With a $10 blank t-shirt, inks from an art supply store, and access to the silk screen lab at Parsons School of Design, Jeff Staple created the first STAPLE tee. This moment in 1997 marked the birth of one of the most iconic streetwear brands in history.
25 years later, STAPLE is still going strong. In our interview with Jeff earlier this year, the streetwear OG credits his success to consistency, which is evident by the number of STAPLE projects that have released over the years. In 2022 alone, STAPLE has dropped collaborations with the likes of Reebok, Crocs, and Cole Haan (just to name a few), bringing along the now-iconic Pigeon logo to each design.
Jeff Staple’s next project? Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers, a 256-page Rizzoli book that documents Jeff’s journey over the past 25 years. Providing an account of streetwear history through an insider’s point of view, the monograph includes never-before-seen photography, archival sketches, as well as contributions by some of Jeff’s contemporaries/mentors, including Virgil Abloh, Futura, and Hiroshi Fujiwara.
In true STAPLE fashion, Jeff Staple will also be dropping a Rizzoli merch collab alongside the book. The Rizzoli x STAPLE capsule includes a black tee with a “R” and Pigeon logo on the chest and “What About The Idea Of Just Naming The Brand Something Like “STAPLE”?” on the back. The tee also features the book’s ISBN number (978-0-8478-7133-9) on the jock tag. Rounding out the capsule is a matching hoodie and Porter bag.
The standard edition of Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers will be available at a retail price of $55, though there is also a Deluxe edition limited to 950 units that comes in a signed, clamshell cloth-covered magnetic closure box with a 24-page “epilogue 01” appendix booklet and a STAPLE x Rizzoli tee. This set is priced at $250.
Jeff Staple: Not Just Sneakers officially releases on Tuesday, November 8th, though pre-orders are open now on the Reed Art Department webshop.
Deluxe edition:
Rizzoli x STAPLE capsule:
