Obey (clothing brand)

Obey
Company typePrivate
IndustryClothing
GenreStreetwear
Founded2001 (2001)
FounderShepard Fairey
HeadquartersIrvine, California, U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
ProductsGeneral apparel for men and women
BrandsObey Giant, Studio number one, Subliminal projects
Websiteobeyclothing.com

Obey Clothing (stylized in all caps) is an American streetwear company founded in 2001 by street artist and illustrator Shepard Fairey as an extension to his work in street art and activism.[1][2][3] The images on the brands clothing are wide ranging and include images that parody mass market consumerism such as those used in the John Carpenter film They Live[4] as well as parodies of politically and socially provocative propaganda,[5] such as the "OBEY Giant" image that is used on the clothing which fairey has described as having "Orwellian"[3] connotations.

The logo and image that the brand is most associated with dates back to an image Fairey created in 1989[6][7] which was an image of Andre the Giant[7] with the text reading "Andre the giant has a posse."[7]

In 1996[8][9] Fairey altered the image of André the Giant and changed the text to read OBEY [9] and Fairey has described this change as being a "transition ...into something that had more of an Orwellian connotation".[3][10] It is this text "OBEY" which has become the brands logo and along with the new image of Andre the Giant it is often used on the brands clothing. Prior to the creation of the clothing brand this image and text had become popular worldwide through its use in street art.[1][2][3]

The brand has collaborated with Keith Hufnagel's HUF and Levi Strauss,[11] as well as with artists Cope2 and Keith Haring,[4] singer Debbie Harry,[12][13] and zine Pavement Licker.[14]

The brand has diminished in popularity following the mid-2010s, but is still active, with the FW18 collection release attempting to reestablish the brand.[15] On April 21, 2016, Mike Ternosky—Obey's head designer—received the 2016 Spirit of Design Award, an annual fashion design accolade given by Thomas Jefferson University.[16] From May 16 to October 27, 2024, the brand was displayed at the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan, at an exhibition dedicated to Fairey, titled "Obey: The Art of Shepard Fairey".[17] In spring and summer 2022, the respective collection depicted fiestas.[18] In early 2023, furniture company Helinox collaborated with Obey, creating six pieces of portable furniture.[19]

  • OBEY Giant clothing being sold at a department store in San Francisco, California. 2008
  • The "OBEY Giant" image on a sticker.[8][20][3]This image has become famous across the world for its ability to parody "Orwellian"[3] propaganda.[1] Sydney, 2025.
  • An OBEY Giant poster in the Mojave Desert in Barstow California. 2024

References

  1. ^ a b c "Shepard Fairey". theartstory.org. the art story. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b Zara, Janelle (14 November 2017). "Interview:Shepard Fairey". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Bomb It - 2008 - Documentary". Youtube.com. Cool Films and Music. 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  4. ^ a b "OBEY Clothing: History, Brand Logo and More". Highsnobiety. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  5. ^ "How did OBEY go from an anti-corporate anti-Man street un-brand to Made in China fratboy wear?". elephantjournal.com. Retrieved 2015-08-06.
  6. ^ "The art of Shepherd Fairey". RhodesContemporaryArt.com. Rhodes Contemporary Art. Retrieved 27 December 2025.
  7. ^ a b c Kobi Annobil, Shepard Fairey, 'Format Magazine', January 21, 2008Archived 2022-01-18 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ a b "Shepard Fairey". Juxtopoz.com. Juxtopoz. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  9. ^ a b "Worldwide Propaganda Delivery". obeygiant.com. Archived from the original on July 8, 2007.
  10. ^ Shepard Fairey, "Supply & Demand: The Art of Shepard Fairey", pg. 35.
  11. ^ "Obey x Levi's 2009 Fall/Winter Collection". Hypebeast. 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  12. ^ Hallett, Stephanie (2017-08-10). "A new clothing collection from Obey and punk icon Debbie Harry is here". HelloGiggles. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  13. ^ Asch, Andrew (2017-08-11). "Debbie Harry X Obey Comes to Melrose". www.apparelnews.net. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  14. ^ "INTERVIEW: OBEY X Pavement Licker: Call and Response". 'cene Magazine. 2025-06-20. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  15. ^ "BOTW | Is 2018 the Year OBEY Makes Its Comeback?". Highsnobiety. 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  16. ^ Lockwood, Lisa (2016-04-06). "Obey Clothing's Mike Ternosky to Be Honored by Philadelphia University". WWD. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  17. ^ "The Trends: How Shepard Fairey–Obey's art will be on show in Milan". the-spin-off.com. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  18. ^ "OBEY's New Image Campaign for SS22 Focuses on Fiestas". Hypebeast. 2022-03-09. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  19. ^ "Helinox Taps OBEY for Limited-Edition Portable Furniture". Hypebeast. 2023-02-28. Retrieved 2025-06-21.
  20. ^ Shepard Fairey interview in Tattoo Magazine, 1999. Archived July 8, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
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