"On The Edge: Stüssy World" DNR 03/09/1992

The name Stüssy and its linking S logo have become an enigma, but one that many companies envy. From the boardwalks of California to the clubs of New York, London and Japan to the backs of rap, hip-hop and heavy metal bands, Stüssy is it.

Writer: Alexandra Nelson

Irvine, Calif. — Stories and opinions about designer Shawn Stüssy are rampant. "Egoist... reckless... irresponsible... shipping what he wants when he wants, regardless of the order... having a panache for badmouthing the rest of the industry," are just some of them. When he didn't show up for Fast Forward's scheduled appointment, this interviewer began to believe what she'd heard. Hanging around the Stüssy booth at the San Diego Action Sports Retailer show for an hour or so, graciously being entertained by Frank Sinatra - no, not who you're thinking, this Sinatra happens to be the firm's vice president - we were given some background on the company, while Sinatra shrugged his shoulders a lot, saying this happens all the time. "Shawn isn't one to be disciplined. He probably forgot because interviews aren't a priority to him," he confesses. "If you're upset, tell him; he'll never learn any other way."

When Stüssy did show up two hours later, a reprimand seemed like it would've been out of order. There's something so innocent and childlike about Shawn Stüssy, particularly when he's apologizing profusely. His excuse? "I was hanging out in the room with a friend" he says, "and lost track of the time." How honest can you get?

On the lips of many eight-to-18-year-olds (and older), Stüssy is a household name. But not too long ago he was just a "regular guy" surfer catching the waves in Orange County. He shaped surfboards for a living and in 1982 began to make some T-shirts and shorts for himself and friends. He began to sell his apparel along with the boards to the different surf shops along the coast, and was thereby dubbed a surfwear manufacturer. "I am a surfer who makes clothes, but they're not, nor have they ever been, surf clothes," says Stüssy. "Just because I sold to surf shops and my first trade show was ASR, people have labeled me. It's not like Gotcha, Quiksilver or Billabong, where they make neon stuff with logos; my stuff has never been like that," he asserts. Stüssy now does over $25 million a year in business.

If Stüssy sounds a little uppity about being labeled a surfwear manufacturer, this is nothing compared with the frustration he feels about his claims of being knocked off all the time. After all, the popular "hip-hop street fashion" that is ultra-hot today is similar to, if not directly taken from, what Stüssy has been about from the beginning, before they had those terms. Why not just call the whole movement Stüssy-wear?

"We move on, always trying to be something new and different. Now I come to the ASR show and there are all these new companies like Jive, Clobber, etc., that are supposedly the fresh breath of the marketplace. I see what they're doing and it could all be Stüssy from two years ago," he says. "I don't mean it like we're bitching... but more like, 'Whoa, what the hell is going on here?’"Stüssy is obviously more shocked than flattered.

He says he isn't looking to set all the trends and to be the leader of the pack, but that he wants to get credit for his hard work and not have to be continually looking over his shoulder. "I don't want to be the number-one guy. I'd rather be two or three and hang out and do this for 20 years," he explains. "I guess it catches me off guard, like we're a genre. I think it's safe to say that without sounding pompous.

"With this clothing thing, we're not reinventing the wheel," asserts Stüssy. "I am always the first to admit that I don't know what the hell I'm doing, there is no science to it. My approach to design has always been: Okay, what's been done is spoken for, so what's left?"

The designer says that there isn't any one particular area that he gets his ideas from, but from just living life consciously. "The key for me is to expose myself to a variety of new places and experiences and always keep my eyes open."

Of all possible influences, music, Stüssy does admit, plays the most integral role in shaping his design direction. Although not loyal to one particular style, he says that it is his love of all kinds of music, from all over the world, that keeps his designs fresh and alive. He freely admits to being sheltered from the mainstream music scene. "I have these four friends who are world-class music technicians, deejays who constantly send me tapes of the newest bands and songs," he says. "I was sent tapes of groups like Jungle Brothers and Tribe Called Quest six months before the most progressive radio stations were playing them."

