Tremaine Emory to step down as creative director

In February 2022, Tremaine Emory’s appointment was seen as a move by Supreme to remain true to its streetwear roots. Emory, a New York designer who grew up in Queens, had previously collaborated with Stüssy and launched his successful label Denim Tears. He was expected to bring a perspective in line with the original New York streetwear spirit of Supreme, alongside founder James Jebbia. This was a significant endorsement, especially since Supreme had been acquired by VF Corp for $2.1 billion in 2020.

However, after only a few seasons, the story seems to have come to an end, as reported by several American media outlets claiming that the designer has left the American label. VF Corp has not yet confirmed or commented on this rumor, but if true, it would be another negative indicator for Supreme.

While Emory signed a collaboration with Denim Tears, known as ‘Dior Tears’, for Dior Homme last winter, Supreme has been struggling for several seasons. Its model of collaborations and drops had been disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on production chains, and subsequent global logistics issues had disrupted its production schedule.

During the latest annual results, VF Corp’s management announced a write-down of Supreme’s value and acknowledged that the brand hadn’t achieved the expected performance.

The brand accounted for about 5% of the $11.8 billion generated by the group in 2022. The management intends to increase the brand’s weight to 6%, but more importantly, improve its profitability. According to management, Supreme’s growth had been hindered by difficulties in opening new stores. The VF management had announced in the spring its intention to move forward by opening stores in new markets, particularly in Asia.