Hours before the opening of Supreme’s new Williamsburg location, accounting for its second store in New York, third nationwide and eleventh worldwide, founder James Jebbia spoke with GQ for a rare interview.
For years now, it’s been insanely difficult — for the most part — for streetwear heads to get their hands on the truly coveted Supreme goods upon each Thursday release, no matter how many locations are open across the globe. Jebbia, however, wants the brand to be more inclusive, as opposed to what some may think.
“I wish people would understand why we have a line,” the Supreme founder stated. “Because we don’t have many shops, we aren’t sold anywhere [but our own shops], and we have good stuff…but it shouldn’t be so difficult for people to come into our shops. We just want to have a space that, on a Monday or Tuesday or Wednesday, people can just come to and walk in and check out our stuff.”
In switching gears to the new NY location, Jebbia disclosed, “We looked in other neighborhoods, but to be perfectly honest, Williamsburg was no more money than Bushwick. People say, ‘Oh, Williamsburg is already over,’ but we don’t really care.”
“When we opened in Paris, we opened in the Marais. And when we opened in London, it was in Soho. These aren’t, like, edgy places. These are places where people—and young people—hang out. We don’t like to be in places where people don’t go.”
Just because the demand is there, this doesn’t mean that Supreme will go forward opening new shops on a whim. “There’s a balance there,” Jebbia noted. “We’re here for the long haul. A big shop in Manhattan would feel like we were betraying our roots. And we’re not just going to open a bunch of stores. We only open a new store when we do it right. The people we work with are super important, and we only do it when we feel it’s right.”
For Jebbia’s entire conversation surrounding attainability, new shops and more, follow on over to GQ.
Also, be sure to check out Supreme’s new location at 152 Grand Street in Brooklyn.
Now here’s a who’s who of skate and streetwear OGs from last night’s Supreme Brooklyn launch.