For and Against is Highsnobiety's reoccurring series where editors debate the style world's issues of the day. In this installment, style editors Graeme Campbell, Max Grobe, and Noah Thomas sound off on some of the most hyped products of the last 10 years.
ALYX Rollercoaster belt
GC: I'm pretty sure ALYX was still a womenswear brand when hype around the Rollercoaster belt began bubbling up. Between it and the chest rig, it's easy to forget the role Matthew Williams has played when it comes to guys experimenting with more outré clothing. Without him, I wonder if funky accessories like the Louis Vuitton harness would have become a thing. (FOR)
MG: I still find the ALYX buckle to be kind of genius. The strongest and most enduring brands have always found a way to signal themselves without egregious logos. Similar to Tiffany & Co. and robin egg blue, or Christian Louboutin's red-bottomed heels, the silver buckle fastening — now found on caps, necklaces, and boots — is a perfect visual to tell people what ALYX label is about: sleek hardware, clean lines, utility, and sincerity. The humble inspiration from a rollercoaster ride at Six Flags makes it even better. (FOR)
NT: This was a nice change from the designer buckle belt that was the star of most outfits. The tucked in shirt to make sure we all saw what brand your belt was needed to end, and this rollercoaster belt helped make that happen. (FOR)
Balenciaga Triple S
GC: I remember thinking "WTF" when we were first sent these a few years ago. They looked so beat up that someone called up Balenciaga to check whether they had accidentally given us used samples by mistake. Turns out, that was exactly how they were supposed to look.
At the time, never in a million years did I think these would reach the mainstream. Now I don't bat an eyelid when I see someone walking down the street in a (usually fake) pair. Given that "ugly sneakers" are now the new normal — the Triple S being one of the driving forces behind that — it's easy to take for granted just how avant-garde the design actually is. I've never, and would never, wear them, but the impact they've had upon the wider fashion sphere never fails to amaze me. They're the reason you see FILA Disruptors on, like, every third person, and why your little sister wants those weird Alexander McQueen Stan Smiths with the monolithic midsole. (FOR)
MG: What a moment. The Balenciaga Triple S sums up so much of what this decade was pushing in terms of style: luxury, ugly, big, branded, ironic, and of course, maximalism — I mean, it’s a sneaker with three soles, hence the name.
The Triple S' exaggerated shape could be interpreted as a reference to the large silhouettes that were favored by the brand’s founder and namesake Cristóbal Balenciaga, but yes, this was very much a “let’s give the people what they want” type of release. (FOR)
NT: The Triple S was the icing on the cake for the dad sneaker trend. It was the first time someone really took it there. It is said to have been influenced by the wave runner, but Demna decided to give the people what they ultimately wanted, which is for sure the king of chunky sneaks. (FOR)
Off-White™ Jordan 1
GC: Before The Ten, Nike was kinda floundering on the sneakers collabs front. This didn't half put them back on the map. If you asked a group of millennials prior to this release whether they'd rather wear Nike or adidas, I bet they'd go with the latter. In 2020, it would be the former. (FOR)
MG: This and the rest of "The Ten" reflect what Abloh does best: adopting the aesthetics of street culture, idiosyncratic product design, and generating unprecedented levels of sustained hype. (FOR)
NT: This is STILL shaking the world. Since Pyrex, Virgil has been sprinting to the top, and a massive part of that was because of how impactful his Off-White™ Jordans were when they came out. It was the first time anyone had seen a Jordan so deconstructed, looking better than the originals. (FOR)
Balenciaga Baseball Cap
GC: "Hey guys, I'm a luxury consumer — but also an idiot!" Seriously, I can think of, like, 250,000,000 better ways to spend $250. (AGAINST)
MG: I kind of like how corny this is and how it riffs off Bernie Sanders' 2017 campaign — I am literally the idiot Graeme is quoting above who doesn't know how to spend money. (FOR)
While the Balenciaga cap is not a political endorsement in itself (Gvasalia and his team were simply looking for "corporate" typefaces), I think it's an accurate comment on the way politicians are now marketed in the same way brands and celebrities are. Case in point: Donald Glover being announced as Presidential candidate Andrew Yang's creative consultant. (FOR)
Supreme x Louis Vuitton Trunk
GC: This trunk is ghastly. It is tasteless. It is, quite literally, painful to look at. But it is also a piece of history that will probably end up in a museum someday. Serious question, though — do any of the rich kids who bought it still even like Supreme? (FOR)
MG: The Louis Vuitton x Supreme trunk feels like a bizarre meta art piece now, a kind of literal pandora's box that released some of the biggest evils of contemporary fashion — cash-grab collaborations, tactless design, and exorbitant pricing — into the world today. If I saw this in someone's bedroom I would expect bodies inside it. (AGAINST)
NT: Although I was personally not at all into this collection, the homage paid to Dapper Dan was more than important, and opened the floodgates for high-end brands and streetwear brands to collaborate properly and effectively. (FOR)
Prada Camp Shirts
GC: At this point, I feel the whole maximalist trend is a bit washed, especially when it comes to camp shirts. Loud (even ugly) design seems to have been trumped by gauzy materials and a more effeminate sensibility; think less Frankenstein's monster and more Snow White. Miuccia burst the dam on this front, though, taking shirting to freaky new heights. As the New Yorker boldly declared, this is not clothing, this is performance art. (FOR)
MG: This was probably one of Prada’s first big "hits" since the luxury streetwear aesthetic subsumed the mainstream. I remember earlier in the decade when editors used to describe Prada as lagging behind its millennial-friendly competitors, such as Gucci and Balenciaga, due to the lack of brash logos and reluctance to “pivot to internet."
