In the world of streetwear and hip hop fashion, few brands elicit reactions like VLONE. The clothing label, emblazoned with its distinctive gothic-font “V”, has become one of the most coveted and controversial names in the industry. While vlone produces a variety of apparel and accessories, it’s best known for its hoodies.
VLONE hoodies are instantly recognizable status symbols, worn by famous rappers and celebrities. They can also be extraordinarily difficult to purchase, driving a passionate secondary market of resellers and collectors. So what exactly makes these sweatshirts so iconic and popular?
VLONE’s Iconic Hoodies
Materials and Construction
Unlike cheaper sweatshirts made of cotton-poly blends, authentic vlone hoodie are created from 100% premium heavyweight fleece cotton. Many feature double-layered construction with an interior jersey lining for soft comfort. Signature touches include co-branded fabric tags and labels, metal VLONE-engraved aglets on the drawstrings, and intricate custom graphics screen printed on the fabric.
The hoodies tend to fit generously large to accommodate streetwear silhouettes. Considering their premium materials and quality construction, the retail cost of between $300-$700 is comparable to other high-end streetwear brands. But due to artificial scarcity, resell values for coveted designs can reach into the thousands.
Unique Graphics and Collaborations
What truly distinguishes VLONE hoodies are their eye-catching graphics created through ongoing collaborations. VLONE has worked with numerous rappers and celebrities including Kendrick Lamar, Juice WRLD, Nipsey Hussle, and others to co-design limited edition sweatshirt drops. Because of the often provocative graphics involving violence, addiction, and mortality, VLONE apparel is sometimes considered “dangerous fashion”.
Some of the most famous VLONE graphics include the No Smiling allowed design with a frowning emoji, the purported “overdosed” eyes of deceased rapper Lil Peep, and the orange inmate-style prison jumpsuit with “INRI” religious iconography. New hoodie releases regularly pay tribute to rap crew affiliations, deceased artists, and urban street culture with bold visuals that spark interest and controversy.
Streetwear Staple and Status Symbol
In only a few years of existence, VLONE has risen from an upstart fashion collective to one of the most influential names in streetwear. The brand’s hoodies have entered the pantheon as classics of the genre, mentioned alongside other heavyweights like BAPE, Supreme, and Stussy. In fact VLONE is regularly credited with being instrumental in streetwear’s acceptance among luxury fashion.
Much of this prestige comes from VLONE’s carefully engineered scarcity. Producing only a handful of any single hoodie design at a time results in feverish demand and sky-high resale values. As both artistic collectibles and financial assets, VLONE sweatshirts have become status symbols akin to exclusive sneaker drops. Wearing the latest VLONE graphic hoodie has become a flex and clout chasing behavior for rappers, celebrities, and fashionistas alike.
Notable VLONE Hoodie Designs
Plain Black Hoodies
While VLONE is better known for limited edition graphics, some argue their staple plain black hoodie is the strongest apparel piece. Free of any overt branding beyond a small VLONE neck tag andsilver drawstring caps, the slim fit black hoodie captures the brand’s less-is-more vibe. The super soft construction also serves as the perfect canvas to layer over graphic tees.
Rappers like A$AP Rocky and ScHoolboy Q along with supermodels Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner have been spotted wearing the muted black VLONE hoodie both on and off the stage. There’s also a brilliant marketing component, as the lack of graphics allows the focus to shift towards whoever is wearing it rather than the piece itself.
Collaborations with Rap Artists
Some of VLONE’s most coveted hoodie drops involve collaborations with popular rappers. Examples include the Slime Language design with Young Thug featuring a bright green color scheme and oozing bubbling letters. Another famous hoodie immortalized late Soundcloud rapper Juice WRLD with gel pen style graffiti tags saying “Legends Never Die”.
Perhaps most notorious was the 2016 Orange VLONE hoodie with associate A$AP Bari wearing a deconstructed orange jumpsuit. Coinciding with Donald Trump’s presidential run, some speculated it echoed prison wear for immigrants while others cited urban street gang members. The provocative but ambiguous messaging typifies VLONE’s disruptive approach.
Pop Culture References
VLONE frequently incorporates sly references to movies, celebrities, and pop culture into their graphics. One shippable example is the Scarface hoodie printed with Al Pacino as Tony Montana along with the quote “The World is Yours”. Rouling Stones logos, Bart Simpson motifs, and American pop art stylistics also make appearances for a tongue-in-cheek remix effect.
