Stüssy's Fraser Avey On The Brand's Soho Store And Why There's No Competition In Streetwear

After setting up shop in the basement of Dover Street Market at the beginning of this year, Stüssy has opened a permanent bricks-and-mortar store in Soho. It is the first since its original London residence closed its doors in 2009, and, naturally, it’s just around the corner from its much-hyped counterparts Supreme and Palace. No doubt the southern California label, which established a cult following of surfers and skaters shortly after its inception in the late ’80s, will enjoy the same lines of loyal fans, who queue for hours to pocket the latest drops.

“Honestly we're a little late to the party for that area,” Fraser Avey, global brand director, tells Vogue upon the launch of 115 Wardour Street. “But it took us several years to find the right space for Stüssy – our other shops have had 20-plus years in the same space so we didn't want to rush it.”

If you’re not familiar with the story of the brand, Stüssy is the brainchild of Shawn Stüssy, a surfer who began screen-printing T-shirts and shorts to sell alongside the surfboards he was shaping for friends in Laguna Beach almost four decades ago. The graffiti-style Stüssy logo that is splashed across the brand’s products today is the same one he scrawled onto his handmade wares in the ’80s and early ’90s.

“What Stüssy started in the ’80s really changed the game for men’s clothing,” Fraser comments. “Before that guys were buying workwear and white tees from Sears or Dickies. There wasn't street fashion. I think people still care about Stüssy because we never got greedy or stopped trying.”

Indeed, there have been ups and downs for the brand. Shawn resigned as president in 1996, which caused sales to fall, but the company retained his signature as the logo and its most valuable asset. The years that followed saw a new umbrella of creatives grow the international fanbase of musicians, skaters, DJs and artists that had become integral to Shawn’s subculture – and Stüssy continued to resonate.

“We've got a good circle of people around us who keep things moving,” Fraser notes. “And we've always supported young brands built by the people around us – it's part of what makes this industry interesting.” Streetwear, for Stüssy, has never been about keeping up with young rivals, but building a multifaceted community where fashion is focused on more than the designers within it. “If you make good stuff everyone helps you, there's no competition. If you're someone who doesn't get it and tries to make money ripping off the space, well that's different.”

He has some concerns about the “new designers with a lot of energy in the space" though. “I think the market is a little quick to give them attention now – it almost takes away the period where they can work and establish a brand.” On the flip side, Fraser argues, an emerging designer can make sales quicker and actually afford a business". But, it will take time for the bright young things to get a Soho outpost – or a “Chapter, as Stüssy prefers to call it.