, 2010. © SSUR Empirestate

Ruslan Karablin, better known in the art and design worlds as SSUR, emerged from the New York downtown art scene fifteen years ago. Karablin was born in Russian-occupied Odessa, Ukraine, in 1969, but later moved to Coney Island, New York, where he spent most of his young life. In 1989, though an outside artist with no formal training, Karablin introduced himself to the art world when he released a series of paintings that have now become sought-after collector's pieces. In 1990, under his SSUR brand, he pioneered what is known internationally today as "streetwear."Since this initiative began, SSUR name has traveled the world and has become synonymous with both innovation and quality.