Who founded Supreme in New York City in 1994?

James Jebbia founded Supreme in New York City in 1994.

The first Supreme store opened on Lafayette Street in Manhattan. Its layout was designed around skateboarders: clothing racks were placed around the edges, leaving an open central area where customers could move with skateboards.

Supreme grew from a skate shop into a global streetwear label through limited releases, collaborations, and strong ties to skateboarding, music, and contemporary art. Its weekly “drops” helped popularize scarcity-driven retail in fashion.

Jebbia had previously worked with influential retailers including Parachute and Union. Supreme’s later expansion included stores in cities such as London, Paris, Los Angeles, and Tokyo. A common mix-up is confusing Supreme’s founder with its many celebrity collaborators; the brand’s identity was established by Jebbia before those partnerships became central to its reputation.