Image via Complex Original
As we hit the halfway point of 2019, streetwear is still leading the conversation in fashion. The definition of streetwear, and how people categorize it, has changed, but designers who authentically embrace tenets of the culture and interpret them in their own way are winning. Earlier this year, LVMH said the company observed revenue growth in the double digits that aligns with the arrivals of Kim Jones, the creative director at Dior Men, and Virgil Abloh, who holds the same position at Louis Vuitton men’s. Demna Gvasalia, the creative director at Balenciaga men’s, who helped merge luxury and streetwear with his line Vetements, has put the French fashion house on track to surpass 1 billion euros in revenue for the first time this year.
Outside of the luxury conglomerates, there are brands like Kith, Rhude, and Pyer Moss that are extending their reach with strong product and storytelling, while long-established companies such as Needles and Dries Van Noten have found a renewed relevance thanks to a well-designed tracksuit and a nostalgic wave print. And Nike is continuing to stake its claim in fashion by working with most of the designers on this list, including Fear of God’s Jerry Lorenzo, John Elliott, Alyx’s Matthew M. Williams, Abloh, and Jones. The industry is changing month by month, and each brand on this list is adapting, and succeeding, in its own way.
Here are Complex’s picks for the best brands of 2019 (so far).
Nike
Nike has kept the momentum going in 2019, proving time and time again its ability to choose the perfect collaborators who breathe new life into its extensive archive.
Fear of God and Off-White consistently dropped new products with the brand—tennis legend Serena Williams even donned one of Virgil Abloh’s designs at this year’s Met Gala. And not to be confined to product, Abloh also collaborated with Nike to open the Re-Creation Center in Chicago this past May. While it will feature limited footwear and apparel drops, its main purpose is to provide an outlet for local creatives with workshops and mentorship programs.
Fear of God expanded its Air Fear of God lineup with basketball-inspired apparel releases like mesh shorts and shooting shirts, and debuted the Raid and Moc footwear silhouettes in multiple colorways.
The collabs don’t stop there, either. Alyx’s Matthew M. Williams released more futuristic training apparel and recently debuted his two original sneakers: men’s and women’s versions of the Free TR 3 SP with removable Vibram soles. John Elliott continued his work with LeBron James by releasing new colorways of the Icon; Ambush dropped an unconventional Air Max 180 collab and well-received women’s apparel line; and Supreme also linked up with the brand to help reintroduce the Air Max Tailwind 4 and an apparel collection. Sacai was able to rekindle its relationship with the sportswear giant and produce one of the best sneakers of the year—so far—that’s captured the attention of sneakerheads and the fashion community alike. Another early contender for sneaker of the year is Cactus Plant Flea Market’s innovative VaporMax 2019, which was able to translate Cynthia Lu’s unique design language into a sneaker, with its melting smiley faces and crudely shaped Swooshes made of green garden wire.
Nike has its finger on the pulse of the fashion world right now. The brand’s decision to tap some of the biggest designers today and give them creative leeway has played an integral part in helping it keep its throne atop the sportswear market, a position it doesn’t look to be giving up anytime soon. Maybe Drake said it best when he proclaimed, “Checks over stripes.” —Mike DeStefano
Supreme
Despite its rise into the mainstream spotlight rubbing some of Supreme’s longtime loyalists the wrong way, there is no denying the impact and status of founder James Jebbia’s brainchild.
The brand, which back in 2017 was valued at $1 billion by the Carlyle Group, has continued to capture the attention of the streetwear community at 11 a.m. each Thursday. Say what you want about it not being as “cool” as it was before, but there’s only so much you can say when a brand has people wrapped around city blocks around the world for hours just to cop something. Its customer base has changed and broadened, but Supreme has stuck to making exciting product and accessories.
The collaborations, a signature for the brand, have remained consistent so far in 2019. Some of its usual partners, like the North Face, Nike, and Stone Island, returned for new projects. Back in April, the brand collaborated with French designer Jean Paul Gaultier, the latest example of it tapping into the luxury fashion world. Collabs aside, its in-house offerings have also been solid in 2019 thus far, with highlights like hoodies emblazoned with branding to resemble P. Diddy’s Sean John label, rayon shirts covered in cherries, a callback to its 1997 Apple T-shirt graphic on hoodies and caps, trucker jackets with a bedazzled painting of the World Trade Center covering the back, and multiple pieces paying homage to Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s 1995 album, Return to the 36 Chambers: the Dirty Version. Supreme’s quest to put its logo on every novelty item possible continued this year as well, with a drum set, a Meissen porcelain Cupid figurine, a Hot Wheels car, and even Band-Aids.
