
styles and cultural institutions who advance the possibility for these different styles and lines
of business to influence each other which leads to quick sharing of ideas and knowledge. This
social environment creates drive for collaborations between different companies and
businesses that will, according to Florida be a core part of our future economy. 21

The X-person (person of the new generation) is free, where their economic value is connected
to social and cultural lifestyles and where their interests, preferences, and consumption is
connected to their identity. These are not the bourgeoisie, the capitalists or proletarians, but
are rather forming their own class where their value is built by their creative capital. These

19
 Florida, R.L. (2006). (p. 74) Den kreativa klassens framväxt. Stockholm: Daidalos.
20
Ibid (p. 86)
21
Ibid (p. 87)

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people are driven by creative processes whether it is design, teaching or engineering they
constantly want to involve themselves in these operations.22

2.2 Subcultures & Capital

In order to talk about high-and-low the research by Sarah Thornton on subcultures will
complement the rest of the theory as subcultures keep an alternative hierarchy focusing on
gender, age, sexuality and race instead of what is seen as normative: class, income and
occupation. Thornton argues that subcultures usually define themselves by what they dislike,
for example mainstream music and fashion. Subcultures are also taste cultures, which means
they congregate over taste in music, fashion, consumption and media. Together they create
affinities and build common meaning in regards to the values of the culture. The problem and
the fear of these subcultures is the opposite function to the ”trickle down effect”. Instead, the
popularization of their culture, or the unveiling to the mainstream is their biggest threat,
which causes these subcultures to dissipate or take new form through reshaping of its
values.23
High culture on the other hand, value social capital (who you know, and where you have
been) and also economic capital which stands in contrast to the values of the subcultural
groups. Subcultural capital can like other forms of capital be measured, in this case it takes
form of fashionable haircuts and clothing, or any form of ’hip’ collectibles, dance styles or
the ’right’ slang. Unlike other capitals the subcultural capital is not always in correlation with
class, which Thornton means can be explained by public-school educated people adopting
working-class slang in order to escape the parental class. In other words they feed on the
fantasy of classlessness.24

One important function in these subcultures is the media. The fashion system in subcultures
is relative, but to maintain its status there needs to be a disseminator of values to spread the
knowledge. People within these subcultures consume the same type of media in order to keep
distinction from mainstream and it is essential for the creation of their culture.25

22
Florida, R.L. (2006). (p. 87) Den kreativa klassens framväxt. Stockholm: Daidalos.
23
Thornton, S. (2013). (p. 154-160) Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
24
Thornton, S. (2013). (p 154-160) Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
25
Ibid (p. 12-20)

15
Thorntons work could be seen as an extension of Pierre Bourdieu’s theories on forms of
capital. Bourdieu argues that forms of capital guides the ”game” of life and how different
types of capital is practiced in our every day life and acts like a form of validation in different
occasions and also as a form of power. He also argues that this is how the world operates and
how we relate to each other.26

2.3 Personal branding & Influencing

In 2003, the sports company Nike, spent 1.44 Billion € on celebrity endorsements, two of
them being basketball player Michael Jordan, and golfer Tiger Woods. Past research shows
that a pre-requisite for co-branding in relation to celebrities is awareness, and image-
generation, being that celebrities create images in the minds of consumers. In the context of
co-branding, the celebrity does not only promote a product, or a brand, they rather emerge as
a co-brand adding values to themselves but also extending the brand in the calculated
direction depending on what the purpose of the cooperation is. Fashion being one of the
biggest industries in the world, one can imagine the competitiveness and the need for re-
invention and innovation in order to stay relevant in the industry. Celebrity endorsement
therefore becomes a powerful tool for increasing brand equity, and celebrity equity.27

Seeing as collaborations within fashion are becoming more common there is a need of theory
regarding personal brand and influencing. Social media has opened up a possibility for these
”endorsed” celebrities to reach out to audiences which calls for more strategy then before.
Branding is now a major concept within marketing and companies try to make their services
more likeable by building values around them. Creating a bond, from the brand, the product
and the influencer is the biggest purpose and the best outcome of personal branding. The
brand that are the most successful are able to communicate their feelings, ideas and opinions
through the chosen personalities. The aim is to take control over the perception of the
collaborated celebrity in order to strategically reach set goals.28

26
Bourdieu, P. (2004) (p. 15) The forms of capital, in: S. Ball (Ed.) The RoutledgeFalmer Reader in sociology
of education, London
27
Diana Seno, Bryan A. Lukas, (2007) "The equity effect of product endorsement by celebrities: A
conceptual framework from a co‐branding perspective", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 41 Issue: 1/2,
pp.121-134 (April 10th 2017)
28
Montoya, P., & Vandehey, T. (2002). (p.4-10) The personal branding phenomenon: realize greater influence,
explosive income growth and rapid career advancement by applying the branding techniques of Michael,
Martha & Oprah. Santa Ana, CA: Peter Montoya Inc.

