2016 was an interesting year for us. It was a year of blurred lines between contemporary and Streetwear, with each sector borrowing from the other (causing some lengthy debates at The Hundreds Homebase). Streetwear itself seemed to take a back seat to it all, as high end brands began to incorporate graphic T-shirts, hoodies, and crew-necks into their repertoire. Hype culture was 2016’s biggest influencer, amid Kanye hysteria and Grailed dominating the reseller market. We even published an essay condemning the reseller mob and Grailed itself, stating, “Any way you cut it, hype kills culture.” Do you agree? Or do you think hype fuels culture and pushes it forward?

Since our heads are still buzzing with how much our industry has shifted this year, we asked members of The Hundreds design department, editorial, marketing, and Bobby Hundreds what their favorite streetwear moments & releases were this year. Comment below with your favorites.

-Alina Nguyen

Bobby Hundreds – Co-Founder/CCO

I’m into a lot of brands and designers in general this year (Carrots, Golf Wang, Fear of God), but when it comes to a specific piece or project, it’s hard to pick something that impressed me enough to set aside The Hundreds for a day. Maybe it was that CBL X In-N-Out “collaboration” or the Hayn X Undercover sandals (is that even considered streetwear?). My favorite T-shirt would be found somewhere in the Brooklyn Projects X Slayer collaboration. This is a truly organic and authentic collaboration, one that Dom has been talking about for years with his friends in the band. It makes a lot of sense with Dom’s history in the music industry as well. I like the merging of the logos (which, if you’ve worked on collaborations with bigger properties, you know is a very big deal) and how much different art was pulled from Slayer, all on black T-shirts. I even got to shoot the lookbook!

Follow Bobby Hundreds on Instagram @bobbyhundreds.

Justin Davis – Assistant Editor

Only Supreme can capitalize on the hype of the return of southern rap’s most iconic figure—Gucci Mane. Guwop came home last summer and he’s hit the ground running, releasing two albums and even getting engaged—but the biggest crowning achievement is probably being immortalized in streetwear history. The Supreme portrait tee has become more than just a T-shirt, it’s an admission that the person on it is culturally #important—whether you like them or not. Gucci has put in work for over a decade, introducing us to some of the biggest artists in the game while keeping himself relevant in the eyes of the underground and mainstream alike. His collaboration with Supreme was a major win for the South in my eyes, because after years of arguing how utterly essential Gucci Mane is to the industry—2016 is where it all culminated on and off wax.

Follow Justin on Instagram @ogjohnny5.

Erica Hernandez – Apparel Designer

My favorite streetwear moments of the year: The Park-ing Ginza concept store and the soft, shiny, black, faux patent leather Porter x Fragment Design Shoulder Bag I picked up from there on our TH trip to Japan back in September. A follow up to the limited running Pool Aoyama store, the Park-ing Ginza store stands within the basement floors of the Sony building in Ginza Tokyo with a thoughtfully-created parking structure theme throughout its build out and product offerings. Limited items and collabs are also offered, and with it’s non-permanent existence much like Pool Aoyama, we’re not quite sure how long it will be around making the pieces extra special for the time.

Park-ing Ginza pop-up

Porter x Fragment Design shoulder bag.

All that being said, The Hundreds Chuco Jacket and the Zoots Pants released last February exclusively through our flagship stores and Online Shop was my favorite release of the year. Designing and styling these pieces was special to me being inspired by my Chicano heritage, the history of Los Angeles Pachuco culture, and the inevitable Zoot Suit Riots. The garments were modernized interpretations of 1940s zoot suits originally connected with jazz culture and adopted by oppressed minority youth. Both made of cotton poly suiting fabric, The Chuco Jacket was adorned with a small Rose embroidery on the handkerchief pocket and Sleepy Lagoon screen printed across the back while the Zoots Pants were double pleated, cropped, and tapered for a billowy tailored fit.  

Follow Erica on Instagram @mansruin_official.

Eddie Viramontes – Graphic Designer/Illustrator