How Skate went from the Outsider Sport to Billion-Dollar Brand

i-Dentity

Aries, Stüssy, Palace and Supreme. These are just a few of the biggest brands in fashion right now and they all have their roots in the countercultural sport of skateboarding. Skating and the culture around it has never been bigger, officially hitting the mainstream when it became an Olympic sport at the 2021 Tokyo Games, but how has it kept its edge, the authenticity which is so important to its place within the cultural lexicon of today?

In this episode, Osman Ahmed, Fashion Features Director at i-D speaks to Tyshawn Jones, pro-skater and two-time Thrasher skateboarder of the year as well known for his death-defying feats on the board as his lucrative modelling career. Sofia Prantera, founder of Aries, remembers the early days of the London skate scene and making it up as they went along and William Strobeck, legendary skate filmmaker reflects on the sport’s roots. Cultural commentator Naomi Accardi explains the history of the sport and the turning point in the early 2010s. Dede Lovelace, star of ‘Skate Kitchen’ and HBO series ‘Betty’ shares her views on the importance of community in skateboarding, while Guillaume ‘Gee’ Schmidt, co-founder of Patta, reflects on the importance of authenticity and community in streetwear.

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