With only four days until what is arguably the most important presidential election in United States history, major cultural players across fashion, film, music, and art are stepping up to show their support for Hillary Clinton. The former Secretary of State brought out Pharrell Williams at a recent rally, and Beyoncé is expected to make an appearance alongside Jay Z at an event this weekend. Vogue announced its endorsement with a full-blown website takeover; Rihanna was more chill about it (duh), choosing to let her excellent t-shirt do the talking. Now, Clinton has officially earned the vote of New York’s finest: Supreme.
Earlier today, the brand posted a picture of skater Sage Elsesser holding an “I Voted” sticker, surrounded by fellow skaters Alex Olson, Jason Dill, and Tino Razo on its official Instagram. “This might be the most important decision of your life, make it count. Go Vote Tuesday, November 8th,” the post’s caption read, accompanied by the hashtags “#imwithher” and “#fucktrump.”
This is the first time Supreme has endorsed any presidential candidate in its 22 years on earth, and such a bold (and in our opinion, commendable) show of support is certainly uncharacteristic for the anti-establishment set. The significance of such an endorsement hasn’t been lost on Supreme’s die-hard fans and love-to-haters; the post’s comments section has exploded. Some users are engaged in critical debate about the serious issues our nation faces, others are expressing echos of the misogynistic, racist hate-speech that has become all too ubiquitous throughout this election cycle.
Though this is Supreme’s first official endorsement, it is certainly not the brand’s first time making a political statement. Recent collections have included images of John F. Kennedy and Malcolm X; one 2014 shirt recreated Rock the Vote’s iconic 90s graphic. And during the mid-2000s, the brand made a series of “Fuck Bush” red box logo stickers that have since become cult collector’s items.
Supreme’s ethos, like skateboarding’s, is simultaneously rooted in free-thinking individualism and the subversive power of a like-minded youth tribe — plus, a dash of playful anarchism (they make officially-licensed bricks and crowbars for christsakes). It is a little surprising that Clinton — a candidate who has consistently faced criticism about her corporate connections, her trustworthiness, and her campaign’s collusion with the Democratic National Committee — has earned Supreme’s public endorsement. But it’s pretty likely the brand believes, as many Americans do, Clinton is the lesser of two evils, and that electing her opponent will result in beyond-disastrous consequences.
Reading through the post’s countless and truly gnarly comments, many of Supreme’s fervent, mostly male, fans are pretty pissed. Some have expressed disappointment that a brand that prides itself on its punk ethos is getting in Clinton’s corner; others say business people should keep their opinions to themselves, and that they won’t ever shop at the Lafayette outpost again. It’s not like Supreme would ever respond to these comments, but if it did, it’d probably say what it often does: “fuck you, we do what we want.” Supreme has become a global youth force precisely by engaging with the world around it, and always staying true to itself. And while it’s unlikely Supreme gives any sort of a fuck what people think or feel about its support for Clinton, we’re very happy the brand chose to make its voice heard.
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Text Emily Manning