Hypebeasts have a new Parisian store to stand in line outside overnight. Founded by James Jebbia, Supreme are the New York-based skate label that have hype down to a tee, whipping fans of the brand — who fuse hip-hop and punk rock cultures — into a frenzy with their frequent big-name collaborations.
Working with everyone from KAWS to Kermit the Frog, Ryan McGinness to (controversially) Morrissey, Jebbia has arrived in Paris’s Le Marais — with a gallery-esque new store, put together by designers Brinkworth and Wilson Brothers.
In fact, upon first inspection, the Le Marais store appears little more than a gallery. An imposing 7ft priest by skateboarder/artist Mark Gonzales, backdropped by a wall installation from Weirdo Dave, dominates a small space; skate videos playing away on a large screen. From here, a long row of wall-mounted decks — taken from an archive of collaborations with the likes of Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, and The Chapman Brothers — leads you through a tight corridor and into the Aladdin’s Cave.
It’s an unusual footprint that would put off most retailers, but Jebbia’s unconventional approach, and the designers’ fine work, has led to a unique outlet for the iconic label; the Paris store’s main room flooded with natural light, a mural from Gonzales painted directly onto the wall.
Photography, Louise Melchior