16
Montoya & Vandehey talk about three levels of personal branding. The first one being
associated with trend, a short-lived project. Secondly ”the personal brand ” echoed in the
culture” and lastly ”the personal brand that influences trends and is a presence in the larger
culture”. The former can be explained by famous personalities becoming spokespeople for
something else than themselves, while the latter is according to Montoya & Vandehey the
strongest state for a personal brand where they stay relevant even though the trend has
passed.29

This goes hand in hand with marketing – which sole purpose is to send message, to the
proper audience, through multiple channels over a period of time. It is empowered by three
different categories; awareness, affinity and understanding. These three combine to make
good marketing which explains why for example commercials are a certain way.30

What makes marketing different from branding is that marketing gives you the option to buy,
while branding is the same as influencing. Branding is creating an identity and adding value
and emotions to a certain product and creating an affinity ”forcing” us to buy something. This
is reached by a number of different factors, for example, the logo, how ads are written and its
spokepersons/endorsers. A great brand gives the power to influence the audiences decisions,
attitudes and actions.31 The empirical material used in this thesis will put these two
communicative strategies in the light, and will further build understanding in how they
differentiate from each other and how the focus has shifted from one strategy to another.

Thesis Outline
The following chapter will explain and analyze the findings in the empirical material and
provide a result in relation to the research questions. Through the lens of the provided
theories the empirical material will be viewed in the context of the creative class, postfashion,
subcultures and personal branding,

29
Montoya, P., & Vandehey, T. (2002). (p.45-46) The personal branding phenomenon: realize greater
influence, explosive income growth and rapid career advancement by applying the branding techniques of
Michael, Martha & Oprah. Santa Ana, CA: Peter Montoya Inc.
30
Ibid (p. 34)
31
Ibid (p. 35)

17
The analysis-chapter is divided into two chapters, but as mentioned earlier, the research
questions should not be seen as separate questions, but rather complementary to each other.
Therefore some sub-chapters could be more descriptive than others in order to grasp the
larger picture of the phenomenon.

18
3. Analysis
3.1 2010’s – The age of collaborations

The unveiling of the Supreme x Louis Vuitton collection at the end of 2016 caused conflict
but also somewhat solidified streetwear as the new leader in fashion. Alec Leach, writer at
Highsnobiety explained that high fashion and streetwear have been borrowing from each
other for a very long time: ”[Supreme x Louis Vuitton] […] was a gunshot signal that the two
worlds are now one and the same”.32

Luxe brands have for centuries been connected to the upper class, while prêt-á-porter had
relationships to the common folk. In the 2010’s the shift has gone to streetwear, an arena that
rappers/influencers have the strongest connection to. When high fashion brands reach out to
artist personalities like Travis Scott and GucciGhost, it shortens the gap between high fashion
and streetwear, allowing both actors to potentially tap into new markets. The idea of these
newly emerged collaborations like Supreme x Louis Vuitton and Gucci x GucciGhost is to
influence a new crowd to consume their high-end products, a different way of saying ”Hey,
we like the same things you do – we are all the same”. This is proof that we, like Vinken
mentioned, are in a postfashion era where fashion is a co-product between consumers and
creators. People from ”the streets” and people in high fashion, are now collaborating, mixing
their respective symbolic values into one.33

3.1.1 Rap turns mainstream

Some would argue that the reason for the rise of these types of collaborations is because of
the emergence of hip-hop artists in mainstream culture as well as in high fashion. Artists like
Pharrell, Kanye West and Asap Rocky had for years connections with great fashion houses
like Louis Vuitton, Dior and Chanel. But it was not always like this.34Many years ago rap had
not reached the mainstream success and global audiences. Rappers were not getting any
recognition from luxe brands and were often seen in a negative light. An example of this is
the conflict between Frederic Rouzauds’ champagne brand ’Cristal’ and rappers, who after

32
Highsnobiety – Alec Leach ”It’s Official: Streetwear and Luxury Fashion Are Now The Same Thing” (April
17th 2017)
33
Vinken, B. (2005). (p. 34-35) Fashion Zeitgeist trends and cycles in the fashion system. Oxford: Berg.
34
Complex – Karizza Sanchez ”How Rappers Became the Most Important Fashion Ambassadors” (April 17th
2017)

19
some rude comments from Rouzaud chose to protest and boycott the brand, taking Jay-Zs’
(rapper, mogul) lead.35

It was Dapper Dan, a man from Harlem, that during the 1980’s created ”pseudo-luxe” pieces
by combining material and clothing from different brands custom made for urban artists, who
opened the eyes of the urban community to higher fashion.36 With the emergence of people
like Dapper Dan one could argue that there was a market for high(er) fashion in the urban
communities. One could also argue that this is proof that a new type of class was emerging in
the streets of New York. The people of Harlem were socioeconomically challenged, but had
during the 1980’s and 1990’s many hip-hop personalities like Cam’ron, Q-Tip, P. Diddy and
Damon Dash, that besides their main profession; music, had developed an expensive taste for
fashion.37

