Ever wondered why streetwear brands are so successful?
Streetwear has taken the world by storm in recent years, and for good reasons! These brands have tapped into something special that resonates with people all over the globe.
We take a closer look at the world’s most well-known streetwear companies and what makes them successful. I hope that this article may assist you in better comprehending the street culture and applying some of these concepts to your own brands.
Let us get started.
What is streetwear fashion?
Any hypebeast will tell you that streetwear is not a fad. It is a way of life.
Streetwear, which is a sub-genre of hip hop fashion, has experienced incredible growth in recent years. According to Business of Fashion, the worldwide streetwear market was worth almost $309 billion in 2017.
According to a poll conducted by Hypebeast, 45 per cent of respondents buy at least one piece of streetwear apparel once a month, and 62% believe that streetwear fashion is always in vogue. Whether you like it or not, the streetwear attire movement has arrived.
Why is streetwear fashion so popular?
The answer is straightforward: today, fashion is about inclusivity and diversity rather than anything else. Apart from that, there is another major consideration that people pay close attention to: to appear attractive, you must feel comfortable.
Moreover, some more factors that make streetwear fashion so popular are that it is:
- The influencers’ culture.
- It is cool
- It is the Attitude
The influencers’ culture.
The most frequent thing you will notice on social media is streetwear items, which is why they are so popular among millennials and Generation Z. Everyone’s wearing them, so you want to wear one too.
It is cool
Having a unique hoodie or likeable shoes is more essential than having a designer handbag or high-end fashion item. Being trendy now has to do with how one dresses. Moreover, what is more, fabulous than wearing a t-shirt with a powerful message for people around you or a print of your favourite artist?
It is the Attitude
The appeal of this look is that it allows you to appear as if you did not put much effort into your appearance. It is the “I do not care” attitude that appeals to young people. They want to be unencumbered; they want to be careless.
What Streetwear brands can we find now on the market?
The most popular streetwear brands that come to mind are, of course, Supreme and BAPE. However, many other companies have successfully sold this type of fashion in recent years.
Such as:
- Off-White
- Obey
- Kith
- Palace
- The Hundreds
Off-White, which is run by Louis Vuitton’s artistic director, Virgil Abloh, has been gaining attention on the runway and streets since its inception. Off-White is just as likely to be seen on Paris fashion week runways as it is in the company of hypebeasts.
Abloh began his career as a designer by assisting Kanye West and Fendi before establishing his own company in 2013. His blending of culture and haute couture has given birth to a brand recognized for its cutting-edge patterns, forward-thinking designs, strong colors, and daring partnerships. Despite being a relative newcomer to the street style scene, Off-White has already established a reputation for itself.
Known for incorporating activism into its clothing designs, Obey has deep roots in the counterculture of skating and punk. Artist, Shepard Fairey founded the label in 2001 as an extension of his artistic works.
Fairey drew inspiration for the name and style of the brand from the British punk rock band, The Exploited. He has said that he wanted Obey to be a brand that people could wear without knowing anything about the background or message behind it.
Kith is the brainchild of New York-based footwear designer Ronnie Fieg. The Kith brand includes a retail space that houses some of the most coveted names in the sneaker and streetwear industries. It is also a stand-alone label.
Fieg has worked with a number of high-profile brands, including Asics, Adidas, and New Balance. His work with Asics resulted in the famous Gelinitiator silhouette. Kith’s clothing line has been worn by the likes of A$AP Rocky, Justin Bieber, and LeBron James.
When Palace was founded in 2010, it changed the landscape of the British street style. It is essentially the English counterpart to Supreme and has almost achieved comparable status.
Their designs are often playful and irreverent, but they also put out some more serious pieces from time to time. What separates Palace from other brands is its ability to maintain a high level of quality without becoming too commercialized.
The Hundreds’ staff takes a different approach. They have not only their own fashion line but also a media platform dedicated to street culture from around the world.
Based in Los Angeles, The Hundreds was founded in 2003 by Bobby Kim and Ben Shenassafar.