The last music he bought was Brand Nubians. "They're these hip-hop kids from New York, but a completely different school than other groups," he explains. "Most people don't realize this and just lump all rap and hip-hop into the same category and they're not the same. They've splintered off into many fabulous fingers that are so different and unique."

Stüssy clearly feels compassion for other artists that are miscast and probably misunderstood. It's his compassion for fellow artists who remain true to their vision and his passion for knowledge that make Stüssy so complex, yet at the same time so naïve. Stüssy likens his designing to the method of sampling music in that it has all been done before in one way or another and the trick is to look at the different eras and appreciate them, but not get caught up in one at the expense of the others.

"I think that all genres have something unique to offer," says Stüssy. "I think that some of the neatest stuff that I'm doing is '40s-inspired things that I got ideas for from my antique clothing collection. I think that there's nothing wrong with learning from our history, it's a 'hats off, or acknowledgment, of things gone by."

Stüssy is notorious for never having paid any heed to the traditional shipping calendar that most manufacturers live and die by. He brushes this declaration off, saying that when he started out he didn't have the money to buy fabric in advance and so he knew that this arrangement wasn't going to work for him. "I always felt like my rap was, 'The quicker to season I can change, the quicker I can get it into the stores," says Stüssy. "This way it will always be a thing of the moment, not something done by a design team six months in advance," he says. "I didn't ever consciously set out to buck the system, it was more like, 'Hey, this is the only way that I can do things and this is how it has got to be."

Of all the retailers, Nordstrom, eight years ago, was willing to take a chance on Stüssy, irreverent shipping schedule and all. "Nordstrom had this buyer, Nicky, that sought us out and took a gamble on us. She rolled the dice when nobody else would," says Stüssy. "They really supported our way of doing business, and checked us into one of their key stores and the rest is history. Now our so-called rebellious way of doing business is the industry norm. We've just always worked by our own terms."

Stüssy's newest drive is to open more Stüssy boutiques. In classic Stüssy style, he opened up his first Stüssy store (with retailers James Jabbia and Mary Ann Fusco) in New York last Nov. 22, with no advertising, no sign until opening day and no party. When Giorgio Armani opened his first A/X Armani Exchange store down the block, the Italian designer reportedly stopped in Stüssy and shopped.

When asked what he thought of that, Stüssy says, "I don't know. He's one mack-daddy guy. I have a lot of respect for him as a designer. He's done things his own way." But, after he ponders his answer, he adds, "I guess it's flattering, but, to tell you the truth, I really haven't given it a lot of thought."

Photographer Bruce Weber; who happened upon the store by accident, has also become a big customer. In addition to famous designers and photographers, Stüssy is known to appeal to the rocker crowd. Asked about how he views this following, Stüssy is, not surprisingly, strongly opinionated. "A lot of different band members wear Stüssy because they identify with it. They seek it out and pay for it. We never give our product out for free," he adds pointedly. 

Bands like B.A.D. (Big Audio Dynamite), Jesus Jones and EMF are reputed to dress in head-to-toe Stüssy. "Some of the members of the bands have become friends of mine, so they come to the warehouse now and pick out some stuff for cheap, but we don't give it away or seek people out to wear it," he insists. Stüssy adamantly opposes product placement for his merchandise and looks down on those who do opt for what he considers chintzy business tactics.

As for all those less-than-desirables walking around sporting the Stüssy logo, there isn't a lot Stüssy can do but have a sense of humor about it. "Sure, sometimes people wear it publicly that you'd rather not be associated with, like Vanilla Ice, for instance," Stüssy says, laughing. So what's the solution? "I’d like to buy it back for double, but what can I do, he paid for it," says Stüssy jokingly, "I think."

The latest project for the busy designer is his second Stüssy boutique in Laguna, Calif., which opened last week. Like the New York store, there was no party or promotion, just an open door and plenty of new Stüssy merchandise. The venue is a modest 200-square-foot 1920s bungalow.

When asked to pick one individual in the entire world who would best complement the Stüssy image as a customer, Stüssy picks Dan Quayle and laughs, then turns serious and says, Jack Nicholson. "He's never been the number one in Hollywood and never wanted to be," says Stüssy. "I admire that. He stayed true to himself and wrote his own rules to the game. What more could you ask for?"