Shawn Stussy Is Back. A Timeline of the Streetwear Pioneer’s Fashion Career

He’s back.

No, Shawn Stussy’s re-entry into the fashion industry wasn’t paired with something quite as dramatic as Michael Jordan’s iconic fax, but him coming out of retirement certainly has people talking. This isn’t going to be some Jordan on the Wizards-esque nostalgia run. 

Stussy, the surfer turned clothing designer whose last name is one of the most recognizable in streetwear history, is reviving his S/Double label in collaboration with skate/surf heritage brand Globe. He’s been away from the fashion world long enough that he wouldn’t return for no reason. Part of a return message penned by Stussy and being displayed on the wall of Globe’s Australian HQ reads, “I am engaged and ready to move the needle once again.”

And just to be clear, no, Stüssy will not also be taking over his namesake label or involved with it in any capacity. We know. It’s a bit confusingˆtt’s named after him for Christ's sake. But Stussy hasn’t had any direct affiliation with the streetwear giant since he sold his shares in 1996. 

Nonetheless, with S/Double’s return imminent, we wanted to catch you up to speed on Stussy’s career in fashion.

When: 1980

Shawn Stussy founded his namesake brand in 1980. The California-based label started out as a surf equipment brand. Stussy made boards with his now-iconic signature written on them in black marker. As a means of promoting his burgeoning board brand, he printed logo T-shirts and display them at the Action Sports Retailer trade show in 1981 and 1982. What he soon found out was that people gravitated towards the shirts more than the boards. 

“I stood there for three days and I sold about 24 boards,” Stussy told Empire Ave in 2013. “At the end of the three days I had sold a thousand [T-shirts]; I was like ‘oh fuck, are you kidding me?’”

To grow his apparel business, Stussy enlisted the help of Frank Sinatra Jr. (no relation to the singer) in 1984. Stüssy relaunched with a new positioning in the marketplace: a lifestyle clothing brand inspired by surf, skate, and hip-hop culture. Now many refer to this convergence of various subcultures as streetwear, but that didn’t really exist at the time. Stussy is seen as a godfather of the genre despite never pigeonholing his brand with the title.

“Everybody calls it surf wear, or urban street wear, or surf street," Stussy told the New York Times in 1992. "They're all names. I don't name it, and I don't name it on purpose. I just make basic clothes that a 10-year-old can wear and my dad can wear."

When: 1990

By the ‘90s, Stüssy had grown so much in popularity that it could plant its flag across the country. Its New York City flagship, the brand’s first store ever, opened in 1990 at 104 Prince Street. Its first manager was eventual Supreme founder James Jebbia. The brand had an immediate impact in this new market, further proving that it wasn’t just a surf brand relegated to the shorelines of California. Pieces bearing the brand’s Chanel-inspired double S motif and its “S” logo six-panel caps were hot sellers that reached beyond the in-the-know cool crowd in the SoHo section of downtown. 

“John F. Kennedy Jr. would come to Union all the time and wear a Stüssy hat with his suit while biking around SoHo—I remember that. I remember Matt Dillon wearing a Stüssy hat with his trench coat,” former Union manager and Undefeated co-founder Eddie Cruz told Complex in 2012. “I think it made people feel like they were kind of in the know about what was going on in the world.”

When: late '80s-early '90s

You can’t have a successful brand without a loyal community. In its early years, Stussy achieved this through the creation of the International Stüssy Tribe. While the man himself would probably cringe at the comparison, think of it as an early form of influencers. Stussy created special one-of-one varsity jackets for friends and family around the world that he was a fan of and wanted to align with. Such individuals included UK artist Goldie, Fragment founder Hiroshi Fujiwara, and legendary A&R Dante Ross. To this day, International Stussy Tribe jackets are grails among collectors. Beyond just clothing, the Tribe cemented Stussy as an aspirational brand for many individuals around the world. 

“If you look at a lot of the people involved in that first tribe, a lot of them went on to carve the niche for what would become streetwear and street culture,” former Stüssy creative director Paul Mittleman told Complex in 2012.

When: 1996

While his brand continued to grow, Stussy stepped down from his role as president all the way back in January 1996. The decision wasn’t because the business was struggling. According to a report from the Los Angeles Times at the time of Stussy stepping down, the brand had an annual revenue of $35 million. While specific reasons for his exit have always been scarce and unconfirmed, some individuals close to the brand have suggested that it may not have been a totally clean break. 

“Trust me, Shawn didn't leave on good terms,” Mittleman told Complex in 2012. “If you had a brand with your last name on it, and you left because you didn't like the way it was going down, do you think he really left happy?”

Stussy remained a consultant for the brand after his departure. Co-owner Sinatra Jr. told the LA Times in 1996: “Fashion is still very important to him. He still wants to be involved. He’s just tired of the day-to-day grind.”

Following Stussy’s departure, the brand floundered in the American market, in part due to the rising popularity of competitors like Mossimo. Japan and Europe became the focus and kept the brand on its ascent. “They appreciated our branding, our authenticity, and our heritage,” Sinatra Jr. told Complex in 2012.

When: 2010-2016

Stussy’s first return to the fashion world after stepping away from Stüssy in the ‘90s was with S/Double in 2010. The line was still a clear nod to Stussy’s roots in surfing, but with a focus more on classic menswear silhouettes than Stüssy, which was primarily known for graphics. It also continued to produce custom-shaped surfboards.

The brand developed a huge following in Japan. A flagship store even opened in 2012. During its six-year run, S/Double racked up various collaborations with notable names like Beams, Neighborhood, and Vans before ceasing operations in 2016.

When: 2020

One of the most surprising wrinkles in Stussy’s fashion timeline is the collaboration with Kim Jones’ Dior for the house’s Fall 2020 season. The collection was revealed at a runway show in Miami in December 2019. While there was no affiliation to Stussy, this was the same runway where we got our first glimpse of the Dior x Air Jordan 1. 

The Stussy x Dior capsule was a perfect blend of the bold, surfing-infused graphics of Stussy and Dior’s classic tailoring. Stussy created a Dior logo and repeat pattern in his signature handstyle. The markings appeared as buckles on exotic leather loafers, striped knit sweaters resembling classic Stüssy designs from the ‘90s, colorful button-ups, beaded berets, accouterments on Saddle bags, and more. The surprising linkup was even acknowledged with a graphic T-shirt featuring in the show that read, “I want to shock the world with Dior,” and classic Stussy lettering.

When: 2024

Seemingly out of nowhere, one of the godfathers of streetwear is coming out of retirement. The return was made official with a mural painted outside of skate and surf brand Globe’s Australian headquarters. Stussy will be working with Globe’s co-founders Peter and Stephen Hill on this new era of S/Double. The mural partially reads: “Shawn Stussy checking in…to let you know that I have a new project coming with the Hill Bros. and the Globe crew…We are making goods again together under my “SDouble” mark.”

When, where, and what exactly we will be getting from this S/Double revival has yet to be announced. Maybe we’ll finally get the Land Rover collab or some Hokas. Whatever it is, we’re ready. And based on Stussy’s re-introductory message on that wall in Australia, so is he. It concludes, “I am engaged and ready to move the needle once again…Big aloha.”