Photo Credit: Brandon Davis for A3C Media Services
The Thread Between Hip-Hop and Fashion panel consisted of some major shakers in the clothing industry such as Prince Graham of Rocksmith NYC, William Warren Jr. of Mitchell & Ness, Gray Rizzy, marketing consultant of Akoo and moderated by high-end freelance stylist Metta Conchetta.
Fashion and hip-hop have been an important factor in urban culture since the 70s. “Fashion and music go hand in hand like a DJ and turntables,” said Prince Graham. Many trends in fashion today are re-adaptations of styles from previous decades. Fashion has always been an expression of one’s personality, and everyone has different tastes on what’s hot. Today, we see influencers such as Kanye West and A$AP Rocky leading the new generation of style icons as well as the OGs Ceelo Green and Andre 3000.
Photo Credits: Brandon Davis for A3C Media Services
Who is influencing the fashion industry?
Many style icons influence the latest trends in the industry, but the primary influencers of fashion are the consumers.
Gray Rizzy said, “Fashion is found in the streets first. Many high-end fashion retailers often get ahead of themselves regarding design and likeability.”
In the early 80s, icons such as Fab 5 Freddy and Run DMC set the tone for what was cool to wear. In turn, people would wait for them to set the trends before revamping the style.
Photo Credit: Brandon Davis for A3C Media Services
Where has fashion and hip-hop gone too far?
When trying to gauge if fashion has gone too far in hip-hop, it’s hard because each artist has a different style that is tailored to them. There are plenty of artists who step outside the box like a Young Thug and have individual styles that are calculated strategically. Although some fashion may be over the top to us, it can be a great marketing ploy for someone else.