Tenzin Tsering

• Polo Ralph Lauren

Starting with the cult-like devotion to the label in the ’90s, Polo and it’s Lo Head disciples brought Ralph Lauren’s luxury onto the streets, making it not just a signifier of affluence and wealth, but also an early predecessor to the combination of high fashion and streetwear that is impossible not to see today. As Kanye West’s infamous “IT AIN’T RALPH THO” rang out across the country via Sway’s morning show, it reminded us all that Lauren’s signature ability lies in creating not just a line, but a lifestyle of products. Best streetwear brand out there no one is on their level.

• Stussy

While Supreme has taken the mantle as the biggest and most notorious American streetwear brand, it wouldn’t have anything without the innovation and foresight of Shawn Stussy. As ’90s contemporaries like Mossimo came and went, Stussy stayed the course, with the brand’s earlier days focusing on keeping tight control on product—utilizing a retail mentality that’s akin to Supreme’s current model. As the brand grew slowly over the decades, it became arguably thedefinition of what a streetwear brand can become—while still maintaining its roots. Now with smartly positioned collaborations with shops like Très Bien and Dover Street Market, the once cult streetwear brand has broadened its appeal to some of high fashion’s biggest retailers. Stussy’s been had streetwear, well before it was ever an industry. Don’t expect that to change any time soon.

•  Kith

Ronnie Fieg has been cautious with how he’s built Kith. Focusing on collaborations tying in then-under-utilized brands like Asics and New Balance, he’s crafted a retail empire that’s extended beyond (but remained loyal) the sneaker-centric crowds of Kith’s earliest adopters. With his revamped SoHo location nearing its first birthday, a brand new Brooklyn shopfront, and a Los Angeles shopfront opening at the top of 2015, Fieg and company are “all systems go” when it comes to expanding the Kith name. He’s even brought the brand direct to a global audience vis-a-vis his “Sakura Project” in Japan. Selling coveted labels like Helmut Lang, Off-White, and Norse Projects in his stores, collaborating with the New York Yankees.

•  Supreme

There’s a lot of brands that, if not included here, would cause a public outcry perhaps there’s an omission here that’s inspired that vitriol regardless. But not having Supreme on a list of the greatest American streetwear brands? That would be a travesty.

It’s not the originator of the style, but when you’re trying to define what a streetwear brand is and what it could be , NYC’s Supreme is the template. The brand makes sellout collections season after season, each with new ideas or reworked concepts that pay homage to everything from politics to high and low art. Outside of Nike and Jordan, it’s a brand that’s almost single-handedly created and fostered the online reselling culture that’s so pervasive today.

As streetwear has infiltrated more layers of the fashion industry, the box logo is bigger than ever before…and it’s only getting bigger. That’s not even mentioning the number of lines and labels that have spun off from those who have been apart of the Supreme machine since its start in 1994. Love them or hate them, Supreme’s here to stay get used to it.

• Stampd