About Paper Planes
Paper Planes is a streetwear and lifestyle brand founded in 2014 by Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter and Emory Jones, operating under Roc Nation. Its mark is a black-and-white American flag folded into a paper plane, and its tagline is Greatness Is A Process.
It sells through 63 independent retailers across 21 states and one store of its own, in SoHo.
The story in five pages
Who owns Paper Planes, the founders, the Roc Nation relationship, and who runs the brand day to day.
What the paper plane logo means, why a flag, why folded, and where the idea came from.
Greatness Is A Process, the tagline, and how it follows from the logo.
Why Paper Planes sells through independent shops
- the distribution decision and what it costs.
When did Paper Planes start, why the internet says both 2008 and 2014, and what each date actually marks.
The people
Shawn Carter, who records as JAY-Z, is a founder and the founder of Roc Nation. Emory Jones is co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, and Head of Lifestyle at Roc Nation. Ronnie DeMichael is President and Just C is Creative Director.
The product
Headwear-led. The founding product is the Original Crown, a New Era 9Fifty snapback in production since 2014 and still the hero of the line.
Where to find it
Compare Paper Planes with other streetwear brands
Paper Planes sits inside a larger story about hip-hop ownership, New York streetwear and brands built around a symbol people recognize immediately.
- Best hip-hop clothing brands
- Streetwear brands like Supreme, Kith and Fear of God
- Best streetwear brands founded by rappers
Each guide explains where Paper Planes fits, what distinguishes it and how to find the brand through a physical retailer.
FAQ
What is Paper Planes?
A streetwear and lifestyle brand founded in 2014 by Shawn "JAY-Z" Carter and Emory Jones, operating under Roc Nation.
When was Paper Planes founded?
2014.
What does the Paper Planes logo mean?
It is a black-and-white American flag folded into a paper plane, representing arriving somewhere mentally before arriving physically.