So it turns out that the world of streetwear, despite hitting the mainstream in recent years, is still a pretty toxic, male-dominated place. But according to a recent Hypebeast piece, those in the community need to drop the sexism if they want it to survive.
As unwittingly explicated by the comment section below the story (dive into those fetid waters at your own discretion), streetwear has a real problem when it comes to the way it treats women, and the way it reacts to women who call out that treatment. And while women have always been there for streetwear, streetwear has rarely been there for them.
“There are certain stores in New York that have staffed a whole group of predatory men who many of my friends have been assaulted by,” Married to the Mob founder and president, Leah McSweeney, told Hypebeast. (The story also notes that McSweeney herself was sued by Supreme for $10 million for re-appropriating their appropriated logo, because irony or some shit.)
Unfortunately (but predictably), she wasn’t the only one with a recollection like that. And while some women have managed to break through, few have really gotten the credit they deserve, like Mary Ann Fusco, who was as influential in Supreme’s early days as James Jebbia was.
“Whether because of the patriarchal structure that dominates media and the outside spectators or the internal structure of the movement — but most likely both — the women who did have a role in the early days of streetwear have been excluded from the historical narrative.”
And in the process, they’ve been marginalized in a community that is supposed to be the most democratic of the fashion world.
But as the story rightly notes, that M.O. doesn’t hold up to public scrutiny anymore. “If streetwear can once again capture that nonconformity, this time using its position of privilege to promote inclusivity, ‘the culture’ will continue to thrive.”
(I hope this distracted you from the is-this-real-life? firing of The Secretary of State via a tweet. A TWEET!?!?!)
You can read more about it at Hypebeast.
