Streetwear powerhouse Supreme has struck a deal with New York City to sell shirts and other merchandise featuring trademarks owned by the city.
The agreement permits the brand — a favorite of celebrities including Justin Bieber and Madonna — to use marks such as “Made in NY” and “NYPD” on merchandise through 2028, according to a legal notice posted online.
Under the non-exclusive agreement with NYC Tourism + Conventions, Supreme will pay the city 6% of its net profits from products bearing city logos, along with a one-time payment of $22,000. The city’s nonprofit tourism and marketing organization can also extend the deal through 2030.
Supreme has already rolled out products including zip-up DSNY hoodies celebrating New York’s sanitation workers and baseball caps featuring the FDNY logo. The hoodies sell for $188, while the FDNY caps are priced at $58.
Shoppers at Supreme’s flagship Bowery store in Manhattan welcomed the collaboration last Wednesday.
“People want to represent New York,” said Katherine Donnelly, a first-time Supreme customer who works for the city’s Department of Design and Construction.
“With designs like these logos, what would make it cool would be the specificness of New York. Like if you go somewhere else repping it, people know you’re buying from this store.”
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Will Guartan, a regular Supreme shopper, said the Fire Department hats and DSNY collaboration were such a hit that they sold out quickly.
“One hundred percent! People are drawn to New York City merch,” he said.
Julian Eversley, who works at Supreme, said the company appears to be counting on New York’s iconic identity to drive sales while producing appealing merchandise for customers.
“I think it would be sick if they go about it in the right way,” Eversley said.
“Supreme is like a New York brand, and they kind of trailed away from that a little bit. It’d be cool to see something that’s like very New York-based.”
Alyssa Schmid, a spokesperson for NYC Tourism + Conventions, said the organization “welcome[s] partnerships with brands who want to support New York City trademarks.” Other companies with similar arrangements include Nike and J. Crew.
The New York Post has also teamed up with Supreme, running limited-edition wraparound cover advertisements for the streetwear label in 2018 and again in August. Both editions quickly became sought-after collectibles.
