Tyler, the Creator and Supreme spark speculation with mysterious new campaign

If you asked a Tyler, the Creator fan to recall their first impression of the rapper-turned-designer from the early 2010s, they’d probably picture him in Supreme gear.

This image feels so iconic that when Tyler appeared in a new mysterious campaign as a wheat-pasted poster in London this week, the visuals seemed timeless. Are these fresh images or throwbacks? And what’s their significance? It’s possible Supreme might turn these photos into tees or that they hint at something more.

On Tuesday, Supreme shared high-resolution photos, taken by Luis “Panch” Perez, on their Instagram. In the portraits, Tyler sports a taupe shearling-trimmed trapper hat, a diamond chain with matching earrings, and a green-logoed Supreme tee, complemented by a colorful silk scarf.

The rapper commented on the post, “MR. GREEN HAT REALLY,” possibly nodding to his earlier self.

“This man ushered in an entire era of Supreme fans. He deserves this,” says another prominent comment, though what "this" specifically refers to remains unclear.

Fans have speculated that Supreme might appoint Tyler as its next creative director, a position that has been vacant since Tremaine Emory of Denim Tears departed last year under complex circumstances. Since then, the brand has been working on its future direction.

Supreme has yet to comment on the Tyler photos in response to GQ's inquiry.

Tyler has been a Supreme fan since his Odd Future days in Los Angeles. In a 2012 GQ interview, he reminisced about discovering Supreme: “We would always skate around the area it’s at [in LA]. That was the only store in the area at the time that sold skateboards, so we’d go in there and buy boards, and I just gradually became friends with the guys who were working there.” 

He eventually connected with Supreme’s founder, James Jebbia, and former brand director, Angelo Baque. Tyler noted,  “They respect me for doing what I do, and I respect them, cause that’s my favorite shit.” 

Tyler emphasized his appreciation for Supreme’s visual style: “I take video directing and designing album art and shit like that very serious, and they do, too. So that’s one thing I like from [Supreme], the way they design certain things—not too much, not too little.”

In August 2011, shortly after his “Yonkers” video went viral, Tyler wore an olive green Supreme “bogo” cap when he accepted the Best New Artist Moonman award. A year later, he appeared in a Supreme lookbook photographed by Ollie magazine, which he had listed as a goal.

And now, it seems, Tyler has come full circle.