Harlem has in more recent days also produced iconic superstar figures like Asap Rocky
(rapper, designer, influencer) and Asap Ferg (rapper, designer, fashion and art graduate) and
the entire group/movement named ”Asap Mob”.38 This is strengthened by Floridas theories
on the emergence of a creative class that engage in different creative expressions unrelated to
their economic class. Rap (rhyme-and-poetry) and fashion became Harlems signature brand
and people of the new generation channeled their identity through these creative expressions
which spread to the youth. Harlem’s youth movement today gave birth to internet
phenomenon ”Harlem Shake” once again connected to an art form – dancing.39 These people
also carry a certain subcultural capital as mentioned by Thornton. The Harlem youth
congregate over many of the same interests and channel their creativity outwards which
resulted in the Harlem Shake going mainstream across all media.40

The shift in atitude towards rap did not occur until rap reached mainstream success in the
1990’s through the likes of New Yorkers The Notorious B.I.G and P. Diddy, who could often

35
To read more: Today – Associated Press ”Jay-Z launches Cristal bubbly boycott” (May 17th 2017)

36
Ibid
37
To read more about Dapper Dan: Messy Nessy Chic – Messynessy ”The 80’s Hip Hop Tailor: Dapper Dan”
38
To read more about the ”Asap Mob” Complex – Ernest Baker ”Who is Asap Mob?” (April 27th 2017)
39
The Verge – Tim Carmody ”How The Harlem Shake Went From Viral Slideshow To Global Phenomenon”
(April 28th 2017)
40
Thornton, S. (2013). (p. 154-160) Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.

20
be seen in the now classic and colorful Versace shirts. These shirts went from expensive
products to popular bootlegs, which then ironically became an inspiration for a M.I.A x
Versus Versace collection. M.I.A explains:

When I was approached by Versace, it seemed like a good idea to take that and reverse the cycle. Versace
designs have always been bootlegged, now it's Versace bootlegging the bootleg for the bootleggers to bootleg
the bootleg. This is to keep that cycle going. 41

Guy Wood, founder of label ”5001 Flavors” explains that high fashion brands finally saw the
marketing opportunity when they realized that these artists could bring 10000’s of people to
their stores.42 Both Dapper Dan, and Wood agree that it was finally Pharrell who really broke
down the wall in 2005 when he made the ”Millionaire” sunglasses collection together with
Louis Vuitton. Wood explains that there was something interesting about Pharrell and his
fluidity, his ability to cross over genres that they liked, hence leading to the collaboration. He
also claims that it was Pharrell, who then opened the doors for people like Kanye West and
Asap Rocky.43

Designer Alexander Wang commented that ”Hip-hop music, to me, is the most relevant genre
of music right now that speaks to me, and our generation” to him, it is only natural to
collaborate with rappers. ”They are the leaders of this movement” he says in an unspecified
e-mail.44 Alexander Wang who had previously featured artists like Kanye West, Asap Rocky,
Travis Scott, Pusha T and The Weeknd in his ad campaigns.

3.1.2 Streetwear in the DNA

Virgil Abloh extends Yves Saint Laurent’s quote ”Down with the Ritz – Long live the street”
from 1968 by saying:45

There was couture. And then there was Yves Saint Laurent. Like, ‘Hey, news flash: No one wears these
clothes.’ So here comes ready-to-wear. And now: streetwear. These days a hoodie is pretty much the new suit
jacket.46

41
Huhmagazine – Jack Lowe – ”M.I.A x Versus Versace Collection (May 17th 2017)
42
Complex – Karizza Sanchez ”How Rappers Became the Most Important Fashion Ambassadors Ambassadors
(April 17th 2017)
43
Ibid
44
Ibid
45
Lipovetsky, G., & Sennett, R. (2002) The empire of fashion dressing modern democracy. Princeton:
Princeton University Press. (p.92)
46
Highsnobiety – Jonathan Sawyer ”Virgil Abloh on Current State of Fashion” (April 18th)

21
Today it is hard to miss that streetwear influences the world of high fashion. You can get the
same type sweaters from Stüssy, or Givenchy, white sneakers from Reebok, or Saint Laurent,
although the price tag will be different. Another example is the ”roadman-bag” which for
years used to be the urban travelers favourite accessory. Big enough for a cigarette pack, a
lighter and a water bottle, but not big enough to be a hassle to carry around all day. F/W17
collections now demonstrate a waist/shoulder bag of some form branded in Hermés and
Louis Vuitton. At the same time an employee at Givenchy explains to Highsnobiety reporter
Leach, that ”Streetwear is in the house DNA”.47

Looking around the rest of the F/W17 collections in Paris, I got the overwhelming impression that streetwear is
the only style that matters anymore.48

If a high fashion house like Givenchy explicitly says that streetwear is in their DNA this once
again strengthens Vinkens theory about the postfashion society and further eliminates
questions about an existing divide, and points to, like earlier mentioned, a hybrid discourse.49

When asked if a collaboration between Supreme and Louis Vuitton makes sense in the
current state of fashion, Emma Hope Allwood, fashion editor at Dazed said:

Absolutely. The established hierarchy of fashion doesn’t make sense any more when you can buy a Vetements
hoodie at Dover Street Market for an eye-watering amount of money, or when COMME des GARÇONS are
backing a brand like Gosha. The old rules don’t apply anymore and this is the definitive proof of that.

