Spencer Wu
Staff Writer

My dad always told me to buy things that serve a practical purpose — that is, something that I will use, wear or consume a considerable amount. He would always urge me to maximize the value of a certain product so as not to waste money.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw Supreme sell a brick (that’s right, a brick) for $30. What surprised me even more is that people were waiting in a line that snaked out the door to make the purchase.

New York streetwear brand Supreme is notorious for producing a limited supply of its designer products, making it’s items highly desirable and creating a reselling market that marks up upwards of quadruple the retail price. Religious fans of the company anxiously await its next clothing drop, pray for collaborations with fellow big name brands and camp out for days to obtain a product, cementing Supreme as a coveted brand in the fashion world.

Some people even make a living off of reselling these goods. With all the hype and attention surrounding Supreme, it still does not change that its latest release was ridiculously stupid.

People should not waste a hard earned $30 on a red clay brick with the Supreme brand on it. It serves no function, has no practical use (unless you want to build a $4 million house) and is only borderline a decorative a piece of artwork. The media attention swarming this laughable product goes to show the power Supreme has, bearing testament to its satirical chokehold on the fashion industry. This is coming from a company that sold out Supreme nunchucks, Supreme air horns and Supreme crowbars, all at a ridiculously marked up price simply because of the brand name.

Purchases like these only reinforce the “hypebeast” culture, a nickname for anyone who brand shops and trend follows mindlessly. Essentially, these consumers are brainwashed into spending loads of money for products that can be obtained at the same value for a much, much cheaper price.  

Now, I have no fault if you are a genuine fan of the product and proudly display it. If you have the necessary funds and are an honest fan of the brand, go ahead and purchase to your heart’s desire. But when consumers only buy to resell or because an item is considered “cool” or “in style,” it corrupts something as simple as shopping. This goes far beyond brand loyalty. People nowadays represent a certain clothing lines not because they like the look or are aficionados of fashion, but because it is a part of a bigger trend.

This is a sign that consumerist culture has gone over the brink, or brick, if you will. There is no way that I could justify dropping that much money on such a useless item. If I really wanted a brick that badly, I would get it at a nearby Home Depot or Lowe’s. not a clothing store.