SPECIAL EDITION No. 18, SEPTEMBER 2019
CONTRIBUTORS ELIZABETH PAMBOUKIAN
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS THIS PROJECT WAS MADE FOR ANTHONY MILLER’S FASH 419 TRENDS AND FORECASTING CLASS.
HIP HOP GOES GLAM (JOURNALISTIC) HOW HIP HOP CULTURE INFLUENCED ASIA (EDITORIAL) REFERENCES
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HIP HOP GOES GLAM by Elizabeth Pamboukian
Hip hop culture, which attained popularity in the 1980s and ‘90s has arguably had the biggest influence on street culture and high fashion today perhaps due to the fact that hip hop surpassed rock to become the number one music genre in the United States for the first time ever in 2017 (Nielsen, 2018). With the early hip hop movement, came a new style of “hip dress” expressed by its oversized silhouettes, “ice” jewelry, and bootleg luxury fashion. Moreover, unlike the punk movement which was founded on anti-fashion ideals, hip hop embraced fashion from the start with dressing up being perceived as a status symbol. Currently, hip hop street culture has begun to embrace more feminine and flashy styles with extravagant patterns and over-the-top jewelry styles. With the surfacing of more female influencers, over 500,000 just on Instagram, the male dominated culture has begun to shift from its traditionally misogynist upbringings and embrace femininity (Aslam, 2019).
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Under the influence of iconic streetwear styles from 70s and 80s New York Hip Hop, designers have reinterpreted the Harlem and Bronx street aesthetic. Hip hop initially emerged in late 70s New York as a reaction to disco culture in predominantly African-American marginalized neighborhoods that began coming together for spontaneous block parties (DeLeon, 2018). The term hip hop refers to “a complex culture comprising four elements: deejaying, or Run D.M.C (2000) “turntabling;” rapping, also known as “MCing” or “rhyming”; graffiti painting, also known as “graf” or “writing”; and “B-boying,” which encompasses hip-hop dance, style, and attitude” (Light and Tate, 2019). In the mid-1980s, the next wave of rappers and hip hop artists such as Run D.M.C., merged rap with hard rock and defined a new style of “hip dress,” becoming staples on MTV as they brought their music to a mainstream audience (Light and Tate, 2019). Since then, hip hop artists have perceived dressing up as a competition and boasting Dapper Dan in suede bomber trimmed in opportunity with style icons such as Slick Rick, leather louis vuitton print. LL with white and red gucci print bomber Tupac Shakur, and Run D.M.C., who are most notable for their jewelry “drip” and oversized silhouettes. Ironically though, rappers weren’t the true style icons at first – drug dealers who actually had the money were the only ones able to afford the most high-end gear bragged about in most hip hop songs (DeLeon, 2018). However, perhaps the most notable pioneer in hip hop fashion, is Daniel “Dapper Dan” Day, whose 1982 established boutique took fabrics from popular luxury brands such as Gucci, MCM, Louis Vuitton, and Fendi to repurpose into streetready silhouettes such as tracksuits, bomber jackets, and puffy-shouldered coats (DeLeon, 2018). Although his store was shut down in 1992 due to numerous copyright lawsuits, Dan has since remerged with an official collaboration with Gucci in 2017 regaining his popularity (Morency and Jiang, 2017). The Fat Boys in Dapper Dan 02
Tommy Hilfiger X Aaliyah (1996)
Tupac Shakur and girlfriend Versace (1996)
Since its introduction into popular culture, hip hop has heavily influenced the modern day fashion industry with hip hop artists and rappers being front and center. One of the first major labels to embrace the culture was Tommy Hilfiger who featured singers Aaliyah and Usher in their 1996 advertising campaigns (Morency and Jiang, 2017). Also in 1996, California based rapper, Tupac Shakur, walked the Versace runway with his girlfriend (Morency and Jiang, 2017). Since then, luxury fashion started to embrace hip hop culture and instigate the “trickle-up” theory with collaborations, advertisement campaigns, fashion show invites, and even hip hop artists designing for