Photographer Julien Boudet answered the same question with:

It does make a lot of sense, streetwear is gaining more and more respect/importance in the industry – it’s very
interesting to witness! The last couple of years have shown us that streetwear has a huge market that has been
growing season after season. It’s also related to the hip-hop scene; all these new rappers becoming more and
more involved in fashion, therefore it wasn’t surprising to see Travis Scott attending the show wearing the
Supreme x LV pieces. 50

Like Vinken theorizes, the old structures of Parisian fashion disappeared in the 1970’s with
the emergence of prêt-á-porter and fashion has ever since been a combination of high and
low. This ”trend” has continued into the 21st century, but now in a different sense. Not only
do they ”borrow” styles and designs and brand it as their own, but today they rather
collaborate with up-and-coming designers and creative personalities to co-brand, and co-

47
Highsnobiety – Alec Leach ”It’s Official: Streetwear and Luxury Fashion Are Now The Same Thing” (April
17th 2017)
48
Ibid
49
Vinken, B. (2005). (p. 34-35) Fashion Zeitgeist trends and cycles in the fashion system. Oxford: Berg
50
Highsnobiety – Nico Amarca ”Here’s What the Industry Really Thinks About Supreme x Louis Vuitton”
(April 19th 2017)

22
create new fashion. Postfashion, and postmodernity does not care for class in a traditional
sense, the new age is one of collaboration, and the continuation of the deconstructivist
mindset. The mixing of symbolic values is a strong characteristic of todays fashion
discourse.51

Questions and critique has been raised to Supreme as well, a brand of a culture that has now
become everything that it stood against. A streetwear brand that rose to a billion dollar
industry that fed itself on being a counter-opposite of high culture. Is this the nail in the
coffin for streetwear too? Jian Deleon, editor at Large explained:

That (it) doesn’t mean Supreme is “over.” By all means, they’re just getting started. But they have become
ingrained in the very establishment they once stood in contrast to. Maybe that’s a good thing. Maybe it’s
not. But what it does mean is there’s now a chance for something new to start among young connoisseurs
of culture seeking to tip the balance between the big brands and the youthful upstarts. Every new religion
starts with killing the old gods.52

This is where the phenomenon gets interesting. Streetwear and subcultures have for long
been approaching high fashion and the glamourous art world from a symbolically subordinate
position. Subcultures that usually define themselves in what they do not like often find
themselves in this position where their culture has been usurped through popularization.53
Streetwear is now mainstream and the ”old heads” (people who ”started” or have been
members of a subculture for a long time) are now facing a difficult challenge in redefining
themselves, or subtract to the core values. This can already be seen in brands like Noon
Goons that have started a counterculture, reverting back to the old days of streetwear through
Los Angeles surf, punk and nightlife scene mixed with political topics.54 It is clear that there
exists a complexity between the different fashion discourses and the mix between high and
low.

Here the creative class challenges old class structures. The X-person that Florida
acknowledges has their identity connected to their lifestyle and their social and cultural
interests. These people do not belong to old class structures but thrive on their creative capital

51
Vinken, B. (2005). (p. 34-35) Fashion Zeitgeist trends and cycles in the fashion system. Oxford: Berg.
52
Highsnobiety – Chris Danforth ”Supreme x Louis Vuitton: A Triumph or a Nail in the Coffin?” (April 21st
2017)
53
Thornton, S. (2013). (p. 154-160) Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
54
Hypebeast – Arthur Bray ”How Surf-Punk Brand Noon Goons Is Bringing Back Counterculture Back Into
Streetwear” (April 21st 2017)

23
driven by different creative professions or crafts. Within these classes this type of challenge
is encouraged which stimulates collaboration and business possibilities. If the X-person feels
suffocated, they will find a creative solution to solve the problem.55

3.2 – Age of influencing

As the phenomenon grows, in the amount of reach these collaborations have, and also in the
amount of collaborations made, the importance of making the right choice in partnership
becomes high. Not only in the choice of brand the collaborations are made with, but also in
who is going to be used as a spokesperson or influencer. A third factor that comes into play is
also the target audience, and what effect the target audience can have.

