To Survive, Streetwear Must Abandon Sexism

In lieu of International Women's Day today, HYPEBEAST shared an interesting article discussing women and streetwear. Taking quotes from numerous ladies within the industry including our very own Bephie Gibbs. Read a brief excerpt of the article down below or click here for the full.

Stylist and Creative Director Beth “Bephie” Gibb, who worked at Stüssy and then Supreme in the mid-’90s, also recalls the common predatory culture in prominent New York skate stores. “It was definitely very predatory. It’s almost sad how much it was. It was such a part of my world that I didn’t realize it was a bad thing.” This heightened sense of awareness is a product of recent social movement, as public discourse shifts to create a more open space for women and men to share their personal experiences. This dialogue allows for reflection on and deeper understanding of the impact workplace discrimination can have, ranging from women being systematically paid less than their male counterparts to longstanding cycles of harassment and abuse. Stemming from predominantly male communities, streetwear was predestined to mirror this larger societal structure and be a breeding ground for these issues. On the language and actions that existed within the “boys’ club,” Gibbs adds, “It’s just disgusting and you hear it now but it falls into that whole young boy’s world of them being allowed to do stuff like that and say stuff like that and keeping it just boys. It is a boys’ club where boys can be boys and they’re very young and they’re very immature.”