Supreme's New Collab Is With Subversive Photographer Nan Goldin

The hype around Supreme shows no sign of waning and why would it? The cult New York skate brand drops some of the most exciting collaborations with the freshest creatives out there. Today, Supreme announced its latest drop, a collection created with iconic, subversive American photographer Nan Goldin.

Unfamiliar with her work? Goldin created the most raw and real images of New York’s nightlife back in the 1970s and '80s. Documenting her lovers and friends throughout the AIDS epidemic, she explored gender, sexuality, love, loss, hope and death in her 700-photograph-strong The Ballad of Sexual Dependency, now considered her greatest piece of work.

Goldin left home at 14 to live in a Massachusetts hippie commune, during which time she became the school’s photographer. This period inspired her later aesthetic of capturing the truth and exploring tender moments between her and her subject, or her subjects together. “Goldin currently lives between New York and Berlin,” reads a statement from Supreme, “where she addresses the current opioid epidemic and continues to make slideshows and paints.”

“Nan Goldin's work is real and raw – in the time, places and subject matter she shot,” said a Supreme spokesperson. “It comes from an era where the subjects she documented were taboo by society’s standards. To do this project with Nan Goldin is to celebrate the diversity her work represents and expose young people to it.” For the collaboration, Supreme trawled Goldin's archival photographs to print her work on jackets, sweatshirts, T-shirts and (of course) skateboards.

While admirers of Goldin may not be skate-obsessives, and Supreme's super fans (or "Supremacists") may not know much about Goldin’s legacy, this is a fitting collaboration. Goldin has always captured the zeitgeist and reflected the reality of life, while Supreme is yet to miss a beat in shaping contemporary culture.

Will there be queues around the block for this drop? You can bet your bottom dollar. Click through to find our favourite pieces from the collection.