“But what about the box logos?” Supreme delivered on that front, too, with a special release of hoodies and T-shirts showcasing handcrafted box logos made of authentic Swarovski crystals to celebrate its 25th anniversary that sold out in mere seconds.
No, Supreme might not be the low-key skate brand stationed on Lafayette Street it once was, but that shouldn’t be used against it. The brand has become so ubiquitous that copycats like Supreme Italia even exist now, a knockoff company peddling counterfeit box logo goodies in China—the real Supreme is currently in legal battles with the corporation. While certainly not something the brand is celebrating, it does show just how huge and desirable the name has become. Pardon the pun, but Jebbia’s empire reigns supreme. —Mike DeStefano
Louis Vuitton
Since appointing Virgil Abloh as its men’s artistic director last year, the energy around Louis Vuitton has continued to build. Abloh’s profile as a cultural force and general polymath has helped bring the historic French brand into the purview of younger consumers—even if they might not be able to afford LV’s luxury goods. With freedom to explore and redefine the brand’s standing in a crowded fashion marketplace, Abloh and Louis Vuitton have shone through with consumer-friendly collections like the Staples Edition, covetable high-end sneaker designs, and more daring accessories and leather goods. The brand’s FW19 collection showed off Abloh and his team’s ability to mix elevated tailoring with logo-heavy gear ready for today’s shoppers and create goods driven by elegant design rather than the hype cycle. With LVMH revenue soaring last year primarily thanks to the growth of LV and Dior, it’s clear that the hard work is already paying off. —Skylar Bergl
Dior Men
Reinvigorating a brand is hard to do, but Dior creative director Kim Jones makes it look pretty damn easy. The former Louis Vuitton-er has taken the reins and given Dior’s collections a new edge, turning them into must-see entertainment each time they hit the runway. Always known for incredibly sharp tailoring, Jones and his team have turned classic pieces and twisted them into something for modern shoppers. One look at the FW19 collection shows how clear the vision is: a lineup of minimal double-breasted coats, subdued animal prints, and built-in sashes and scarves. But Dior’s history of accessories is continuing just as strongly, with archival pieces like the Cannage-printed weekender bags coming back.
Don’t forget sneakers, either—Jones’ long history is on display with loudly printed high-tops that have been seen on the feet of just about every influencer out there. Dior even got the opportunity to design tour outfits for Korean boy band BTS—with ambassadors like that, you can see how it’s cementing its spot among the most prominent brands out there today. —Skylar Bergl
Needles
Needles, which was founded in 1988 by Keizo Shimizu, is a familiar line for menswear insiders who follow Japanese brands—it sits under the Japanese retailer Nepenthes, which also runs Engineered Garments and SOUTH2 WEST8. For a while, Engineered Garments was the hero brand, but as influencers and celebrities including ASAP Rocky and Luka Sabbat started wearing its polyester track pants with a butterfly emblem around late 2016, more people took notice of the collection, which is also known for its ribbon flannels. The popularity of the track suit has led to more stockists, including Mr Porter and Matches, a new Nepenthes store in London that opened this year, and more collaborations, including a capsule with ASAP Rocky’s AWGE, but Shimizu hasn’t veered from his original vision for Needles. He’s doubled down on its playful designs inspired by Western, military, and Americana styles. The spring 2019 collection, for example, features a paint-splattered chore coat and canvas sneakers, a paisley print jacket, and a tie-dye hoodie.
Needles is on the list because it’s hot, but also because it’s a case study in how to handle having a best-selling product without oversaturating the market. Yes, they’ve capitalized on the style, making a poly jacquard printed track pant or updating it in mesh and velvet, but the modifications make sense, the collaborations are authentic, and the product is good. It’s a formula that’s simple but hard to come by in 2019. —Aria Hughes
Balenciaga
Oftentimes it seems like Demna Gvasalia, the Vetements founder who joined Balenciaga as artistic director in 2015, is trolling us. Items like the clunky Triple S sneaker constructed with three different soles and a cartoonish seven-layered coat made headlines for their price points and absurdity, but also their ingenuity. Gvasalia is altering how we perceive product, and whether you find his designs foolish or not, they are selling. Earlier in 2019, Kering, which owns Balenciaga, reported that this year the brand is on track to surpass 1 billion euros in revenue for the first time. And to keep up with demand and growth, Balenciaga has launched jewelry and sunglasses, and revamped or opened new stores in Los Angeles, London, and Milan, all in the first half of the year.
