10 Stussy Grails

Since its conception in 1980, Stussy has amassed a wide range of apparel and accessories, where noteworthy projects from the International Stussy Tribe “Homeboy” Varsity Jacket of ’87 to its first-ever collaboration with Nike (the Stussy x Nike Air Huarache LE of ‘00) have expanded its surf roots to encompass facets of skate, sneaker and hip-hop culture, among others. Traditionally, Stussy collaborations have always marked something special, where other brands bring their own unique twist to traditional Stussy silhouettes and iconography in celebration of an event. Following this model, 2015 instituted a host of special Stussy dates this year, including the brand’s 35th anniversary, Stussy Daikanyama’s 1st anniversary and Stussy New York’s 25th anniversary, and with it came a slew of notable collaborations. In honor of these milestones, we highlight 10 rare or iconic items and collaborations produced by Shawn Stussy‘s hallmark label to whet your palette for the Orange County-born skate and surf brand. View our selection below and let us know what items we’ve missed in the comments section.

For further reading, head to our illustrated editorial on 10 mythical items from Supreme.

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1. International Stussy Tribe Varsity Jacket

The International Stussy Tribe Varsity Jacket was an exclusive piece given to Stussy Tribe members, which included the likes of Hiroshi Fujiwara, Alex Turnbull and Jules “DJ Jules” Gayton. Detailed with personalized names of each Tribe member, the jacket has seen multiple iterations since its debut in 1990. A noteworthy revival came in 2012 with the International Stussy Tribe capsule collection that produced custom jackets for 40 members including Pigalle’s Stephane Ashpool, A$AP Rocky and Brent Rollins. Pictured above is the original 1990 version.

2. UNDFTD x fragment design x Alpha Industries x Stussy 35th Anniversary MA-1 Bomber Jacket

While Alpha Industries MA-1 bomber jacket collabs are nothing new to Stussy, this limited release is the rarest of them yet. This olive green satin bomber is covered in different patches contributed by each of the collaborating brands, from a SUICIDAL to fragment design and Undefeated. Later versions include the customized Stussy x Alpha Industries MA-1 military jacket from 2006 with more patches from friends and family including Supreme, Hiroshi Fujiwara, Undefeated, James Reid, and Slam Jam‘s Luca Benini. Purchase pre-owned versions of the limited edition 35th anniversary bomber off sites like eBay.

3. Stussy Canada Hand-Knit Cowichan Sweaters by Raif Adelberg

For the 2011 holiday season, Stussy Canada dropped a special sweater collection designed by Stussy’s own Raif Adelberg that was an exclusive release for our neighbors up North. Raf made the 100% wool cowichan sweaters by hand from deadstock knit jumpers, where skulls and thunderbolts were knitted with Canadian iconography like bears, wolves and First Nations thunderbird-like imagery. The range dropped on December 3, 2011 in limited quantities at Stussy Vancouver and Stussy Toronto. View the full collection of sweaters as well as Stussy Tribe’s interview with Adelberg where he discusses how the inspiration for the designs came from the raw beauty of Vancouver and Bowen Island, British Columbia.

4. Supreme x Stussy 30th Anniversary T-shirt

Friends and family came together to contribute their own special Stussy collabs in one of the brand’s most celebrated anniversaries to date. The label’s 30th anniversary arrived in 2010 with a bang with the delivery of the second drop of its XXX T-shirts in collaboration with Bounty Hunter, Claw Money, Hideout, NEIGHBORHOOD, PAM and Slam Jam. Each put forth their own tee designs that interpreted iconic Stussy’s logos and text in each respective brand’s own unique way. Supreme’s 30th anniversary tee with its simple “SKATE TOUGH” graphic on the back is easily the rarest of the bunch, considering its affiliation with two groundbreaking American streetwear brands. Also check out Stussy’s 30th anniversary “I.S.T.” T-shirt from the XXX series.

5. Ransom x Stussy Canada 30th Anniversary ”FREE WAYNE” T-shirt

In March 2010, Lil Wayne was sentenced to an eight-month jail term for possession of a loaded gun on his tour bus back in 2007. In response, Stussy partnered with rapper Ransom for a “FREE WAYNE” tee as part of its collaborative 30th anniversary XXX series. The shirt was exclusively given away to friends and family (including fellow Young Money compatriot Drake) during special events at Vancouver’s Fortune Sound Club and Toronto’s Savoy. Canadians love an excuse to party, even when American rappers go to jail. This T-shirt never had a public release.

6. Stussy x Nike Huarache Light

Stussy and Nike teamed up once again in 2003 for a limited release of two Huarache Lights (in orange and green colorways) that were only gifted to friends and family. Additionally, only a handful of these sneakers had the “Stussy” logo stitched on the sides; this version is often considered the Holy Grail of rare Stussy sneakers out there. Another highly coveted sneaker is the Stussy x Nike Dunk High, which dropped in 2001 in Maple and Black colorways that featured Swoosh logos in ostrich leather and snake skin.

7. Stussy x Mad Hectic x New Balance MT580

Buzz for American-born New Balance shoes caught on much quicker overseas than it did at home. In 2003, this triple threat Stussy x Mad Hectic x New Balance MT580 launched with a Japan-only release as the silhouette wasn’t popular in the U.S. quite yet. Mad Hectic and Stussy brought the runner a streetwear edge with the “Mad Stussy” branding on the heel.

8. Vintage Stussy Surfboards by Shawn Stussy

It’s no new news that Shawn Stussy’s eponymous label was born out of a love for surfing. Built upon California’s surf culture and an intrinsic bond to the sport, the brand launched in 1980 with a simple range of tees and shorts emboldened by strong graphics that were transferred from surfboards. But the story goes back to California in the ’70s, when Shawn was shaping surfboards at shops like Newport Beach’s Russell Surfboards  (Shawn was already shaping boards at the age of 13, having shaped his first one sometime between the 7th and 8th grade). His hand-shaped surfboards, marked by a simple “Stussy” signature, made their first public appearance at his little booth at the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo show in 1981 where he got his first purchase orders. While the boards were initially never made for sale, it was hard to ignore as orders piled up, leading Shawn to reluctantly give them away for around $8 USD each. Vintage boards from the ’70s and ’80s like the ones pictured above are hard to come by, and rightfully so, for they stand as a true hallmark of the brand’s roots. A good product will always speak for itself, and Shawn’s story stands as a true testament to that. Today, Shawn continues to hand-shape boards at S/Double Studio.

9. Medicom x Stussy “Peace and Prosperity” 6” Vinyl Figures

Stussy partnered with Medicom for a set of limited edition 6” figures dubbed “Peace and Prosperity,” or “P.A.P.” for short. Each of the three collectibles (available in white, gray and brown) were sold separately and in limited quantities. Good luck trying to find these floating around for sale online.

10. OriginalFake x Stussy San Francisco x PORTER x NEXUS VII ”Vanish Project”

Stussy San Francisco celebrated its 7th anniversary by launching the Vanish Project in summer 2008, which brought in a slew of high-profile names including PORTER, OriginalFake and NEXUSVII. Released exclusively at Stussy SF and NEXUSVII’s store in Japan and in limited quantities, each accessory took upon PORTER and NEXUSVII’s renowned bag and wallet silhouettes. Stussy dug into its archives for an original vintage fabric that was used to outfit the luggage, messenger bag, backpack, waist bag and bi-fold wallets. A key item is the Original Fake x PORTER x Stussy S.F. daypack, which featured OF’s original “X” pattern on it.