Some designs go beyond pastiche into full parody territory. The popular “Friends” hoodie riffs on the classic NBC sitcom but shows the cast all pointing guns. A Peanuts Charlie Brown hoodie shows depressed Charlie with bricks of cocaine falling from the sky around him. This dark humor plays into the decadent side of streetwear culture.
Why VLONE Hoodies are so Popular
Authenticity and Exclusivity
Unlike other widely distributed brands, VLONE maintains control over every step of the production and sales process. All VLONE hoodies are made exclusively in Italy under direct creative supervision to achieve quality and scarcity. Stock is then allocated to specific pop-up events and drops, making scoring an authentic hoodie a badge of honor.
Such tight control over supply fuels the perception of VLONE’s authenticity in a market flooded with mass-produced fakes. The brand only sells through authorized channels, never letting product get into second-hand stores. This nurtures the idea that finding VLONE in the wild means you’ve discovered something rare and valuable.
Coveted by Celebrities and Hypebeasts
While originally popularized by A$AP mob and affiliated rappers, VLONE hoodies have gained widespread celebrity appeal over the years. Along with hip hop stars, athletes like NFL player Odell Beckham Jr. and NBA stars Russell Westbrook and Ben Simmons frequently don the iconic VLONE “V”.
In addition to fame, the brand has notoriety among internet hypebeasts who document their exploits chasing exclusive streetwear drops. Limited release VLONE hoodies that instantly sell out and appear on the secondary market for huge markups are the literal definition of hypewear. The #vlone hashtag has over 3 million posts on Instagram, proving immense demand among collectors, resellers, and clout chasing influencers.
Part of Streetwear History
Having entered streetwear shortly after round one brands like Supreme laid the groundwork, VLONE is now considered part of the culture’s DNA. The label’s artistic direction has progressed hand-in-hand with hip hop music through collaborations and artistic messaging. VLONE helped usher in darker stylistic elements that expanded streetwear’s visual lexicon.
Certain iconic VLONE hoodie designs now hang in the MoMA and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, cementing their place as artistic cultural artifacts. As streetwear shifted from fringe culture to a mainstay of youth fashion, VLONE’s boundary-pushing hoodies helped enable that evolution through controversy and zeitgeist capturing designs.
Where to Buy Authentic VLONE Hoodies
Online Resellers and Marketplaces
Unless you happen to be in a city hosting a specialty pop-up, online resellers are likely the only outlet for buying authentic VLONE hoodies. Sites like Grailed and StockX are trusted marketplaces to source rare finds. Instagram sellers specializing in streetwear also frequently list VLONE items.
Be prepared to pay steep premiums, as demand drives hoodies with retail prices of $300 to resell for as high as $3000. Prices fluctuate though, so diligently hunting for deals can pay off. Joining cook groups and online groups alerts you about restocks and private sale opportunities as well.
In-Person Pop-ups and Special Events
VLONE occasionally organizes small scale pop ups that offer opportunities to purchase gear directly. They’ve held events tied to Fashion Week, album releases by VLONE collaborators, or when launching a new specialty collection. Rappers like Playboi Carti, Juice WRLD, and Gunna have hosted their own VLONE pop ups too.
The catch is most events are restricted to specific cities like Los Angeles, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo or Paris. Still, devoted fans have been known to travel cross-country to wait in lines when VLONE announces a specialty hoodie or T-shirt release. Signing up for VLONE’s email newsletter will make sure you never miss out.
Verifying Authenticity
Given VLONE’s popularity, counterfeit hoodies abound so checking for authentic details is essential for high dollar purchases. Material quality, intricate wash tags with serial numbers, spelling of labels, and engraved aglets should all be scrutinized. Online guides detail known batches of fakes that mimic rare designs. Legit Check services through apps like LegitGrails can also inspect photos and validate authentic VLONE.
VLONE Hoodie Controversies
Copyright Infringement Lawsuits
While streetwear artists liberally reference and remix pop culture motifs, VLONE has faced backlash for crossing ethical lines. After printing an Annie Leibovitz portrait of the Kardashians without permission, Vogue and Kylie Jenner sued the brand resulting in a settlement.
Italian luxury powerhouse Moncler also filed a now settled lawsuit alleging VLONE infringed on their iconic lacquered goose logo. As the brand continues to thrive, legal squabbles around original work versus cultural commentary will likely persist.
