Whoever said “Image isn’t everything” was certainly not a Hypebeast.
The shoes. The pants. The shirt. The accessories. But most importantly, the brand. From head to toe, Hypebeasts like junior Patrick Huynh must put all of these factors into consideration when putting together the perfect outfit.
Millions of Hypebeasts like Huynh follow the trends and fashions of exclusive and limited brands such as Kaws, Original Fake, Obey and Supreme.
“A Hypebeast is limited to only fashion,” Huynh said. “‘Hype’ is what is new and has a lot of popularity and the word ‘beast’ technically means you're obsessed with something.”
Huynh said he first became interested in Hypebeast clothing when his sister’s boyfriend introduced it to him.
“It’s interesting to follow the different designs and versions of products and the limited amount of merchandise a brand produces,” Huynh said.
Huynh spends around 15 minutes per day shopping for new styles and brands. He mostly shops for outerwear including jackets and hoodies because they allow him to layer different styles together.
Huynh said that what defines a Hypebeast brand is the limited-edition factor as well as the community that buys it.
Products that most Hypebeasts purchase cannot be found on the retail websites of department stores. Instead, Hypebeasts look at forums like Hypebeast.com in order to connect with others with the same interests.
On the forum, Hypebeasts buy and sell products. There are three main tags that can be put on items: “fs” meaning for sale, “wtb” meaning want to buy and “ft” meaning for trade.
Huynh said that “for sale” and “want to buy” work in a similar way. If a seller has a product, he or she posts a photo of the product with the description. If a buyer is looking for a specific product, he or she can post what product they’re looking for on the forum. From there both buyers and sellers can negotiate prices.
However, the “for trade” tag is not as commonly used, Huynh said, due to various scams involving people not keeping their end of the bargain.
“The person who ships first has a high chance of getting scammed if the second person doesn’t agree to ship afterwards and they keep your item as well as theirs,” Huynh said. “There’s been a lot of scams going on recently.”
The forum also features discussion threads where Hypebeasts review various products, talk to fellow Hypebeasts and post thoughts on gaming, skateboarding and lifestyles.
Many people, including Huynh, use the forum as a way to make money off of selling limited edition products for inflated prices.
Huynh said that limited edition or limited quantity products create a high demand for that product. An example of this is the Nike and Supreme combined brand shoe that hundreds of people including Huynh bought for $250 that is now being resold for up to $800.
This shoe is Huynh’s most expensive clothing item, and Huynh plans to resell it when it gains even more value. This, Huynh said, is how he earns money to support his hobby
“I know that one day when I stop buying all this hyped up clothing, I will be able to sell everything I own for a much higher price than I got it,” Huynh said. “There is always someone else who wants it.”