In 2014, James Bogart bought his first T-shirt from the cult US streetwear brand Supreme. In the six years since, he has acquired every single retail-released tee sporting the label’s iconic box logo — a collection now expected to sell for around $2 million.
Bogart’s collection, which is considered the first complete archive of Supreme tees to ever exist, contains many items that are impossible to find, even in the secondary market, said Christie’s in a press release.
The Box Logo Collection contains 253 shirts spanning Supreme’s entire brand history. Credit: Christie’s
“From that point on, my interest grew into an obsession, and (I) started adding to my collection as often as I could, always looking for the best condition examples I could find… A lot of people don’t think about the non-stop weeks, months, and even years of research and work that it can take to find just one tee.”
The 1999 Supreme x WTAPS box logo t-shirt, one of the label’s rarest items. Credit: Christie’s
Supreme started as a humble Lower Manhattan skate store, opened by British-American entrepreneur James Jebbia in 1994. It has since grown into one of the most sought-after brands in fashion, boasting collaborations with the likes of Louis Vuitton, Lacoste, Nike and Timberland.
Supreme has famously perfected a sales tactic known as the “drop” — releasing a limited quantity of new clothes on a weekly basis, rather than an entire new collection every season. The strategy, now widely replicated by traditional fashion brands, prompted long lines at stores and fueled online resale marketplaces where prices skyrocketed.
A skateboard collaboration between Supreme and Louis Vuitton. Credit: Christie’s
Source: CNN | News Colony
