Supreme taps Takashi Murakami for coronavirus relief box logo tee

Rumors of a special Supreme box logo T-shirt to raise money for COVID-19 relief have been circling for weeks, but now it's finally been made official. Supreme has revealed that the box logo will feature original artwork from Takashi Murakami, whose flowery imagery is ubiquitous in streetwear. On the rear is a trademark stamp from Murakami, as well as "COVID-19 Relief Fund 2020" — both in small print.

Supreme's latest box logo, which will release this Friday, comes as part of the brand's history of releasing T-shirts for charitable aid. After September 11, Supreme put out a relief tee with an American flag box logo on the front and "New York Home of the Bravest" on the back. 10 years later, Supreme utilized the Rising Sun flag to raise money after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated Japan in 2011. On the rear was text similar to this year's COVID-19 T-shirt.

100 percent of proceeds will be donated —  Supreme will donate all the proceeds raised to Help USA, which is providing aid to children, families, and the homeless during the pandemic. The T-shirt will retail for $60 and will only be available in the U.S. and Canada.

Instead of the usual Thursday release, the T-shirt will hit Supreme's website this Friday at 11 a.m. EST. As always, it'll be a mad dash — but here's hoping Supreme releases more stock than usual as part of its charitable effort. For the time being, Supreme's physical stores remain closed.

Supreme and Murakami have collaborated before — This is the first time Supreme is releasing apparel with Murakami, but it's not the first time they've collaborated. The Japanese artist designed a trio of skate decks back in 2007 that now resell for thousands of dollars.

Even before then, Murakami was no stranger to collaborations. Early in the 2000s, he worked with brands including Louis Vuitton and Issey Miyake. Now, he's seemingly everywhere, with a list that's grown to include Uniqlo, Porter, OVO, Vans, and many others. Then there's his own merchandise, the most notable of which is his plush flower pillow that you've undoubtedly come across before. It's not an exaggeration to say that Murakami is streetwear's favorite artist.