With the emergence of a new wave of young people in love with the streetwear culture, it has become increasingly difficult to acquire popular streetwear pieces. Brands like Supreme, The Anti Social Social Club, and Bape create their products in small quantities, and then drop the product at different times every year. This way of doing business, sky rockets them to success because of the exclusivity it creates, but it makes for an environment where resellers come out on top. Clothes that sell for one hundred dollars in store can then be resold for upwards of four hundred dollars online. This has created a problem for many collectors with lower budgets.
In 2013, three small town Virginia residents came up with a solution to this problem. They created a store called Round Two, a place buyers could come in and purchase rare pieces from sought after brands, without the hassle of lines, and without having to fight online software, created to buy products for resellers.
This new approach to the usually cutthroat streetwear market has become popular among low budget collectors, and young “sneakerheads”. It has also garnered them major support, and allowed them to open up a second location in 2016 in Los Angeles, CA, and a soon to be opened location in New York City, NY.
This creative entrepreneurial idea has also given the owners of the shop a boost in popularity. Sean Wotherspoon caught the attention of Nike, and was able to recently collaborate with them to celebrate their relaunch of the old school Cortez sneaker. They have also peaked the interest of celebrities. Some of their regular clients include Travis Scott and Lil Yatchy.
These streetwear junkies are making a name for themselves in the fashion world, while also helping out their fellow collectors. These young entrepreneurs have created a space for people to share their passion for streetwear culture, and enjoy the time they spend growing their collections.
words_olivia ginsberg. Photo_courtesy of Round Two.