After years of reiterating this diatribe to the clueless masses, I figured I'd do the world a favor and get the full Stussy scoop and serve it on a hot plate of Internet. Especially considering 2004 marks Stussy's 25th anniversary in the game. So I drove down to Stussy's headquarters in Irvine, California, barged through their sticker-laden doors, and chowed down with Stussy's Marketing guru Robbie Jeffers. This is Stussy A-Z, and now you have no excuse...

Some of the greatest alliances in history have sparked from unlikely chance encounters. Conan and Andy. Tyler Durden and Tyler Durden. Shawn Stussy and Frank Sinatra (no, not that Frank Sinatra) are no exception.

1980 was a pivotal year for Southern California subculture. The L.A. punk scene was exploding, surf culture had carved an urban niche, and skateboarding had ditched its novelty hula-hoop act. A Laguna Beach-based artist named Shawn Stussy was spending his summers shaping surfboards, scribbling his signature on 'em, and testing his work in the water. When winters rolled around, he fled to the mountains to ski. The definitive freebird.

On a fateful afternoon on Mammoth Mountain, Shawn bumped into a fella by the name of Frank Sinatra (really, not that Frank Sinatra). After hours of brain-digging, Frank was sprung on Shawn's vision and stee-lo - the way he designed, the way he wrote his name, and the manner in which he airbrushed his surfboards. Together, they started Stussy.

From behind his 1-of-5 Rasheed Wallace Air Force 1s (just chillin' on his desk), Robbie Jeffers confirms, "Shawn was the artist and Frank was the beancounter. Frank relied on Shawn to propel the street vibe while he handled the business end of Stussy." Initially, Shawn's designs and spirit behind Stussy stemmed from a blend of beach roots and reggae culture, but most importantly, the burgenoing skateboard culture. Jeffers remarks, "Both Shawn and Frank honored the skateboarder's mentality of not caring, wearing edgier clothes, and pushing the envelope when it came to fashion." (Who did you think poularized baggy pants, chain wallets, and cargo pants?)

While Stussy initially followed the core skateboarder customer of the 80s and early 90s - (you know, the dirtbag skate head with tattered sagged pants and a XXL shirt), they reinvented themselves when the Prada-touting, clean button-up, Scott Johnstons started blossoming. Stussy also started gaining recognition as more of an international men's line, and so they gradually moved from skate shops to clothing boutiques.

Unfortunately, much of the skate scene disassociated themselves with Stussy during this period because they were reveling in punk rebellion, but of course, Stussy was years ahead of the game. Eventually, skate fashion grew into its own look (a la Supreme, etc.) and Stussy rose to the top like cream in coffee. The skate community eagerly jumped back on the bandwagon, and wouldn't ya know, it was just in time for Stussy's launch back into the industry.

After recruiting Richard Mulder as their first rider for their skate team ("We met at the warehouse, gave him some clothes and told him to go home to think about it and get back to me later. He was really hyped on the gear and the direction we wanted to take"), other prominent skateboarders clawed at Stussy's front door - including Keith Hufnagel, Chad Timtim, and Anthony Van Engelen. Jeffers reminisces "The cool thing about it is that they were fans of Stussy before the whole thing started. [They] came to me amped on the fact that they were not only going to get free Stussy clothes, but actually get paid to wear Stussy. They wanted to be apart of our thing because we weren't trying to tell them how to be our image of a skate team, but instead wanted their input and ideas towards everything including team, design, tours and future riders."

Although they helmed a sturdy skate team and remained devoted to their skate customer, Stussy again turned the tables by pushing their image as more of a lifestyle line than a skateboarding company - and if you've been paying attention, most skate companies have followed suit.

"So our ad campaign might not have a skate flick in it... rather we will have a lifestyle photo shot in Japan, London, New York, or in their bedrooms for that matter. It gives us the freedom to market ourselves in many different ways, and not pigeon hole ourselves. As a direct result of our ads, other 'skate' companies have changed their ads and programs to mimic what we have done; which is ultimately a compliment."

Today, Stussy has been throned as the original streetwear brand to successfully cross over from West Coast lifestyle to international status. Everyone from the boys of B2K to Lance Mountain to your 14-year-old sister rocks Stussy like it's drippin' with honey. And although Americans may equate Stussy with the All-American boardsports brand, the Japanese are the ones who've heralded the clothing line as ichiban amongst undying trends.

Today, there are so many Stussy boutiques sprawled across the island of the Rising Sun, that The Gap's gettin' a run for its money. Jeffers adds, "We do so well in Japan because we don't change with the times...what I mean by that is we're not chasing trends, we're trying to set trends. So I think people respect that." But that isn't so easy in an industry replete with copycats. "Yeah, it's also frustrating on the same token because what we're doing is set trends up, and then other companies try to bite it, and people don't realize that Stussy started it and think another company did it first." Jeffers smirks, "That's the frustration we have."