Gvasalia’s first men’s collection for Balenciaga—which was previously helmed by Alexander Wang, who succeeded Nicolas Ghesquière—debuted in 2016 and paid homage to the luxury house’s founder Cristóbal Balenciaga. Since that, he’s maintained Cristóbal’s penchant for shape, but created his own aesthetic for Balenciaga’s men’s collections, which some could say is unprecedented for the house. He’s pushed design forward with interesting tailoring, but also incorporated product like baseball caps, logo T-shirts and World Food Programme hoodies that resonate with streetwear customers. Highlights from this year include a color block ripstop jacket with Balenciaga splayed across the chest, an oversize check car coat, and the Track sneaker, which was released late last year but has gained more interest in 2019 with new styles and colorways, including a version with an LED light placed in the heel. Not everyone is into Gvasalia’s ideas, but he has lots of them, and they translate into desirable product that influences the market. —Aria Hughes
Union
Union has been a purveyor of cool since it opened its doors in NYC in 1989. For years, it’s stayed ahead of the curve and offered obscure Japanese labels and up-and-coming brands, many of which you often couldn’t find at other retailers. The goal for the shop, as lived by its owner Chris Gibbs and his wife, Beth, Union’s co-owner and creative director, has always been just to buy “dope shit.” No politics, no nothing. If it was good, chances are Union had it.
Since launching their in-house label in November 2017, they’ve done nothing but build upon that mantra by producing a diverse mix of culturally relevant streetwear alongside cut-and-sew Japanese workwear-inspired capsule collections—and you have no choice but to appreciate just how dope their shit has been. That continues to spill over heavily into 2019, as they’ve already had a very deliberate collaboration with growing streetwear powerhouse AWAKE NY to commemorate Black History Month. But Gibbs and co. made sure to continue pushing for a mixture of storytelling graphics alongside unique silhouettes, which came to fruition with their two biggest drops of the year: Union’s vintage-inspired graphics collection concentrating on the convergence of music and film that dropped in February, followed by an extremely utilitarian cut-and-sew collection fit for a very stylish ’80s California beach gathering that features boxy chore coats, an old-school track jacket, and baseball pants inspired by a pair Gibbs found in one of his favorite vintage stores in Tokyo.
Needless to say, Union L.A. has become one of the most prominent in-house labels in the world—if not the most prominent—with collections that are no longer overshadowed by pieces they bring into the shop. Their incredible eye for discovering talented brands and carrying product that flies off the rack has trickled down to their own line. —Nick Grant
Dries Van Noten
Longtime Dries Van Noten fans might be annoyed by more people discovering the Belgian designer, who for the past 30-plus years has consistently produced beautifully designed collections with eclectic prints and vivid color palettes. In fashion circles, most are very familiar with Van Noten’s work—both Kanye West and ASAP Rocky have worn it—but because he doesn’t produce logo T-shirts or play the celebrity seeding game, the designer, who recently sold a majority stake in his company to the Puig Group, hasn’t become a household name. But for his spring 2019 men’s collection, he presented shorts, jackets, and shirts covered in a multicolored wave print by the late Danish artist Verner Panton that’s been embraced by celebrities ranging from Beyoncé to Swae Lee of Rae Sremmurd to Thom Yorke of Radiohead. It’s a print that feels nostalgic but fresh at the same time, pops on Instagram, and shows the range of Van Noten’s collections—Opening Ceremony, for example, which typically caters to younger shoppers who don’t buy Dries, hosted a pop-up for the line at its Los Angeles shop. He followed this up with a fall 2019 assortment that isn’t as bright, but also features a distinctive print, tie-dye, that’s trending at the moment. Van Noten’s take is less DIY and more sophisticated, with cool placements on coats, suits, and trousers. We’re hopeful that Dries will continue to operate and design as he did pre-acquisition, but more people knowing something we already knew doesn’t hurt. —Aria Hughes
Prada
Nineties nostalgia hit a fever pitch last year but hasn’t cooled off as much as we might have expected this year. That’s left Prada at the epicenter of the aesthetic. The Linea Rossa revival is going strong, and a new dose of Prada’s near-irony reared its head when the brand’s padded nylon winter hats hit stores early in the year. Frank Ocean even stole headlines when he showed up at the Met Gala wearing a pullover anorak of the same swishy black material. Not to be outdone, ASAP Rocky commissioned the brand for custom tour gear, complete with flame-filled shirting. It seems that when you start riding the Prada wave, there’s no bailing early—just ask Jeff Goldblum. Prada’s penchant for the offbeat still resonates. They’ve turned rubbery tech sandals and puffy sneakers into new core items and applied tech-y paneling to old staples like loafers and boat shoes, all with great success. The year might be 2019, but the ’90s are alive and well for Prada. —Skylar Bergl
Fear of God
When you think about luxury streetwear, chances are Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God is one of the brands that pops into your mind. In 2013, Lorenzo began providing his signature boxy T-shirts and perfectly tapered denim to the masses, and six years later he shows no signs of letting up.
