The streetwear influencers of Instagram

Social media has become something of a double-edged sword for streetwear enthusiasts: Living in an Instagram era means those secretive drops are now somewhat less elusive. But the mainstreaming of a once-underground culture has led to a shorter half-life for many of the hottest looks.

“There will always be an underground or next wave of things,” said Tim Nolan, executive creative director at Huge and former writer for Hypebeast, said. But, he added, social media has shifted the way that information is made available. “If you saw someone wearing a Supreme hat a few years ago, you would know, ‘That cat is thinking the same thing as me.’ The difference is that trend explodes now and has a shorter shelf life.”