“The goal was just to make stuff that I liked and represented our lifestyle,” Bobby says.
That do-it-yourself attitude is what has helped The Hundreds become one of the most successful streetwear brands in the world.
What are The key elements of a successful streetwear brand?
A streetwear brand is typically characterized by its unique blend of sportswear and street fashion. While there are no definitive rules, most streetwear brands share similar key elements.
Positioning questions
Before diving into the meat of this business, consider these things to yourself because they may not be right for you.
- What is your overall objective in all of this?
- Why are you establishing/maintaining this brand?
- What is your goal in doing so?
- What benefit does the customer get from purchasing a product from you?
- What makes you so distinctive or unique?
- Why did you start this business? Was it for money or because it was something you were passionate about?
- How do you see yourself (and the brand) in three years?
Branding
What exactly is branding, and how do you go about developing one? Branding is all about making sure that your business or streetwear line is well-known. As a result, people are familiar with it as a “brand.”
Your logo must also match your company name completely, as to why would you deviate from it? It is bad form to have a logo that does not fit in with the rest of the brand’s design, and having a tagline that is not related to your business/logo is distracting.
You should make sure that consumers are aware of the company they are buying from, and it is essential to remind them of this every time they put on the garment. Branding is critical for marketing purposes, which I will discuss further below.
Marketing
Marketing is where the magic happens, and it is also the most challenging part of this entire venture. You need to get your name out there in as many places as possible, without spamming people or being too “sales-y.”
The way I see it, there are two ways to market a streetwear brand: online and offline. Let us start with online marketing because that is the easier (and less expensive) of the two.
- Online marketing
There are a plethora of social media platforms at your disposal, so make use of them! Create accounts on Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook– whatever you think will work best for you and your target market. Once you have those setup, start posting engaging content that will get people talking about your brand.
You can also use online platforms to run ads, but be sure to target them specifically to your target market. There is no point in running ads that no one will see or care about.
- Offline marketing
This is a bit more difficult and requires more thought, but it can be just as effective as online marketing if done correctly.
To start, you need to identify the key places where your target market hangs out. This could be anything from certain coffee shops to clothing stores to music festivals. Once you know where they are, you can start brainstorming ways to get your brand in front of them.
For example, if your target market is college students, you could host a pop-up shop on campus or sponsor a campus event. If your target market is fashion-savvy millennials, you could partner with a local boutique or participate in a fashion show.
The possibilities are endless– it just takes some creativity and out-of-the-box thinking!
Customer Service
Most successful companies have been blessed with the pleasure of living by this adage. Customer service is critical for a streetwear brand, especially in today’s customer-centric economy. There are a few things you should bear in mind:
- Be responsive to customers, whether they inquire about a product or give feedback (positive or negative). No one likes feeling ignored, so make sure you take the time to respond to every single person.
- Be efficient in your responses. Customers do not want to wait days or even hours for a response, so make sure you have someone dedicated to customer service who can answer questions quickly and thoroughly.
- Last but not least, you need to be friendly! This seems like a no-brainer, but it is amazing how often businesses forget this simple rule. Be nice and
Quality
You need to have repeat clients if you want to succeed. Repeat customers provide a slew of advantages, including the following:
- They can talk about your brand to their friends.
- When they are wearing your apparel, they are essentially walking billboards. They are enthusiastic about what you have to offer.
- They will stick with you until you let them down (so do not!).
When consumers perceive you as a “high-quality” streetwear brand, you will not only be able to charge more money, but you will also be much more reputable in the process. Reputation is important in the fashion business, especially when it comes to something as urban as streetwear.
Conclusion
There you have it: a handful of in-depth suggestions on how to make your streetwear brand a success.
Take it all in, then apply it however you choose. If you do things the correct way, you’ll almost certainly succeed. Keep your ego in check, and more importantly, be true to yourself.
What are your thoughts? Do you have any experience with streetwear brands?
Just contact Lezhou Garment today; we are happy to help you every step of the way to create a streetwear brand you can be proud of!