As the season progresses, ALUMNI continues to welcome fresh, ground-breaking brands and ideas into the NYC ethos.
We had the opportunity to sit down with the creator of Supervsn, Gavin Mathieu, and gain insight into what makes Supervsn “super”.
ALUMNI: Thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. Could you share with us the origin of Supervsn?
Gavin Mathieu: Supervsn was inspired by me, my crew of creative friends, community and network. I saw a need to make something to connect all of us - the people behind the scenes, creating things for the culture.
Me and my homies always tried to do things that were for the community. I started to kind of imagine this story of these creative superheroes, that was kind of what sparked Supervsn. I made the first 50 hats and gave them out to 50 of my favorite creatives, and friends of mine.
A: What is Supervsn Studios and what does it represent?
GM: Supervsn Studios is a collective of global creatives. We don't see ourselves as a traditional clothing brand - we see ourselves as a creative community, because we do things outside of clothes. Clothing is one of our mediums, and happens to be the medium that has garnered more attention.
Everybody has a vision. We believe everybody is creative and the world is our studio. We become “super” when we collaborate.
A: Your extensive background in Los Angeles’ streetwear and hip hop scenes, including owning a retail location on Fairfax and collaborating with artists such as Casey Veggies, Dom Kennedy, and Nipsey Hussle, is impressive. How do your life experiences shape Supervsn’s identity and creative direction?
GM: Supervsn is about the community. It’s about empowering people. It’s about telling everyone “YOU CAN DO IT TOO!”
Collaborating with people like Nipsey, Dom, YG, and others who are powerful, I was able to see and feel the magic, and try to build something from that that could inspire others.
Through creative experiences and processes, I realized that it’s relationships and conversations. One person expresses themselves and the next person expresses themself. We get ideas, support, uplift, empower, and remind one another “Yo, go for it. Make that happen.” That’s Supervsn. It takes more than one - it’s a collective thing.
A: From my understanding, your crew of friends is a huge source of inspiration for you, and you even refer to them as "Black, creative superheroes." Can you tell us about some of the creatives who have inspired you?
GM: First of all, I would say my pops. My pops accomplished a lot in his life and was a very humble person. He taught me early on about doing for others, being of service, helping people, and humanity. When I think of the core inspiration of my brand, it's really connected to things he taught me early on.
My boy, Mike is probably one of the most loving, humble people, and just like a person of service. He's one of those friends that is so talented, but he always does for everybody else in his crew at home. He’s one of my biggest inspirations.
I would also say Dom. I remember a time when we were all sitting around, laughing and shooting the shit, and Dom was like “I’m done talking shit with y’all, I’m about to go make this shit happen”. A couple of months later, he came back and had a mixtape; 25th Hour.
YG and his unapologetic approach to everything that he does. He’s so himself, and walks into every room very true to that. I was able to see shields breakdown from everybody, thinking you may need to dress or talk a certain way in order to get through, make deals, and do things at a high level. That's not the truth.
I think Virgil Abloh is one of the greatest black creators of our time. He’s another person that showed everybody; another person that lifted the veil and showed under-the-hood, like “This is what it looks like, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”
A: A consistent theme in Supervsn’s collections is the use of bold text and phrases. What is the intention behind incorporating text into your design aesthetic?
GM: I look at clothing as like somebody’s first impressions. I like to make statements with my clothes. I like making clothes, but I don't love fashion. I like to make art and things that connect and move people. For me, really bold, simple text is the easiest way to get my point across.
We like to get straight to the vibes and skip the whole cap shit, you know?
A: Can you provide some insights into your current season and the concept behind the Self-Realization Fellowship?
GM: The idea around the Self-Realization Fellowship is this life journey that we're on and how we are always realizing our highest potential. We're all becoming our highest self.
When we talk about fellowship, we think about those friends, family members, and people in our community that encourage us and uplift us. Those places that we go to, that we walk away from feeling good and inspired. That's the fellowship.
It's this collective community of love, positivity, uplifting, and empowerment.
A: How do we connect with Supervsn?
GM: @supervsn on Instagram, supervsn.com, and my Instagram is @mizzlesupervsn.
Supervsn is available at ALUMNI Crown Heights, Flatbush, and in our web store.