Supreme's tapping into some real New York history for their latest collaboration with Clayton Patterson, the artist and documentarian who's been chronicling the Lower East Side since the late '70s. For those unfamiliar, Patterson and his partner Elsa Rensaa basically ran a cultural hub out of their Essex Street storefront - a space that served as gallery, hangout spot, and birthplace of Clayton Caps, the chainstitch-embroidered baseball caps that pioneered the all-over embroidery style we see everywhere today. Using a century-old embroidery machine, they were the first to hit the sides, back, and visor of caps with custom designs, creating a look that became synonymous with downtown Manhattan.
Beyond the caps, Patterson's legacy is his massive archive of Lower East Side life - thousands of photos, hours of video (including crucial footage of the 1988 Tompkins Square Park police riot), and ephemera ranging from punk show fliers to protest signs. His work captures the neighborhood's layered, multicultural reality in a way few others have bothered to document.
The Spring 2021 collection includes an Embroidered MA-1 Jacket, Shirt, Jean, Long Sleeve T-Shirt, and 5-Panel. Select pieces drop April 8th in the US and April 10th in Japan. No pricing details yet, but expect Patterson's folkloric illustration style to feature prominently across the pieces.
