Since people, especially in the fashion industry, constantly discuss the death or end of streetwear, I thought I'd put things into perspective.

No. Streetwear is not dead, nor has it lost popularity. Despite the watering down of the rebellious ethos, depending on which brand we're talking about, the overall aesthetic, from Supreme to Uniqlo, lives on. When browsing the aisles at Marshalls for my son, the first item that catches my eye is a hoodie adorned with the Spidey mask. The average shopper may think, "Oh, great.” But I recognize a clear influence from streetwear brands that blew up during the aughts. Then, reality sets in: my child is, well, a kid. That could be the crux of the issue: commercializing an underground industry that spoke for the “yout.”

I remember when Married To The Mob did an ad in '08, and a friend expressed concerns. When I asked Leah McSweeney about it (yes, I used to chat briefly with the streetwear designer turned reality TV star), she didn’t see what the speculation was about. Her clothes were about to be seen by millions of people all over the world. Years later, the brand's still hot. If anything, her foray into reality TV may have tarnished MTTM—if that's even a concern.

Streetwear is about youth. I'll assume those talking about it being “time for streetwear to die” are past their glory days. So, if you're going to lament about streetwear's slow, gruesome death, perhaps it's time to pass the torch to a fresh set of eyes who know what’s up.