Lorenzo’s Nike Air Fear of God collection that debuted in late 2018 continued this year, highlighted by more colorways of his original performance basketball model, the Air Fear of God 1. Two new models were also introduced, the ’90s-inspired Raid and Moc, along with sportswear pieces like fleece tearaway pants and mesh tops spun to match Lorenzo’s signature aesthetic. In addition to his popular Nike lineup, the Los Angeles-based designer is expanding FOG’s footwear as well. The brand’s online store currently boasts dressier options like Chelsea boots and suede moccasins alongside skate-inspired looks like the 101 Bone and 101 Backless, which take some design cues from classic Vans models.
Looking elsewhere, the 42-year-old designer has also kept fans happy with consistent offerings from his Essentials diffusion line. The product has remained true to Lorenzo’s established uniform, with pieces like distressed work jackets, bombers with large back branding, and pants with long-hanging drawstrings.
Perhaps the most impressive part of the brand’s status is its consistency. Lorenzo has never been one to change with the trends or collaborate with everyone to get people’s attention. Simply put, Fear of God exemplifies what luxury is right now. Don’t expect his shine to fade. —Mike DeStefano
Pyer Moss
In 2018, Kerby Jean-Raymond was pretty damn busy. In addition to winning the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award—a cash prize for emerging American designers—he collaborated with FUBU and Reebok, all while presenting awe-inspiring collections that grapple with everyday life for black men and women. He grabbed everyone’s attention with T-shirts featuring “Stop Calling 911 on the Culture” and “See Us Now?” messaging. And for Jean-Raymond, 2019 has been even busier.
He continued to shed light on the African-American experience with the launch of "Collection 2"—the second installment of his "American, Also" campaign—which utilizes boxy shoulders, full-bodied, silky silhouettes, and artwork commissioned from Baltimore-born painter Derrick Adams. He grew his partnership with Reebok within that collection with color-blocked sportswear that continued to build the brand’s relevance as he showed their collaborative prowess. And he graduated from CFDA Vogue Fashion Fund to CFDA Menswear Designer of the Year nominee, even being recognized by the Pratt Institute of Fashion with the Visionary Award, which was presented to him by the venerable Dapper Dan. Oh, and I guess he was also an honored guest at the Met Gala, dressing the likes of Colin Kaepernick and Lena Waithe—he and Waithe wore zootsuits with pinstripes that were actually song lyrics from black artists who helped define camp, the theme for the evening, and buttons made to look like rappers including JAY-Z, Nas, 2Pac, and Nipsey Hussle.
