A few years ago, you wouldn’t necessarily relate the world of high fashion to the verses of Jay Z or A$AP Rocky. Today, fashion and rap are joined together like Pheobe Philo and Celine and it’s just as clean.
During his FW14 show, Tom Ford payed homage to the rap king — Jay Z. On Jay Z’s recent album, Magna Carter…Holy Grail, there was one song that made the fashion crowd pay attention — Tom Ford.
It’s not just Jay Z either. Kanye West, the biggest narcissist we’ve ever met, created a collection for A.P.C. that was shown during men’s week in Paris. The same can be said about A$AP Rocky and his single — Fashion Killa. The rapper dropped every designer name from Prada to Donna Karan, including accessories from Cartier. You might even remember when Kanye West launched his own fashion line, DW Kanye West, that fell short during the shows in Paris. It wasn’t well received by the critics but it was an earnest attempt.
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It’s not just rappers that are taking part. Fashion notables like Ricardo Tisci of Givenchy took a major role in the creation of Watch The Throne, and was the albums Creative Director — creating the cover art for the album that dropped in 2011. Then there’s Azelia Bank’s collaboration with T Alexander Wang for his fall 2012 campaign.
I asked Sandrine Charles, a PR gal in New York City to shed some light on the collaboration. “There has always been a relationship between rap culture and high fashion. Rappers were always stylish and dressed to impress in high fashion apparel and accessories – everyone is just now catching up,” she said. She continues with, “From the gold rope chains of the 80s to the flashy suits of the late 90s a la Puff and Mase to now – the 2000s. Rappers are now being compensated, praised and included for their individual style but mostly their contribution to the consumer sale spikes when it comes to fashion and the labels they mention in their music.” She makes a valid point here. Fashion, has always been seen as an exclusive club from people looking in. It’s rare that we’re welcoming unless you have some kind of validation. We are starting to catch up, and it’s a good thing we are.
Fashion and music have always been a reflection of the times. Specifically, rap has been considered one of the greatest art forms of our generation — telling a story through music. The same can be said about fashion, as fashion is often a story told by a designer and an indication of what’s happening during the current season. I chatted with McArthur Joseph too, a blogger and rap savant who agreed with Sandrine, “It supersedes the days where rappers like The Notorious B.IG. shouted out major fashion houses such as Versace and Moschino. Hip Hop culture is pop culture and I believe it has a huge influence on people which in turn as an influence on fashion depending if you believe on the trickle up or trickle down effect.” While it’s obvious that a majority of people in fashion have tried to turn away from rap culture in fashion, they can no longer avoid it. Why does it mesh so well? “Rappers are known for their excess nature which explains their taste for expensive clothing,” McArthur said.
It’s about time fashion has opened their doors to the world of rap. The days of turning down stylists for loans because the model was a rap superstar are long gone.
