Zalando is still reaching for cultural panache. Cool kids, beware.

I had a brief stint at Zalando. I left my cushy job at Gap for a lead social role at the Berlin-based retailer. The multi-brand e-commerce brand seemed on the hunt for something, hence my interview. What it was? I'll never know. 

Once in, I joined a bubbly team of young millennials headed by the department lead, who resembled a character from Hackers (true story!) and constantly talked about vision. Yet, my team lacked a clear focus and vision, except when it came to numbers. In fact, the company aggressively crunched numbers around the clock. 

I came to Zalando because I thought it was cool. At the time, the retailer, who trades B2C and B2B, had just bought the Bread & Butter trade show and rebranded it as B&&B. I was part of the team responsible for pushing its exclusive Ivy Park collaboration in Europe. Surely, there were colourful times ahead.

Hope morphed into frustration, and I eventually gave up. I felt blue. That's when the big revelation came; my line manager admitted, "Zalando is not cool." This probably explains why alignment was so difficult. It's unlikely this individual harboured animosity toward me; she wore pink-rimmed glasses, was a long-time DJ, and attended Skepta's show at Berghain—she seemed cool. She wasn't involved in hiring but grappled with our department head's decision once I arrived. Some people thrive under pressure, but I struggled because they only seemed to focus on numbers. Zalando is not a space for "cool" creatives.

Although my time at Zalando was a dud, I formed amazing relationships with individuals who accomplished some cool things. One of my friends booked A$AP Rocky for the B&&B launch; another was closely involved in the Queen of Cool supermodel Adwoa Aboah headlining the event. Soon after, the higher-ups axed Bread and Butter.

Zalando boasts revenue of 10.1 billion euros (10.6 billion USD). It’s a tech company far more aligned with Amazon than ASOS.

The company acquired a majority stake in Highsnobiety, and I can already see the cracks in the magazine's edgy appeal. No, that's not growth or maturity. Regardless of who owned it, Supreme's swag was clutch.

So, I know Zalando's "Cultural Ties" campaign is a reach. The retailer's attempt to tap "inside streetwear communities" is a shameless plea. And while I appreciate O32c's beautiful dedicated feature, I know better.

Rumour Mill: The Streetwear is Dead Anthology—Volume One

We invite you to read a series of critical essays and interviews we found while searching the web. Streetwear is my beat; however, the death of streetwear is a lament-over-lattes I don't think about.

While the reads are insightful, there is some fluff. If the market weren't booming, I'd report on cats or glycolic acid toner instead.

Without streetwear, publications like Hypebeast and i-D wouldn't be as influential.

Not every black designer falls into the streetwear category. However, most black streetwear designers who align with streetwear are eager to distance themselves from it. If these designers were to embrace streetwear's ethos with the same conviction as Karl Kani, Too Black Guys, or, yes, FUBU, they could stand alongside the best in fashion.

I doubt an editor at XXL or Thrasher would see an issue; these conversations are usually reserved for fashion’s upper echelons. It’s generally left to streetwear’s OGs to steer the narrative properly.

Game recognizes game, folks.

Either way, these think pieces go way back.

How far back, you ask?

Let's find out.

Streetwear Is Going Back to Its Roots, According to Industry Experts [WWD]

“I always say streetwear is dead because it’s then born again the next morning.” Bobby Hundreds tells WWD. “It just keeps turning over and over and responding back to itself.”

Read Bobby’s 2017 essay, The Truth About Streetwear.

What’s Next for Hip-Hop and Fashion [The Business of Fashion]

“[Brands] know that they have to tap into the culture.” Steven Victor tells BoF. Quote of the year.

How to define streetwear in 2024 [Vogue Business]

“They were like, ‘There’s a new consumer.’ What people call streetwear — founded in hip-hop, music, style, culture made by Black people, Hispanic people — was consumed 80 per cent by white and Asian kids, ” Tremaine Emory told Vogue Business. “So they’re like, ‘Oh, we can get these aesthetics into our thing. We can get those people who have the money to buy it.’” <- This is the truth.

Virgil Abloh: Streetwear? It’s Definitely Gonna Die [Dazed]

“I would definitely say [streetwear] is gonna die, you know? Like, its time will be up. In my mind, how many more t-shirts can we own, how many more hoodies, how many sneakers?” Virgil told Dazed.

Virgil Abloh Shares Pics of His LV² Collaboration With Nigo and Clarifies That “Streetwear Is Dead” Comment [Vogue]

“I didn’t say it to be polarizing,” Virgil told Vogue. “I think that in the context of this conversation with Nigo—if you speak to anyone that’s been in streetwear for the last 15 years, it’s always had this sort of nine lives, dying and coming back, and dying and coming back. There’s so many first-generation streetwear brands, stores, and retailers.”

Streetwear is Dead [New York Times]

“I never really identified with [the term “streetwear”] or wanted to use it.” Heron Preston told NYT. “I was forced to because in some ways it’s an instant invitation into a culture. There are all sorts of associations that come up when you say that word.”

Relax, Streetwear is Only Dead Because Fashion Has Engulfed It [Culted]

“What were once staples of ‘streetwear’ silhouettes (oversized, dropped shoulders etc) soon just became immersed into most collections debuting in fashion month – from emerging to established brands.” Said Stella Huges. “There was no need to enforce a rigid binary between the two – they became one and the same.”