Alleged Design Thefts
Separate from clear copyright violations, critics and smaller artists have called out VLONE for appropriating hoodie concepts. Several incidences involve remarkably similar graphics being created shortly after lesser known brands or designers.
Examples include hoodies from smaller streetwear labels appearing almost identically through VLONE soon after original debut. VLONE claims no malicious intent, rather taking inspiration from everything seen on the fashion landscape. But whispers of idea theft continue to follow the brand.
Counterfeits and Fakes
Counterfeit goods are the scourge of any popular brand, and VLONE struggles with enormous amounts of fake hoodies flooding the market. Chinese ecommerce sites like DHGate and Alibaba are filled with near replicas of classic designs made of inferior materials.
Fakes also run rampant across platforms like Instagram and Grailed, being sold to unassuming buyers expecting authenticity. While VLONE employs tactics to combat copycats, consumer diligence remains crucial when buying such coveted items unseen. Evaluating seller reputation and closely inspecting hoodies helps avoid getting hustled by imposters.
The Future of VLONE’s Hoodies
More Innovative Collaborations
Part of VLONE’s enduring allure comes from continually launching uniquely relevant cultural projects. Retaining strong ties in hip hop and further collaborating with rap superstars seems inevitable. Artists outside rap like Rihanna or Billie Eilish partnering for hoodie drops could certainly introduce fascinating results.
Honing VLONE’s artistic voice while inviting other creative visions will be the challenge going forward. But thebrand has already proven skilled at fusing outside perspectives into a unified, if at times contradictory, identity. Expect boundary-pushing hoodie concepts melding music, art, and fashion to come.
Evolution as a Brand and Status Symbol
Currently VLONE occupies the small pantheon of streetwear giants like Supreme and BAPE. But the longevity of any cultural phenomenon depends on evolving with consumers to remain relevant. Expanding internationally to develop thriving collector communities in Europe and Asia hints at sustainability.
Maintaining the hoodie as an aspirational fashion object could prove difficult long-term though. Potential exists for market saturation or waning consumer passion. But VLONE retains seasoned industry veterans carefully shaping its mystique. The brand seems poised to churn out inventive hoodie art objects for years to come.
Potential Issues with Supply and Demand
Part of VLONE’s consumer appeal lies in calculated market scarcity driving desire. However maintaining that delicate balance between exclusivity and satisfying customer demand carries challenges. Producing too little risks blowback from thirsty fans unable to purchase their coveted hoodies.
But flooding the zone erodes prestige and risks alienating VLONE’s core hypebeast fanbase. The team’s industry expertise provides confidence they can toe this line. However even experts misjudge markets, and one day fervor for VLONE gear may wane if shoppers move onto other trends. For now though, rarity continues fueling fiery demand.
Conclusion
In just a handful of years VLONE hoodies have risen from niche fashion curiosities to internationally recognized streetwear classics. Much of that exponential success stems from VLONE’s mastery of consumer psychology through engineered scarcity and controversial messaging.
It has cultivated an intensely devoted niche at the intersection of music, fashion, and internet culture. And while detractors point to missteps around originality and legality, VLONE manages to leverage criticism into infamy that further powers desirability. Love it or hate it, VLONE’s hoodies undeniably capture a cultural moment and stand poised to cement an artistic legacy.
FAQs
Who started VLONE?
VLONE was started in 2015 by A$AP Mob member A$AP Bari along with collective members A$AP Rocky, AWGE creative director AWGE and others.
Where can you buy VLONE hoodies?
Due to scarcity, VLONE hoodies primarily sell on the online secondary market through sites like Grailed and StockX or specialty Instagram resellers. Limited quantities also release at the brand’s in-person pop-up events.
Why are VLONE hoodies so expensive?
High resale prices result from low stock, high demand from celebrities/collectors, and perceived exclusivity. Certain rare or archived designs can fetch over $1000 more than their original retail value.
What makes VLONE hoodies special?
Details like premium Italian fleece cotton construction, double-layering, and custom co-branded hardware details differentiate VLONE hoodies. More importantly, the provocative graphics created via ongoing limited collaborations with top music artists make them coveted cultural artifacts.
Who wears VLONE hoodies?
VLONE hoodies are most popular among hip hop artists, athletes in NBA/NFL, hypebeast collectors, streetwear fans on Instagram, and celebrities like Kanye West and Justin Bieber wanting to display credence through niche fashion flexing.
