Supreme's first creative director quit, saying it killed a project without telling him

Tremaine Emory, founder of Denim Tears, joined Supreme in early 2022 as its first creative director since VF Corporation bought the brand for $2.1 billion in late 2020. On August 29, 2023, he resigned, and Business of Fashion reported his resignation letter alleged 'systematic racism was at play within the structure' of Supreme.

Emory said Supreme had scrapped a planned collaboration with artist Arthur Jafa — featuring imagery of Black men being hanged and the freed slave known as Gordon, photographed with the whip scars on his back — without consulting him, despite his role as creative director. He said founder James Jebbia privately agreed he should have been consulted given the imagery involved.

Emory also said management pressured him not to cite systemic racism in a planned joint statement about his exit, then issued a public statement he called a lie. Supreme confirmed his departure but disputed his account, saying the Jafa project 'has not been cancelled' and that it disagreed with his characterization of the company.