3.2.1 Supreme x Louis Vuitton

I think it’s stupid as s–t […] It solidifies Supreme’s place in fashion, which is so stupid. They started the brand
as a f–k you to fashion, and now they’ve become it. They represent the worst form of street culture […] When
you go into the store, it’s full of a–holes, they vibe you out.56

Alec Leach, writer for Highsnobiety writes about the commercialization of Supreme with the
Louis Vuitton collaboration. He speaks about how Supremes previous approaches to
marketing have been true to the culture. When reminiscing about previous releases he writes:
”Even blockbuster Nike collabs are marketed with some low-key photos of the crew just
hanging out on a street corner somewhere”. Until now, when Cruz Beckham (child to
multimillionaire David and Victoria Beckham) posts an Instagram picture with a box logo
Supreme hoodie with the Louis Vuitton monograms all over it. Leach calls it a ”PR disaster”
for the brand, also pointing to Formula 1 Driver Lewis Hamilton’s instagram post. Hamilton
poses in a ”selfie” with a scarf from the above mentioned collection. In his text, Leach claims
that Hamilton and Cruz Beckham are the ”least Supreme” people you could possibly use to
market the collection.57

Despite the hysteria, hype and consumerist madness surrounding Supreme, it’s an icon of underground
culture because it keeps such strict control of its image. Its crew of wayward skaters and don’t-give-a-fuck store

55
Florida, R.L. (2006). (p. 74) Den kreativa klassens framväxt. Stockholm: Daidalos.
56
Highsnobiety – Brian Farmer ”NYC Skaters Feel “Betrayed” & “Exploited” by Supreme’s Louis Vuitton
Collection” (May 3rd 2017)
57
Highsnobiety – Alec Leach ”Why Cruz Beckham and Lewis Hamilton Are a Disaster for Supreme” (May 3rd
2017)

24
guys are one of the few things keeping it on the right side of mainstream; Louis V’s family-friendly, photogenic,
rich and ridiculously famous ambassadors are the worst match possible.58

While I would agree with Leach, this might even be deliberate or a form of compromise
between the two brands. While Supremes target audience have been people with connection
to the subcultures of skate and hip-hop, the Louis Vuitton brand comes with a significantly
higher price-tag and a wealthier target audience. This is a clear representation of a problem
that exists within subcultures connected to fashion, this is one of the fears that subcultures
have, or are exposed to according to Thornton and what eventually causes the individuals of
these subcultures to either abandon, or reconstruct their taste.59 Gully Guy Leo (streetwear
influencer) expressed in an interview with Hypebeast that he ”is getting sick” of seeing
people with the same logo, and that he has recently started to explore other fashion brands. At
the same time mentions that it is difficult to stay unique when the streetwear culture has
grown so big.60

The Supreme customer has changed a lot in the past few years. They’re younger, hungrier and obsessed with the
box logo. Where the brand was once a signifier of clued-up inner city guys, it’s now synonymous with retail
tourists and cash-rich kids fiendishly buying anything that says “Supreme” on it. 61

Stavros Karelis, founder of Machine-A expresses in an interview that the current fashion
climate is the perfect for collaborations. He says that the best and safest way for a brand
today to expand to new costumers and tap into new market is through co-branding.
According to him it is a way to give something new and fresh to the existing costumers while
entering a new world, where there are people that traditionally did not buy from you. 62 The
same idea comes to mind when thinking about marketing and branding. If Cruz Beckham and
Hamilton were an example of bad marketing, then there are two good examples of how
Supreme x Louis Vuitton has chosen appropriate partners which will follow below.

58
Ibid
59
Thornton, S. (2013). (p. 154-160) Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.
60
Hypebeast – Matt Peng ”Leo Mandella Talks Supreme, Gucci, Logos and Mixing Streetwear With High
Fashion” (May 3rd 2017)
61
Highsnobiety – Alec Leach ”Why Cruz Beckham and Lewis Hamilton Are a Disaster for Supreme” May 3rd
2017)
62
Highsnobiety – Nico Amarca ”Here’s What the Industry Really Thinks About Supreme x Louis Vuitton”
(April 19th 2017)

25
Travis Scott and Asap Rocky are arguably the two biggest tastemakers in hip-hop. Nico
Amarca, writer on Highsnobiety writes about rappers and their influence on fashion in an
article named ”Is Travis Scott Rap’s New Fashion King?”. According to him, rappers roles as
tastemakers remains unconquered, for years they have been rapping about glamour and fame,
but now that the realms of streetwear and high fashion have merged, they have even more
power, he claims.63

They have been placed high in the fashion category, because of their high respect granted
through rap and high fashion communities. In a way this is both subcultural capital and social
capital, once again a mix between high and low. They have reached mainstream success,
while still managing to be in contact with the youth and their background. Together they have
shown versatility in both style and as influencers having worked with relatively ”low” brands
like Reebok, Puma, to higher streetwear like, A Bathing Ape and Supreme, to great designers
like Raf Simons, Helmut Lang and fashion power houses like Dior, Louis Vuitton and Saint
Laurent. Like mentioned in the theory chapter, the third level of personal branding is ”the
personal brand that influences trends and is a presence in the larger culture” which I would
then argue is exactly where Travis Scott and Asap Rocky are, and should prove to be the
ideal partnership for a collaboration like Supreme x Louis Vuitton.64

3.2.2 Gucci x GucciGhost

A collaboration that mixes high and low and that has received positive feedback in contrast to
the Supreme-partnership with Louis Vuitton, is Gucci x GucciGhost. It was in late 2016
when it was announced that Gucci would collaborate with the former pro snowboarder (now
skater, artist) Trevor Andrew, now known under the name GucciGhost. The name comes
from an outfit he had for Halloween where he cut holes in a Gucci sheet, which later became
his signature when expressing himself through the creative art form - graffiti.

