Rap music and fashion; the two practically go hand in hand nowadays. Rap music is my favorite genre of music and fashion is the one thing I am most interested in. Both influence each other to indefinitely. So many rappers rap about Goyard bags, Louis belts, wearing Raf Simons designs and so much more. Fashion and celebrities have always gone hand in hand but lately the type of celebrity these brands are aiming for are popular hip-hop artists. This has even led to rappers becoming the faces of iconic fashion brands.
When listening to rap music you more often than not hear a song that names at least one well known fashion designer. The high end allure of these designers is taken in by rappers who spin this into verses that make their music appeal to an even wider variety of people. These designer’s products also allow the rappers to keep up with current trends, which is what most rappers are all about. Many solo rappers and rap groups have a strong influence on the fashion industry.
So many rappers and other artists are collaborating with brands or being the face of campaigns. For example, rap duo Rae Sremmurd are the faces of Pumas 2016 fall campaign, Calvin Klein has ads that include Joey Bada$$, Fetty Wap, Kendrick Lamar, and Frank Ocean. Another example is A$AP Rocky as the face of Diors Fall/Winter campaign.
A$AP Rocky is a part of the rap group A$AP Mob. A$AP Mob is a group hailing from Harlem, New York. The group began in 2006, and with the loss and gain of rappers, it now has 14 members. A$AP Rocky is probably the most well-known out of all of these members, A$AP Ferg and A$AP Nast follow closely behind. A$AP Rocky has recently been named the new face of Dior. Dior is a high end European brand that was recently directed by Raf Simons, but he left last October to pursue other endeavors.
A$AP Rocky also released a collaboration with street wear brand Off-White in 2014. The collection consisted of several hoodies, shirts, and other pieces printed with the word VLONE, which is a play on the inverted A that is often used in ASVP. VLONE stands for live alone, die alone which has become a motto of the rapper. Off-White sales spiked with the release of the collection and still continue to be higher than they were before the release of the collaboration. From streetwear to high fashion, the faces of many rappers have taken over the fashion industry.
Some rappers are even coming out with their own clothing lines, like Kanye West. Although he has a collaboration with Adidas for his much sought after Yeezy Boosts and constantly wears custom made pieces by Balmain, he also has his own line. Yeezy Season is on the rise and the fashion world has been going crazy for Ye’s designs. Yeezy has released 3 seasons, his first a collaboration with Adidas. Kanye has been so innovative and mixed his love of fashion and music. He has combined the two in genius ways such as showcasing his new collection at a listening party in Madison Square Garden for his new album The Life of Pablo. The collection consists of lots of muted colors, loose fitting pieces, and color blocking galore. The pieces are almost impossible to buy with their demand and desire. Same goes for Yeezy Boosts though, they can’t seem to stay on the rack for long.
Fashion and hip-hop will continue to influence each other and I look forward to seeing what new collaborations come from this.
