The streetwear brand “Pleasures” is based in Los Angeles and was founded in 2015 by Alex James and Vlad Elkin. Pleasures is still a very young brand and was created at a time when streetwear labels and DIY trends were around every corner. The brand attracted attention with its first collection in June 2015, took off and became famous for its great fame. Back then, you could see the collection in a pop-up store in Los Angeles. The most controversial piece was probably a shirt on which you could read the farewell letter from Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. Many fans were shocked by this gesture and rated it as distasteful. But still: It attracted attention and placed Pleasures at the top of the street fashion list. ‍

Pleasures does not see itself as a mainstream commercial label and falls out of line. The designs are clearly influenced by the grunge, metal and punk scenes and the clothing usually features provocative and controversial graphics. Co-Founder Alex James explained in an interview with highsnobiety that he used to live near New York, attended many shows and concerts and was inspired by countless different people. His initial target group was more the outsiders or “weirdos” of society. However, his designs quickly reached stars such as The Weekend or Kylie Jenner. This is how many streetwear fans became aware of the brand. Alex James and Vlad Elkin have set themselves the goal of transmitting and polarizing the subculture of the 1980s and the associated DIY ethos. Unfortunately band shirts and large prints aren't new anymore and are often worn by people who don't even know the bands themselves. Rock music was commercialized and often used simply because it “looks cool.” James explains that Pleasures doesn't want to do just that. The brand is a reflection of his youth and makes it clear what he loved back then and who he adored. They were aware from the outset that they would often irritate and annoy people.

Pleasures designs fashion for men and women and the collections are published seasonally. In 2016, for example, version 4.0 Collection was released, which explicitly referred to the years between 1994 and 1998. In 2017, Pleasures dropped a unisex collection with again lots of controversial graphics on shirts and hoodies. Most pieces are available in sizes S to XXL and you can find the collections in selected stores and, of course, in the online shop. By the way, this fits perfectly into the picture of what makes Pleasures stand out. The website is colorful, innovative and designed in the style of an old computer program.

Pleasures is now also a brand for many sneakerheads, as there have been several collaborations with various major sports shoe manufacturers in recent years. For example, in 2019, the collab between Converse and Pleasures. Together, they redesigned the classic “Pro Leather”. The sneaker was given a wrinkled look that made it look used and the shoe has black and white prints that convey punk vibes. The outer layer of the sneaker is transparent. There was another collaboration in 2020 with the sports company Asics. The GEL NANDI OG was redesigned and adapted to the generally rediscovered interest in nature and the environment. The sneaker was decorated with details that can otherwise be found on hiking boots, for example, and came in different earth colors. The surface of the shoe is made of suede and ripstop nylon and makes the shoe suitable for outdoor use. In 2021, Pleasures collaborated with two other sports shoe giants. On the one hand, they relaunched the legendary Adidas Superstar and on the other hand, they created their own collection with Reebok. For adidas, the superstar was designed in smooth black leather and finished with mussel wood details. In addition, ten different inserts for the three-stripe logo were included on the side of the shoe. The wearer should then be able to replace these at will. In collaboration with Pleasures, Reebok reissued the “Aztrek” and the “Club C 85”. These models have the Pleasure logo and many small accents that stand out. Bright colors have been combined with classic colors and have made the Reeboks a colorful eye-catcher. Pleasures designed another collection together with Crocs. The rubber shoes, for example, were decorated with an absurd skeleton design.

It remains to be seen what major collaborations and designs are in store for us. But the controversial prints and edgy designs from Pleasures are already incomparable.