Jack Drummond, writer at Highsnobiety writes that the collection fits perfectly with the
reemergence of doodling, where Gucci even opened their own customization boutique during
the summer of 2016. Drummond continues to explore the spirit of Guccis’ relatively new

63
Highsnobiety – Nico Amarca ”Is Travis Scott Rap’s New Fashion King?” (May 3rd 2017)
64
Montoya, P., & Vandehey, T. (2002). (p.4-10) The personal branding phenomenon: realize greater influence,
explosive income growth and rapid career advancement by applying the branding techniques of Michael,
Martha & Oprah. Santa Ana, CA: Peter Montoya Inc.

26
creative director Alessandro Michele, who with this collaboration seems to blur the lines of
real and surreal. He continues to add that through the new customization boutique and this
collaboration Michele is opening the doors of Gucci to new customers, to make the label their
own. Expression, individuality and authenticity is what true fashion has at its core and this is
the impression he receives with this collection, this is according to him ”an invitation for all
of us to go and make Gucci our own”.65

You’re crazy. It’s never going to happen. Gucci would never fucking talk to you. They don’t even light their
own cigarettes. You’re going to get sued.66

The quote above is from a short interview with Andrew for Complex, where he explained
what people first told him when he started the GucciGhost project through graffiti. This
would seem like a valid reaction, however this is the type of art big fashion houses are
looking for when trying to market for younger customers, and with social media, reaching out
has never been easier. This collaboration is also interesting in the sense that it is not an
established brand, but rather a street-persona that was brought in for a collaboration. This is a
great leap forward from previous efforts where for example designer Jeremy Scott simply
”stole” from graffiti culture without sharing profits and giving recognition to the artists.67

This is another suitable example of Vinken’s claim that we are now in the age of postfashion,
but I would argue, in an evolved form. Not only does high fashion draw influences from the
street, but the artists themselves are handpicked and brought into the ”finer room”, which
signals an evolution of the postmodern fashion system as Vinken outlined. I suggest that this
implies that the subcultures are not being ”exploited”, but rather it is a symbolic ”crowning”
of the subcultural artists by the luxe brand, thus giving back credit where it is due.

The Supreme x Louis Vuitton collection and Gucci x GucciGhost are both interesting and
positive, but also complex in their own context. These collaboration is relatively new so there
is no way of telling how the opinion will shift in later years, but it makes me think of the cult
status Helmut Lang and Raf Simons have received in the streetwear discourse. The main

65
Highsnobiety – Jack Drummond ”We Hung Out With the NYC Artist Who Scrawled Graffiti Across Gucci’s
Latest Collaboration” (May 4th 2017)
66
Complex – Steve Dool ”GucciGhost on Scamming His Way to a Gucci Collab” (May 4th 2017)
67
The Fashion Law – ”Jeremy Scott Copes Jimbo Phillips - Part II” (May 4th 2017)

27
reason designers like Lang and Simons have a cult status is what they stand for. They
represent core ideals of the street and remain consistent, pushing freedom, creativity and
expression forward, making clothes more than clothes and instead serve as a tool of
expression. They survey and redefine the cultural landscape often, but remain loyal to their
ethos. Which is why, to this day Langs and Simons work is still relevant and often referenced
and this is what designers and brands should have in mind when attempting to branch out and
work with others through the collaboration phenomenon.

28
4. Conclusion & Discussion
This thesis had its starting point in understanding the phenomenon of collaborations in the
fashion world, more specifically collaboration between high fashion and streetwear, but also
in understanding the roles of influencers in the discourses of said fashion. This study has
raised awareness of subcultural impact in the contemporary fashion discourse and how
brands and cultures are impacted by what goes on when a specific collaboration is announced
and formed. This thesis has also explained some of the catalysts to why streetwear has
reached mainstream success and the impact of popularization on streetwear that grew from
different subcultures.

The material, being journalistic texts about streetwear and fashion allowed me to investigate
the fashion discourse and the sub-discourse of streetwear and what is written about them in
the media. More specifically it allowed me to understand why and how the chosen
collaborations have been received and put it in context to the chosen theories. It also allowed
me to speculate in what the catalyst for these collaborations was, but also what the perfect
ingredients for a collaboration between high fashion and streetwear is.

