Traditionally, the streetwear market – while not limited – has been predominantly male.
Heavily influenced by hip hop and skater culture, the history of streetwear tells a tale of a fashion movement that has had little to no major influence from women.
However, over the last decade, things have changed. Fashion has become more androgynous, with stars like Billie Eilish playing a pivotal role in this shift. The integration of streetwear fashion with luxury houses has expanded its reach into the mainstream, bringing in an untapped female demographic.
With more demand than ever before, as evident from the continued releases of exclusive women sneakers, the streetwear space has diversified for the better. We are now witnessing an era of women in streetwear, both as creators and consumers.
Browse Novelship for Women’s Sneakers
A growing demographic in streetwear
Streetwear is built on a sense of community – something the mainstream fashion industry has been trying to capitalize on. For the longest time, traditional brands dedicated their time and budgets to ensure their products, primarily marketed to women, came across as luxurious, delicate, and trendy. While streetwear aimed for exactly the opposite.
However, there has been a paradigm shift in the industry as we begin to see more women consumers enter the streetwear and sneaker landscape.
According to a survey done by Strategy and Hypebeast last year, streetwear consumers consist of mainly young people, with 60% of them being below 25. In the study, they found that 70% of those surveyed reported an annual income of less than $40,000, with 56% reporting that they spent between $100 and $300 on their favorite brands. When looking at the gender split, they discovered that men and women spent identical amounts on streetwear.
The influence of women in streetwear
Before today, women in streetwear had never been mainstream. Females would participate in the streetwear subculture through the blend of colours and styles, adding their own flair to the mix.
R&B Artists like Aaliyah, Missy Elliot, Janet Jackson, and Erykah Badu influenced streetwear with their chic and cool vibes. Their subtle elegance transcended their music and seeped into the fashion trends of the time.
The 90’s and early 2000s welcomed and celebrated the prowess and strength of women in streetwear and sneaker culture. The needle wasn’t moving incrementally anymore. Instead, it moved at high velocity, as the fashion trend ballooned into the commercial giant we know today.
For decades-long ago, streetwear remained the one avenue of fashion that was more accessible to men. For this reason, women had been unintentionally ignored in the mix. Brands like Adidas, Nike, Puma, and Converse pushed collaborations mainly with male athletes and designers.
Streetwear trends have always been a reflection of the socio-political landscape of the world. Female-led movements calling for equality and empowerment gained popularity around the globe helping women cement their fierce role in society. These movements seeped into streetwear culture with more female designers and influencers being added to the pool of collaborators.
Designers like Olivia Anthony of LIV, Chelsea Ma of TAKEON and Danielle Cathari are all leading women in the streetwear space. They establish brands emphasizing inclusivity and showcasing collections that women can discover, wear, and enjoy.
People like Melody Ehsani, the Iranian designer who made history as the first woman ever to design a pair of Jordans – the Melody Ehsani x Air Jordan 1 Mid SE ‘Fearless’ WMNS and Nigerian designer Mowalola Ogunlesiesi, recently appointed as the Head Designer for Kanye’s new Yeezy Gap Line demonstrate that the future of streetwear will indeed be shaped by women.
