Tremaine Emory

SUMMARY

Tremaine Emory is an American fashion designer, creative consultant, and cultural provocateur recognised for founding the iconic streetwear brand “Denim Tears“. His body of work intertwines fashion with African-American history, using each collection as a canvas to narrate stories of identity, legacy, and resistance. Emory’s collaborations with brands like Levi’s, UGG, and Dior, along with his tenure as Supreme’s first Black creative director, have strengthened his position as an impactful personality in contemporary fashion.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia, Emory was raised in Queens, New York and lives in Los Angeles. His summers in Harlem, Georgia, with his grandmother, instilled in him a deep appreciation for Black history and resilience. Emory’s professional journey began on the shop floor at J.Crew. He honed his aesthetic working under Marc Jacobs for nine years, before becoming art and brand director for Stüssy. In 2010, he moved to London where he launched the multidisciplinary creative practice “No Vacancy Inn” with collaborator Ade Odunlami, worked as the former brand director of Yeezy and creative director of GOOD Music in 2018, and finally launched his own fashion brand “Denim Tears” in 2019.

Emory’s career trajectory includes significant roles such as brand director for Kanye West’s YEEZY and creative director for GOOD Music in 2018. His association with Stüssy as art director-at-large further expanded his influence in streetwear culture. In 2019, he founded iconic streetstyle fashion brand “Denim Tears”, debuting a collection that commemorated the 400th anniversary of slavery in America. The collection featured denim garments adorned with cotton wreath motifs, symbolizing the painful history of slavery and the African-American experience.

Denim Tears is a New York-based fashion brand founded in 2019 by designer Tremaine Emory. Founded in 2019, each collection tells a story, revealing what the brand’s founder calls the African Diaspora. Showcased through collaborations with Ugg, Stüssy, Champion, Converse, ASICS, and Dior, Denim Tears is a portfolio of Emory’s African American vision. And its approach to heritage and design has earned its place in The Met Costume Institute in New York’s permanent collection.

The label combines high-end streetwear with cultural narratives, focusing on African American fashion history and identity. Emory’s designs, often featuring the symbolic cotton wreath motif, transform everyday garments into powerful statements of heritage and resilience. The fashion brand been embraced by celebrities such as ASAP Rocky and by resellers on StockX. Denim Tears even released — and sold out — cashmere sweatsuits retailing for $2,800 with wreaths made from Swarovski crystals.

In February 2022, Emory was appointed as Supreme’s first creative director following its acquisition by VF Corporation. His tenure, however, was short-lived; he resigned in August 2023. Emory’s personal life has also been marked by resilience. In late 2023, he underwent emergency surgery for an aortic dissection, spending several months in recovery. Despite these challenges, he continues to be a vocal advocate for social justice and cultural representation in fashion.

Denim Tears

Per BoF: “In 2021, Denim Tears’ Tyson Beckford sweater — which re-interpreted a classic Ralph Lauren knit, replacing the American flag with a version of artist David Hammons’ “Untitled (African-American Flag)” — was included in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute’s “America: A Lexicon of Fashion” exhibit. In 2022, The Met approached Emory to acquire three Denim Tears pieces — the Tyson Beckford Sweater, as well as an ensemble created in collaboration with Levi’s and a pair of slippers made with UGG — for the Costume Institute’s permanent collection.”

VISION

Emory’s vision for “Denim Tears” transcends fashion; it is a platform for storytelling and cultural expression. Drawing from his own experiences and the rich tapestry of African American history, Emory aims to create garments that provoke thought and conversation. He believes that fashion should serve as a mirror to society, reflecting its complexities and encouraging introspection. Emory’s vision extends to redefining the role of fashion in addressing social issues.

By embedding narratives of resilience, struggle, and identity into his designs, he seeks to challenge the status quo and inspire a more inclusive and conscious fashion industry. His work is a testament to the power of design as a tool for social change and cultural dialogue. Through Denim Tears, Emory aims to create a legacy that honours the past while shaping the future. He envisions a brand that continues to evolve, pushing boundaries and sparking conversations that transcend fashion, touching on broader themes of identity, history, and humanity.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

Emory’s work has been recognized by prestigious institutions, underscoring his influence in the fashion industry. In 2021, his “Tyson Beckford Sweater,” which reimagined the American flag with artist David Hammons’ “Untitled (African-American Flag),” was featured in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute exhibition “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion”. The fashion brand’s collaborations have further cemented its status. The 2020 Levi’s x Denim Tears collection, featuring repurposed denim adorned with the cotton wreath print, received widespread attention for its poignant commentary on African American history and its innovative design approach. Denim Tears’ cultural impact extends beyond fashion, with its designs being featured in prominent exhibitions. The inclusion of its garments in The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s “In America” exhibition underscored the brand’s significance in the broader cultural and artistic landscape, highlighting its role in bridging the gap between fashion and cultural history.

Denim Tears

REFERENCES

1. “Supreme Naming Tremaine Emory Creative Director Was the Right Choice. Here’s Why”. Complex. 
2. “Tremaine Emory”. The Face. 
3.  “After Kanye, After Virgil, After Heron”. The New York Times. 
4. “Tremaine Emory Reigns Supreme”. GQ. 
5.  “Who, What & Why: The Many Hats of Tremaine Emory”. Pause Online. 
6. “Tremaine Emory Talks ‘Streetwear’: ‘When it’s Outsiders Talking About Us, Just Call it Clothing.'”. Complex. 
7.  “The hip-hop generation has arrived in luxury fashion. Here, haute street wear’s next generation of innovators and inspirations”. The New York Times. 
8.  “Tremaine Emory Is Creating Fashion with Meaning”. Highsnobiety. 
9.  “Tremaine Emory Reveals He’s Recovering From Aneurysm: ‘I Was Fortunate Enough to Survive It'”. Complex. 
10. “The ‘cultural lightning rod’ taking over at Supreme”. www.ft.com. 
11.  “After Kanye, After Virgil, After Heron”. The New York Times. 
12.  “Who is Tremaine Emory and why does Supreme want him?”. GQ Magazine. 
13. . “Supreme x Denim Tears: The powerful collaboration with Tremaine Emory”. GQ Magazine. 
14. “Tremaine Emory resigns from Supreme”. The Washington Post. 
15.  “Tremaine Emory Leaves Supreme, Alleging Systemic Racism”. The Cut. 
16. “No Vacancy Inn: The Collective’s Biography”. Dazed Digital. 
17.  “No Vacancy Inn Shares 5 Legendary Parties: Tremaine Emory and Acyde on Nightlife as a Creative Catalyst”. SSENSE. 
18. “Tremaine Emory is part of the BoF 500”. The Business of Fashion. 
19. “Who is Tremaine Emory and why does Supreme want him?”. British GQ.
20.  “The Denim Tears x Levi’s collab explores African American history”. Dazed. 
21. “Tremaine Emory named as Supreme creative director”. Vogue Business. 
22. “Supreme Appoints Tremaine Emory Creative Director”. The Business of Fashion. 
23.  “Tremaine Emory Has Reportedly Left Supreme”. Complex.