10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT OBEY
10 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT OBEY
Officially founded in 2001, Obey actually existed way before the brand was created. At first, Obey was the extension of artist Shepard Fairey’s work, who got known for plastering the walls of major East Coast cities with his signature “Andre The Giant Has A Posse” stickers. 20 years later, the brand is still true to its values and traditions and keeps on delivering quality gear with amazing graphics and a true message in each piece.
The Obey Spring 2021 collection features a wide range of garments for Men and Women, going from tees, hoodies and crewnecks to pants and shorts all the way to bags, hats and accessories. Great pieces of art and quality garments with the signature Obey messages that’s been resonating with like-minded people all around the world for more than 20 years.
Check out our favorite Obey pieces for Men and Women above, check the full collection at the link below and keep scrolling for 10 things you probably didn’t know about Obey.
SHOP OUR FULL OBEY SELECTION →
1- The brand’s name was inspired by John Carpenter’s 1988 cult classic They Live. The movie explores themes including media and government, population control and commercialism. Subliminal messaging featuring the word ‘Obey’ is used by aliens in the movie to control humans, which serves as early inspiration for the Obey brand.
2- In 1994, a lawsuit forced Fairey to modify his famous Andre the Giant imagery and that’s when he came up with the wrestler’s face, or the Obey Giant, which we can now see across the brand’s collections and visuals year after year.
3- Fairey’s art and Obey imagery and slogans aren't exclusive to Obey and can be found on various world known brands such as streetwear giants Huf, Levi’s and many more.
4- Legendary artist and streetwear icon Keith Haring has always been a huge inspiration for Obey’s Shepard Fairey. In 2012, he collaborated with the Keith Haring foundation and created a line with one of his main heroes for the brand’s Fall collection.
5- Obey’s Shepard Fairey is the artist who created the famous Barack Obama “Hope” piece in 2008. The piece was used in the presidential campaign and brought a lot of attention to both Obey and Fairey.
6- Fairey later faced a legal battle with the Associated Press for using one of their photos as inspiration for the Hope piece. The lawsuit ended in 2011 and Fairley confirmed that he would still be collaborating with the Associated press for his art and designs.
7- Almost all the profits made from the Obey brand are used to fund Shepard Fairey’s street art endeavors as he cares more about art than money. He explained this after being blamed of “selling out” by Obey Fans.
8- The Obey brand was also once blamed for having unethical manufacturing practices. To answer this, Obey officially became Fairtrade certified in 2015. The brand released a special collection to mark this milestone and Fairey also unveiled his largest piece of street art to date in downtown Detroit for the occasion.
9- Obey and Shepard Fairley got involved in numerous humanitarian causes and non-profit event over the years. Some recent examples are the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, where special Obey t-shirt were made and sales profits were donated to victims. Fairey also created a school walkout posters for students protesting gun violence in the US in 2018, amongst other projects.
10- Even after 20 years in this industry, Obey continues to be very much involved in today’s street art world. The brand still promotes and supports messages and causes that are consistent with its original ethos.
