Hailed by some as the one of the most influential streetwear brands of all time and the creator of the graphic tee, Stüssy has been one of the leading forces in bringing fashion to the people, by the people for over 30 years. Hugely important in so many different worlds from hip hip to skaters, club kids to surfers, the brand's staying power speaks for itself. But it didn't start out that way — inspired to take a closer look at Stussy's history, we're sharing some cool graphics from their archive of '80s and '90s ads as well as putting together a quick hits timeline of how their story has evolved but they've managed to stay relevant after all these years. 

1980: Shawn Stussy didn't intend to create an entire industry: he started out as a surfboard shaper in California who just wanted to sell some boards. As an experiment, he starts screenprinting his name in graffiti-style lettering as a form of promotion (the design of the logo was inspired by his uncle's signature, the artist Jan Stussy). Stussy continues to rework the year 1980 as a theme into its clothes and branding — check out a UO example here.

1984: Stussy expands to shirts, and his clothing and the logo begin to build traction within the California surf community. In fact, the shirts are more popular than the boards. From there, he dives headfirst into designing and selling a first full line of workwear-inspired, basics-focused clothes that are the complete opposite of the loud, print-heavy surf trends of the time. 

1986-1989: With a cult California following, Stussy was growing at a time when youth-driven style was shifting more toward alt-culture and "streetwear," pieces you could wear during the day and keep wearing for a night out. The rest of the late 80s saw some of the most iconic Stussy imagery come to life, drawing from a mix of music, pop culture, and riffing on mainstream trends. With hip-hop culture being big on luxury brands, Stussy decided to mimic them by mixing their logos with Stussy, resulting in their SS link logo. This is also when they came out with their fashion caps, which completely changed the way that caps—formerly only sports accessories— were regarded. The "S" logo hat went on to become the bestselling Stussy item of the 1980s.

1990s: The birth of "The International Stüssy Tribe" — a brand-founded collection of individuals all over the world collaborating to endorse the brand through their own attitudes and beliefs. As Stussy grew, it was influenced by musicians, artists, DJ's, skaters, and trendsetters from all over the world, and the aesthetics and designs used in the graphics continued to reference underground subcultures speaking to the place where these worlds collide. 

1997: Stussy participates in its first collaboration, a G-Shock watch with Casio. Since then, collaboration has been a huge part of the brand's identity, from exclusive footwear with Dr. Martens, Nike, and Vans to denim apparel with Levi's. Aside from brand collaborations, Stussy keeps close to its roots with music and art by working with artists to bring frequent exclusive artist series collections. Over the years they have worked with the likes of illustrator Will Sweeney, artist James Gallagher, musician Curtis Mayfield, and Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami to name a few recent ones.

1999: Skate culture is just taking off in Europe and Japan, and Stussy was one of the leading brands during this movement. Stussy goes deeper into the skating culture and sponsors its own team of skaters. A skate tour was created, hitting London and Tokyo with skaters like Scott Johnson, Richard Mulder, and Danny Montoya.

2001: The limited edition sneaker culture is born — With Nike taking a big interest in street and skate culture in the early 2000s, and Stussy's closeness to the streets already, the two teamed up to make an exclusive Nike Dunk sneaker. The 5,000 pairs they made sold out in days and Stussy was able to emerge with limited edition collabs and newly-born "sneakerhead," obsessive shoe collecting culture.

2002-Present: Stussy has seen a big turnaround in the past decade. Countless limited edition collaborations recharge Stussy clothing with the exclusivity they experienced back in the 80s and 90s, and the resurgence of 90's fashion has played a part as well. The Stussy mindset and work ethic have sparked hundreds of smaller labels to follow in the years since it began—graphics-driven workwear elevated to be worn as fashion statements. Stussy has gone on to open 58 more brand stores since its first back in 1991 and is still a top player in the streetwear scene today with almost all of the current players offering up admissions that Stussy was and still is their biggest influence. 

For more on the rich history of Stussy, we recommend checking out Complex's two-part oral history with the founders, this BBC mini-documentary, and a long browse through Stussy's own digital features