The conclusion is that fashion today is an interplay of many different symbolic values, both
high and low. The notion of traditional class, is quickly dissipating and people are being
”measured” in different forms of capital, for example in subcultural capital and social capital
instead. This has given an opportunity to people from socioeconomically challenged places of
the world to get involved and be appreciated within high fashion, that for long has been seen
as something posh and exclusive to them. These types of collaborations also invite youth and
people of less power to influence and spread their expressions on a bigger scale. There will
still always exist divisions and hierarchies between consumers of fashion, where some have
more purchasing powers than others, but these types of collaborations still contribute to
creating an understanding of different cultures and socioeconomic situations.

Within this thesis there was also a chapter on influencing, co-branding and marketing and
how to chose the appropriate partners which proved to be interlinked between both research
questions. In order to successfully market and brand a collaboration between streetwear and

29
high fashion you need influencers that have both social and subcultural capital, a mix
between high and low. While previously high fashion had been stealing creativity from street
culture, they have now found a way to give back and even uplift creative minds in those
cultures. There is still a hierarchy in place here, but this can be seen as an invitation to share
the ”finer room” by the ones at the top, a move away from a type of totalitarian fashion
ruling.

What this means is that fashion is being even more deconstructed. Collaborations like this
break down barriers regarding economic class and race and open up for even more
understanding and diversity. Collaboration like this also prove that fashion is aware of what
is mainstream and what the general crowd is ”into” and are interested in capitalizing on it,
which any company should be. However, this does obviously come with some complications.
While these fashion houses are capitalizing on the creativity and expressivity of subcultures,
they are (subcultures) losing their own capital. This can be seen in for example celebrities
wearing streetwear brands, long lines of people outside of stores and online shops selling out
all their clothing within mere minutes. Popularization has always been the biggest fear of
subcultures and the only ones benefitting from it are the companies which then would lead to
a rift between the community and the brand.

While collaborations have existed for a period of time, it is noticeably happening more
frequently right now. Therefore there is a big opportunity for research to be done in extension
to this thesis that would grab different aspects and angles to this phenomenon which were not
possible in this thesis.

Interesting future research would be collaborations between brands in the same hierarchy and
what cultural impact that would have. Further research on the impact of cultures themselves
on contemporary fashion and streetwear fashion can prove to give a better understanding on
this phenomenon as streetwear brands exist in different parts of the world where different
brands are in focus. This comes hand in hand with different subcultures as well. This thesis
focused on the most ”mainstream subcultures”, the hip-hop and skate scene which provided
me with certain information only relevant to them. It would be possible to investigate other
subcultures like punk, surf and for example ”hipsters” to understand their relation to fashion
in the contemporary society.

30
Through the material this thesis also proved that streetwear now exists in every high fashion
house, like Leach explored when he visited some of the high fashion houses.68This is then
arguably what people would call prêt-á-porter, which goes hand in hand with some of the
delimitations of this thesis. Like mentioned early in the thesis it is hard to label streetwear
and differentiate it from other similar styles, therefore future research on the material itself
(design, construction) in the contemporary streetwear discourse in relation to other styles
would be beneficiary to understand the greater picture. This is, however the great divide
within fashion studies, seeing as it is a multidisciplinary field and should arguably take
different methods into account in order to contextualize interesting phenomenon’s and
improve validity.

68
Highsnobiety – Alec Leach ”It’s Official: Streetwear and Luxury Fashion Are Now The Same Thing” (April
17th 2017)

31
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Florida, R.L. (2006). Den kreativa klassens framväxt. Stockholm: Daidalos.

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Montoya, P., & Vandehey, T. (2002). The personal branding phenomenon: realize greater
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Okonkwo, U. (2007). Luxury fashion branding: Trends, tactics, techniques. London: Palgrave
Macmillan. :

Thornton, S. (2013). Club cultures: music, media and subcultural capital. Cambridge: Polity
Press.

Vinken, B. (2005). Fashion Zeitgeist trends and cycles in the fashion system. Oxford: Berg.

Scientific Articles
Angela Carroll, (2008) Brand communications in fashion categories using celebrity
endorsement. Journal of Brand Management 17(2):146-158) (April 10th 2017)
Doi: 10.1057/bm.2008.42

Diana Seno, Bryan A. Lukas, (2007) "The equity effect of product endorsement by
celebrities: A conceptual framework from a co‐branding perspective", European Journal of
Marketing, Vol. 41 Issue: 1/2, pp.121-134 (April 10th 2017)
Doi: 10.1108/03090560710718148

Eastman, J., Goldsmith, E., & Flynn, L. (1999). Status consumption in consumer behavior:
Scale development and validation. Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice, Summer, 41–
52 : (April 10th 2017)

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Doi: 10.1080/10696679.1999.11501839

Fernández Hidalgo, Christina. Mikano, Larry. Vermeersch, Tom. (2016) The Effect of Co-
Branding on the Fashion Luxury Consumer’s Brand Equity: Comparison between the
Generations Y and X. Linneaus University, Master Thesis (April 18th 2017)
http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:940980/FULLTEXT01.pdf

