Streetwear

Book excerpt: The definitive history of the world’s most influential fashion trend from the people who wore it best The story begins in 1972 in Jersey City, the birthplace of Trash and Vaudeville, the first- ever streetwear shop; it then moves on to the start of punk, which was a decisive influence on what is considered “streetwear” today. From the dresser/casual movement born out of British soccer culture to the skater scene of California, from the paninari poseurs of Milan to the surfer dudes of Hawaii, the authors show how streetwear has permeated a vast range of seemingly disparate tribes. Streetwear recounts the remarkable history of how subcultural fashion trends have grown into a multi-billion-dollar global industry taking both high-end and fast fashion by storm. The intent behind streetwear remains the same: a powerful sense of identity and belonging. With more than 500 photographs and illustrations, exclusive interviews, profiles of industry pioneers, spotlights on significant brands, and snapshots of key cities, this is the complete history of fashion’s fastest- growing and most influential trend.