It’s no surprise that fashion brands such as Supreme, Gucci, Vineyard Vines and Adidas, as well as others, are becoming a trend at South. According to junior Eddy Ji, this phenomenon is caused by the hype and demand for the brand, not the quality of the clothing itself. Ji, like many others, has caught feels for this style of streetwear.

Ji became immersed in sneaker culture with help from his older brother. According to Ji, he now sells shoes out of his own collection while also wearing some of his favorites.

“Sometimes I wear Yeezy’s and I’m a big Nike Air Max guy, so I [like to] wear a lot of 90s and 97s shoes,” Ji said. “My older brother [has a sneaker] collection and he makes a bunch of money off of it. He gave me a pair of Yeezy’s, which was what started my [shoe selling] business.”

Ji says these brands of fashion sell at high prices. According to Ji, he suspects that one of the main reasons people wear these brands is to show off how much the clothing costs. However, he also believes that many people actually enjoy the style.

“Some people just like to show off, they love the design, or they like the brand,” Ji said. “But some people just like to flex on others.”

Sophomore Erin Nukk likes to wear brands such as Hermès, Chanel and Gucci because their apparel is relatively unique among high-schoolers. She also believes that many students wear certain clothes because they have sentimental value.

“[These brands are] not very common items for people to have,” Nukk said. “I think that if people [buy them], they’ll end up wearing them because it’s a special piece.”

Ava Mazzei, president of Fashion Club, considers fashion of any kind as a form of self expression that oftentimes changes as people grow up. According to Mazzei, she sees fashion as a way to silently protest a message without being overly preachy.

“I view fashion in high school as a form of self expression,” Mazzei said. “As we all grow and mature, we go through phases of what we like and dislike, and fashion during this time can get eclectic.”

Mazzei says she considers fashion to be important to her because it can unite people of different backgrounds, even those who aren’t into fashion directly. Mazzei explains how fashion club displays this reality.

“Fashion allows me to express myself and connect with other people,” Mazzei said. “Take Fashion Club, for example. Though fashion can act as an umbrella term for a bunch of different things, we all find common ground somehow.”

Missy Regan, fashion teacher and fashion club sponsor, believes that athleisure clothing such as Lululemon, Vineyard Vines and Adidas are a trend among students at the moment. She feels that these trends are influenced by social media and celebrities, but she also thinks that students wear athleisure clothing for functionality and comfort.

“I [think] these trends are derived from the athleisure wear movement and celebrities on social media,” Regan said. “I personally like the trends in athleisure wear. The brands that students seem to be wearing have great quality and functionality.”