As if to combat this, the half-and-half graphic shirt is almost made for the internet and Instagram, and although it doesn't really have a great shelf-life, I think it was a great product that re-surfaced a classic "ugly" Prada print from SS11. (FOR)
NT: Prada’s camp shirts became like Pokémon’s. You wanted to collect them all. The prints and fabrics have made these a street style must. (FOR)
Jacquemus Coin Holder
GC: In 20 years from now, when global economies crumble and we regress into a hunter-gatherer society, I will sit in my cave listlessly, roasting an emaciated squirrel over a small campfire, reminiscing about the time I once considered spending $258 on a tiny coin holder. (FOR)
MG: The tiny colorful coin purse brings to light what Jacquemus excels at: well-designed products with a playful sense of proportion. In general, there were lots of decent unisex bags being released towards the end of the decade, and I suppose this hyperbolically small coin purse sums up a new demand for non-traditional men's accessories. (FOR)
NT: Men have finally realized the undeniable practicality of carrying around a bag, and have then decided to have to run with this. Simon Jacquemus has made one of the hottest bags of the decade with his mini bag. Both men and women have swarmed to the sweet little accessory that comes in every color imaginable. (FOR)
Vetements Snoop Dogg Tee
GC: It's easy to shit on Vetements these days, but some of its earlier stuff was genuinely cool — the hoodies and jeans in particular. If I were to associate any silhouette with the last 10 years, it would definitely be Demna's oversized aesthetic. Paying $900 for this, though? Imagine how distraught you'd be after it ended up in Urban Outfitters. (FOR)
MG: I'm still laughing at the original price. I can't wait until we can all look back at Vetements for the social experiment it really was. (AGAINST)
NT: When this heavy cotton oversized Snoop tee was on racks for a $1,000, the internet went crazy. It was so hard for people to understand why and who would pay for such a thing. Since then, the prices of clothes in general have skyrocketed, and a $1,000 dollar tee is still nuts, but not as wild as it was back in 2016. Demna definitely made the first meme-friendly high fashion brand. (FOR)
YEEZY 350 V2s
GC: Stripped of hype and without any exclusivity, you realize these shoes are pretty flimsy and the colorways are rubbish. Crazy to think they were one of the most sought-after sneakers ever. Kanye can and has done so much better.
MG: Looks cozy, but wouldn't wear them myself. (AGAINST)
NT: I will never understand the appeal in this shoe, I’m sorry. (AGAINST)
Dries Van Noten x Vener Panton Shirt
GC: It's kinda hilarious that an item by Dries Van Noten — traditionally seen as the thinking man's designer — has made this list. Still, no one can deny that these Verner Panton shirts were a sensation in the summer, worn by everyone from Beyoncé to Swae Lee to one of the Jonas Brothers whose name I forget. Without veering into oral sodomy, this collection was honestly so good.
I'm kind of against art being transposed to clothing — it almost feels too obvious, telegraphed like a song in a Quentin Tarantino movie — but these prints just hit differently; like a cool, retro-inspired wallpaper you’d use to decorate your house, if wallpaper were still a thing. (FOR)
MG: I loved this collection and it strikes me as one of the better, more considered collaborations of the decade. I tried it on in brown/yellow and felt like a different person — like someone who buys art. And if you're copping a piece from Dries Van Noten, maybe you kind of are? (FOR)
Palace x Ralph Lauren Polo Bear Sweater
GC: Coolest skate brand of the last 10 years. By miles. Everything about this collab was great — from the David Sims-shot lookbook to the kickflipping Polo Bear on this sweater. (FOR)
MG: Why did this resonate so much better than the very comparable Louis Vuitton x Supreme collaboration? As Gregk Foley writes in his defense of the collaboration, it's because of how different the two brands are: "Ralph Lauren is rooted in notions of the American gentry: new money, country clubs, the Ivy League, and so on — a far cry from a London skate brand started by a bunch of guys living in a Waterloo squat."