Heig, Edward (2008) Some Observations on The Critique of Critical Discourse Analysis
(April 25th)
https://www.lang.nagoya-u.ac.jp/proj/genbunronshu/25-2/haig.pdf

Jemma Oeppen & Ahmad Jamal (2014) Collaborating for success: managerial perspectives
on co-branding strategies in the fashion industry, Journal of Marketing Management, 30:9-
10, 925-948 (April 10th 2017)
Doi: 10.1080/0267257X.2014.934905

Mróz-Gorgon, B. (2016) Co-Branding As A Strategy – Fashion Market Perspective: Prestige

or Masstige? International Journal of Sales, Retailing & Marketing. 2016, Vol. 5 Issue 4, p
49-59. 11p (April 10th 2017)
ISSN: 2045-810X

O’Shaughnessy, J., & O’Shaughnessy, N. J. (2002). Marketing, the consumer society and
hedonism. European Journal of Marketing, 36, 524–547. (April 10th 2017)
Doi:10.1108/03090560210422871

Simonin, B. L., J. A. Ruth. 1998. Is a company known by the company it keeps? Assessing
the spillover effects of brand alliances on consumer brand attitudes. J. Marketing Res. 35(1)
30–42. (April 10th 2017)
https://archive.ama.org/archive/ResourceLibrary/JournalofMarketingResearch%28JMR%29/
documents/228139.pdf

Tsai, S. (2005). Impact of personal orientation on luxury-brand purchase value. International

Journal of Market Research, 47, 177–206. (April 10th 2017)
Doi: 10.1180/10669605560210422870

Empirical Material
Complex

GucciGhost on Scamming His Way to a Gucci Collab (May 4th 2017)

http://www.complex.com/style/2016/09/gucci-ghost-trevor-andrew

How Rappers Became the Most Important Fashion Ambassadors (April 17th 2017)
http://www.complex.com/style/2016/08/rappers-as-new-fashion-ambassadors

It’s Not About Clothes (April 13th 2017)

http://www.complex.com/style/2017/02/what-is-streetwear-by-bobby-hundreds

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Who is Asap Mob? (April 27th 2017)
http://www.complex.com/music/2012/01/who-is-asap-mob/3
Highsnobiety

Here’s What the Industry Really Thinks About Supreme x Louis Vuitton (April 19th 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/01/24/supreme-louis-vuitton-reactions/

Is Travis Scott Rap’s New Fashion King? (May 3rd 2017)

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/01/30/travis-scott-fashion-muse/

It’s Official: Streetwear and Luxury Fashion Are Now The Same Thing (April 17th 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/02/08/luxury-streetwear-fashion-trend/

NYC Skaters Feel “Betrayed” & “Exploited” by Supreme’s Louis Vuitton Collection (May
3rd 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/02/27/supreme-louis-vuitton-skaters/

Supreme x Louis Vuitton: A Triumph or a Nail in the Coffin? (April 21st 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/01/20/louis-vuitton-supreme-debate/

Virgil Abloh on Current State of Fashion (April 18th)

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/08/01/virgil-abloh-fashion-interview/

We Hung Out With the NYC Artist Who Scrawled Graffiti Across Gucci’s Latest
Collaboration (May 4th 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/10/04/gucci-guccighost-interview-berlin/

Why Cruz Beckham and Lewis Hamilton Are a Disaster for Supreme (May 3rd 2017)
http://www.highsnobiety.com/2017/01/31/supreme-louis-vuitton-cruz-beckham/

Hypebeast

How Surf-Punk Brand Noon Goons Is Bringing Back Counterculture Back Into Streetwear
(April 21st 2017)
https://hypebeast.com/2017/4/noon-goons-rick-klotz-freshjive

Leo Mandella Talks Supreme, Gucci, Logos and Mixing Streetwear With High Fashion (May
3rd 2017)
https://hypebeast.com/2017/3/leo-mandella-gullyguyleo-supreme-gucci-logo-interview

Other

Huhmagazine –”M.I.A x Versus Versace Collection

http://www.huhmagazine.co.uk/5762/m.i.a.-x-versus-versace-collection

Messy Nessy Chic - The 80’s Hip Hop Tailor: Dapper Dan (April 20th 2017)
http://www.messynessychic.com/2013/04/30/the-harlem-hip-hop-tailor-dapper-dan/

The Fashion Law - Jeremy Scott Copes Jimbo Phillips - Part II (May 4th 2017)

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http://www.thefashionlaw.com/home/jeremy-scott-copies-jimbo-phillips-part-
ii?rq=jeremy%20scott

The Verge - How the harlem shake went from viral slideshow to global phenomenon (April
28th 2017)
https://www.theverge.com/2013/2/18/4000068/how-the-harlem-shake-went-from-viral-
sideshow-to-global-phenomenon

Today – Jay-Z launches Cristal bubbly boycott

http://www.today.com/id/13350034/ns/today-today_entertainment/t/jay-z-launches-cristal-
bubbly-boycott/

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