There’s obviously a reason why Raymond and Pyer Moss continue to be recognized by the world of fashion. The label not only produces garments people want to wear, it has a succinct and powerful message that comes through in whatever Raymond does. Let’s hope there are more opportunities for him to present that message and his clothes in the second half of 2019. —Nick Grant
1017 Alyx 9SM
For 1017 Alyx 9SM, form really does meet function. Last year, it was nylon chest rigs. This year, the selection of hiking boots and an incredibly bonkers camo-printed fleece have stolen the show for the Milan-based label. The rising profile of designer Matthew M. Williams has helped add more names to the brand’s long list of collaborators—from ongoing partnerships with Nike and Mackintosh to fresh ones with Japanese leather specialists Blackmeans and Italian technical gear gurus Majocchi. Moncler also tapped the brand for its ongoing Genius series, marrying the outerwear expertise of the two labels for a matte-black-filled collection. Meanwhile, Alyx’s signature rollercoaster buckle continues to ride a wave of popularity, moving from hardware to wristwear—showing that the devil really is in the details.—Skylar Bergl
John Elliott
John Elliott’s spring 2019 collection was designed as a love letter to Los Angeles. Pieces with bougainvillea flower prints tapped into the natural beauty of the city’s iconic red flora, while bowling shirts stained with gasoline and multicolored tank tops inspired by fruit stands sought to highlight the working-class communities that make up the foundation of L.A. And his fall 2019 collection feels even more personal and experimental. It’s centered on the theme of deconstructing the Northern California homes that Elliott’s grandparents—and the brand’s new womenswear designer Cara Campagnoli—grew up in. Colorful wallpaper found inside Elliott’s family’s house was printed on cozy white fleeces. Knitted rugs were transformed into loosely draped ponchos. Fabrics that resembled the look of sheep’s wool home insulation turned bombers into pieces that evoked the chaos of a Jackson Pollock painting. At first, an unprecedented collaboration with the construction company CAT seemed like a bizarre move. Yet, with a collection that looks to be built off a home that was torn down piece by piece, functional utility jackets seem like a necessity. Although Elliott is 14 seasons in, it feels like he’s just now comfortable enough to start really telling his story. And as he evolves, so does his business. This year he opened a store in Los Angeles, continued his footwear collaboration with LeBron James, and filled the Saturday night New York Fashion Week slot usually occupied by Alexander Wang. Elliott is just getting started. —Lei Takanashi
Rhude
Ever since Rhude broke out seven years ago with a paisley bandanna shirt, the Los Angeles streetwear brand has continued to embrace Americana in unconventional ways. Simply making a pair of leather motorcycle pants isn’t quite enough for a designer like Rhuigi Villaseñor, who is only 27. Standout pieces from the spring collection, like nylon motorcycle pants and flight jackets inspired by packs of Marlboro reds, look like garments James Dean would have worn if Rebel Without a Cause were filmed today—Villaseñor is making modern-day classics that rappers, actors, and athletes can’t get enough of. And while his graphics look cool—sexualized logo flips of drug companies like Bayer and Pfizer are standouts—they also offer subtle commentary on the oftentimes problematic pharmaceutical industry.
The brand also entered the footwear and accessories game this year with the introduction of their punk-inspired V1 sneakers, an upcoming collaboration with Vans, and a sunglasses capsule with Thierry Lasry. With their first show in Paris coming up this month and Villaseñor’s move into womenswear, it may be a good idea to cop a pair of Traxedos so you’re not caught lacking when the brand really blows up. —Lei Takanashi
Kith
Ronnie Fieg finished off 2018 strong with one of Kith’s best projects to date, an expansive collection with ’90s icon Tommy Hilfiger, which he re-upped with another collection this year. Six months in, 2019 has proven to be more of the same for Fieg, as he continues to bolster his resume and check collaborators off of his bucket list.
Part of what makes Kith so great is its ability to move between so many worlds and earn the trust of heritage brands such as Russell Athletic and Converse, which it added to its impressive roster of collaborators this year. The brand is a way for Fieg to project his vast interests to the world, and more often than not his consumers are intrigued by his pursuits. One week he could be channeling the fondest memories from his childhood through a capsule inspired by the undisputed greatest cereal on the planet, Cinnamon Toast Crunch. The next he is pushing Kith’s influence further into the luxury space with one of the the brand’s biggest collabs to date, an extensive line with Versace that even featured Bella Hadid in its campaign.
The rollout of the Versace collab also showcased Fieg’s knack for storytelling as he partnered with some of his favorite brands, like Sadelle’s, Cha Cha Matcha, and Dean & DeLuca, to redesign special items that were available the week leading up to the release. It isn’t simply about the products with Kith. It’s about the customer’s experiences, which are considered with a close attention to detail.
There’s really no way to predict what Fieg will decide to channel next. Aside from the collabs, Kith’s in-house line of cozy staples and denim have improved with each collection. And the brand will only continue to expand its reach. Case in point, the New York-based streetwear imprint went international for the first time in 2019 by opening an outpost at Selfridges in London. It’s probably a safe bet that this is only the beginning of Fieg’s worldwide plans, too.—Mike DeStefano