This is Not Fashion: Streetwear Past, Present and Future

A journey through the original and unique culture of streetwear

This is the story of streetwear. Authors King ADZ and Wilma Stone recount how a long line of subcultural movements have taken over both the high street and high-end fashion, and explore just how a revolutionary sartorial trend has evolved to encompass a vast range of disparate tribes, offering a powerful sense of belonging and identity to all.

The story begins in 1972, in Jersey City, USA, with the birth of the first-ever streetwear shop, Trash and Vaudeville. The journey then encompasses punk, Ivy League preppies, the hip-hop kings and queens of Harlem, the dresser/casual movement born out of British football culture, the skater scene of California, the Paninari scooter-brats of Milan, and much more. We are shown how streetwear, worn with integrity and swagger, has transcended culture, race, gender and age to become a lasting worldwide phenomenon.

Whether focusing on major brands such as Stüssy, Carhartt, Tommy Hilfiger and SHUT or today’s up-and-comers from South African townships or downtown Seoul, this dynamic study surveys the scene. It also takes a look at how the Internet era has changed the ways streetwear is sold and consumed, and how the field may evolve in the future. Packed with profiles of industry pioneers, Q&As with key figures and over 300 illustrations, this is the complete history of fashion’s fastest-growing and most influential movement.

Contents List:

Foreword • Introduction • A Definition of Streetwear • Wardrobe Essentials • Year Dot • Punk • Preppy • Dresser/Casual • Hip-Hop • Club/Rave • Paniani • The Places • Stussy • Skate/Surfwear • Internet Era • The Future

About the Authors:

King ADZ is the author of nine books, published by Thames & Hudson, HarperCollins, and Vintage. All his books to date have been concerned with youth-culture, sub-culture and street art. He has been creative consultant for numerous global brands including Adidas, Vice, Levis, Diesel, Smirnoff and Guinness. His feature documentary, The Iconoclast, profiling the notorious international art smuggler, Michel Van Rijn, premiered at the DOC NYC festival in 2017.

Wilma Stone is a transdisciplinary artist whose work is primarily about crossing boundaries and resisting the status quo. She has worked in the art, film and fashion worlds for the past twenty years.