Stüssy

Shawn Stussy (born 1954) was a manufacturer of surfboards in California.^[1] The logo defining the brand started in the early 1980s, when he scrawled his surname on handcrafted boards with a simple broad-tipped marker.^[2][3] He then used the logo on T-shirts, shorts and caps which he sold out of his car around Laguna Beach, California.^[4][5] The signature was derived from his uncle, Jan Stussy's signature.^[6] A stylized "S" popular in the 1990s, called the "Cool S", is often mistakenly attributed to the brand.^[7]

In 1984, Stussy and his friend, Frank Sinatra Jr. (no relation to the singer of the same name),^[8] partnered to sell the apparel.^[9] The company expanded into Europe by 1988, opened a boutique in SoHo, Manhattan in New York and unveiled multiple locations throughout the 1990s.^[3] Revenues were as high as $17 million in 1991^[5] and $20 million in 1992.^[10][11] Stüssy was sold throughout the United States at both specialty and department stores alongside other high-priced "California lifestyle" clothing. Outside of the US, the brand was available in specialty shops alongside high-end international design clothing.^[12]

In 1996, Stussy resigned as president and Sinatra bought his share of the company holdings. As of 2017, the Sinatra family owns the brand.^[13][8] According to the company's website, DJ the apparel is available in branded stores and other retailers in Europe, Asia, the United States, Canada, and Australia.

The early success of the brand has been attributed to its popularity in the hip hop and skateboarding/surfer scenes. The brand was also embraced by the punk and other subcultures.^[4] In a New York Times interview in June 1992, Stussy said, "Everybody calls it surf wear, or urban streetwear graffiti, punk, or surf street... I don't name it, and I don't name it on purpose."^[10]