The Stussy logo managed to do what only rare logos can – it became a symbol of a whole generation of beach culture. There were no notable modifications to it throughout its almost 40-year history.
The script emblem made its debut on the handcrafted surfboards Shawn Stussy made and sold in the 1980s. The young Southern Californian used a broad tipped marker to draw it on the surfboards.
There’s no other meaning behind the emblem apart from the obvious one – it was the surname of the company founder. However, the signature itself wasn’t his invention – in fact, the unique artwork was derived from the signature of artist Jan Stussy, the uncle of the company founder.
Later, he began using the Stussy logo on tee shirts and shorts. The design of the clothes was logo-driven. It was different from the streetwear and beachwear of the epoch as it featured jazzy, new wave graphic or color combo in addition to the regular logo.
At the time, Stussy didn’t even own a shop – he sold the clothes along with his boards out of his car around Laguna Beach, California.
In the course of time, the line developed into an international streetwear brand – partly due to the fact that Stussy traveled and used this as an opportunity to spread his culture. The clothing became an important part of the new wave beach culture. It was inspired by skaters, musicians, DJs, and artists from New York, London, Tokyo and other corners of the globe – all those people who were trendsetters for the street culture and beach culture.
If you ask, what is Stussy‘s most iconic item, the answer would probably be – the baseball hat with the distinctive “S.” Shawn Stussy is sometimes called the pioneer in putting logos on baseball hats – the trend that was very soon borrowed (or re-invented) by other brands. The first baseball hat featured a big “S” on the front. The name of the brand wasn’t visible on the front, but the hat had the famous signature on the back. As the company’s Certified Public Accountant Frank Sinatra Jr. recalled, these hats made around 20% of the brand’s business in the late 1980s.
The script logo for the Stussy brand was definitely drawn by hand. It presumably served as an inspiration for one of the wordmarks for TV show Malcolm in the Middle.
While the regular logo is given in black, the color may vary depending on the color of the material it is printed on.