Collaborations must offer something completely surprising to be valid, and Palace's cheeky British sense of humor mixing with the Ivy League haughtiness of Ralph Lauren was a perfect combo. (FOR)
NT: Palace working with Ralph Lauren was a collab no one saw coming. The execution was even better. It was the first time Polo has ever done something like this, and as strong and iconic as Ralph is, they have really been able to hold their own and continue to reinvent themselves, keep a very loyal following, and drop strong product. (FOR)
Givenchy Rottweiler Tee
GC: It seems crazy to think Riccardo Tisci was the hottest designer on the planet going into 2010. At the time, the Rottweiler print was seen as bad ass, worn by every celebrity around, kicking off luxury's obsession with graphics. That has not been a good thing. (AGAINST)
MG: Full credit to Riccardo Tisci for pushing raw and frightening graphics to the forefront of a luxury fashion house like Givenchy for the 2010s. However, I think this stuff is best left behind in this decade. As a side note, the iconic image of Sky Ferreira in this oversized tee is seared into my brain forever. (AGAINST)
NT: Riccardo is one of the first menswear designers to make high-end pieces that really spoke to the relevance of what was happening in menswear at that time. This shirt pretty much acts as a shift in the way men's fashion changed. (FOR)
Nigeria 2018 World Cup Football Shirt
GC: The stars aligned to make this the most perfect kit release of all time. Without the Nigeria shirt, you probably don't have the "bruised banana" revival or anything like that. It helped sportswear brands reconnect with young football fans. Clubs are now thinking outside the box when it comes to launching new shirts, whether that's through cool editorials, collaborations, or celebrity endorsements. I'm really intrigued to see where this all ends up. (FOR)
MG: As far as soccer kits go, I think it looks great. I don't know why it's a fashion item, but again, maybe it speaks to the meteoric rise and established legitimacy of sportswear. (FOR)
NT: When Nike first showcased the design for the last World Cup's Nigeria shirts, the world lost it. It became the kit to have, no matter where you are from or what country you’re rooting for. The design stands out so much, it’s still a coveted jersey to have. (FOR)
Needles Track Pants
GC: These are well past the point of saturation by now, but god, I doubt I'll ever find another pair of track pants that fit so nicely. The only sportswear that's acceptable to wear with loafers. (FOR)
MG: Sometimes it feels like millennials killed every industry except loungewear. The fact that track pants almost replaced jeans as the go-to pant option for 2010-2019 reflects a change in our attitudes towards work, leisure, and going to the gym. Namely, that you can now do all three one after the other without changing your outfit. This option from Needles was surely one of the best pairs of track pants out there. (FOR)
NT: Although track pants were popping off before Needles was on everyone's radar, Needles was the first to be known for high-end tracks, so no matter what brand comes after, they will have to bow down to Needles. (FOR)
Loewe Paula Sunglasses
GC: The type of sunglasses a person would wear, with a hint of naughty irony, while on drugs at an afterparty 10 years ago, are now the coolest shades around. What a time to be alive! I love the design, but hate how street style set these quickly became. (AGAINST)
MG: This decade saw sunglasses being embraced for their ridiculousness (light-up LED frames from Balenciaga, minuscule Matrix shades, etc), which I think is a bad move for something you need to wear on your face. Pass. (AGAINST)
visvim FBT Shoes
MG: I hate suede so I cannot claim to have been a fan of the visvim FBT, which I remember being an acronym for Fucc Boi Trainer, which I still think they are. (AGAINST)
NT: Before high-end designers knew how to make a sneaker that actually looked good, there was visvim. They separated the guys that cared about dressing from the guys that didn’t. (FOR)
Jeremy Scott Wing 2.0
MG: It's a hard pass for me. Jeremy Scott — and by extension MOSCHINO — is recognized for its gaudiness, so if that's your bag, by all means get the shoes with wings on them. (AGAINST)
NT: Before there was the Off-White™ Jordan 1, there was Jeremy Scott’s Adidas Wings 2.0. This was a very hype shoe that was one of the first times when a designer collaborating with a sportswear brand was still a fairly new concept. (FOR)
Hood By Air Long Sleeve
GC: For most people, Hood By Air was never about the clothing. It was about the subversiveness, the weirdness, the crazy runway shows. That rebellious spirit lives on in brands like Telfar. (FOR)
MG: Hood By Air was very of its time and injected some much needed freshness (including prescient gender neutral items) and abstraction into the fashion industry and should be applauded for refusing outside investment. This tee inspired a million copy-cat brands, which, along with HBA, should all be left in the 2010s. (AGAINST)
NT: Shayne Oliver can be credited as one of the godfathers behind the logomania rebirth. He also started a new movement in New York, helping streetwear find its way to the runways. The demand for HBA skyrocketed after A$AP Rocky became an early adopter. (FOR)
