The Towel, the Decks, and the Girl from Manchester

A friend of mine is probably the most committed Supreme collector on this side of the Atlantic. Not just the obvious stuff—the red towels, the skate decks, the shirts—but the full extended universe: tote bags, pens, belts, basketballs, mugs, keychains. Every flat surface in his place carries the logo somewhere. Being around him long enough makes the brand start to feel like a religion rather than a label, which I suspect is exactly the point.

The obsession is contagious. I don’t fully understand the devotion, but I find myself respecting it, which is close enough. So when the photos Stephan Small shot of Georgie Riot for Sticks & Stones landed in front of me, I got it immediately. Georgie is an alternative model and skater from Manchester, and Small had originally gone round for tea with stylist Siana Hemmings—portraits, nothing complicated. Then he saw the room.

Georgia invited me and the stylist over to her place for a cup of tea to shoot a few regular portraits, Small said, but when I saw her gigantic sneaker collection and the enormous Supreme towel along with the skateboards, I knew this afternoon was going to be anything but regular. The resulting shoot has the quality of found styling—Georgie photographed with her own collection, everything already lived-in, nothing borrowed or arranged for effect. The Supreme pieces aren’t product placement; they’re just hers. My friend would be quietly devastated.