their own houses. After collaborating with Adidas and Louis Vuitton on a range of luxury sneakers, Kanye West launched his own brand Yeezy in 2015 (Morency and Jiang, 2017). Additionally, hip hop enthusiast Virgil Abloh, has been creative director of one of the most prominent Italian luxury houses, Louis Vuitton, since 2018 and his own fashion label, Off-White since 2013. More recently, singer and hip hop artist, Rihanna started her own luxury house, Fenty, with fashion conglomerate LVMH in 2019 (Fisher, 2019). This collaboration marks luxury fashion’s official acceptance of hip hop and street culture as Fenty is the first brand LVMH has introduced and built since Christian Lacroix in 1987 and Rihanna is the first woman of color to be leading a luxury house under the conglomerate (Fisher, 2019). Even more traditionally conservative jewelry brands have sponsored rappers and hip hop culture influencers who dress in the aesthetic as A$AP Ferg has become Tiffany & Co.’s first male rapper ambassador (Newbold, 2018). 03
Kanye West and Virgil Abloh (2018)
Rihanna in Fenty for Times (2019)
With the exception of a few female artists, hip hop’s early days were male dominated and often had misogynistic viewpoints. But with more up and coming female artists, the culture has seen a more feminine shift. Peclers describes the trend in street culture being worn, “To feminize streetwear, oversize jackets are worn with short dresses and girdling skirts. XXL blousons bare the skin over fitted tops while drawstrings define the waist” (2019). Additionally, hip hop inspired menswear has also become more feminized with the addition of brighter, more womanly colors, detailed prints, and added “drip” detailing. Early adopters of the trend are hip hop influencers and artists in the industry who now have the money to buy some of the more expensive styles such as real genuine chains and “ice” jewelry. Nonetheless, hip hop has also seen growing prominence in Asian cultures as streetwear is in its prime and the ethos has traveled overseas with new Asian hip hop artists who learned about the culture through the internet. Consequently, Asian streetwear brands have incorporated the styling in their own clothing and trends.
A$AP Ferg at a Tiffany & Co. Launch Party (2019) 04
As hip hop continues to evolve, we can only accept that that the aesthetic will continue to cultivate and invade street culture trickling up into luxury fashion, new cultures, and more feminine twists. However, with the current esteem of “streetwear” in the market, we propose the question: where will streetwear go next? Since hip hop is perhaps the biggest influence on street culture, we can assume that streets will follow and adopt as Hip Hop Goes Glam.
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Nicki Minaj’s Collaboration “Fendi Prints On” Comes out October 2019 (Photographed by Steven Klein)
HOW HIP HOP INFLUENCED ASIA Op Ed
by Elizabeth Pamboukian
Since 1992 and the foundation of Wu-Tang Clan, a rap and hip hop group named after the 1981 Kung-Fu classic Shaolin and Wu-Tang, American hip hop has had a fascination with Asian culture. However, recently the roles have reversed and hip hop has found a home base in the society they were originally so absorbed in. With a population of an estimated two billion people in the 16-34 age range, demographic numbers alone exemplify the Asian music market’s potential (Smith, 2019). Additionally, with hip hop being one of the biggest influences in street culture today and Asia’s booming streetwear industry, the influence of the music genre on the streets of Asia is undeniably present. As Asian millennials and younger generations are authentically early adopters of trends, especially streetwear, we can propose the question: where is streetwear in Asia headed to next?
Wu Tang Clan
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Kansai Yamamoto Fall/Winter 1982
Hip-hop first took root in Japan after “Rapper’s Delight” made the rounds at discos in 1979, according to Ian Condry, a professor of Japanese Cultural Studies at MIT and author of Hip-Hop Japan (Smith, 2019). Hip-hop grew through dancing— in both the higher-class clubs and the breakers in Tokyo’s Yoyogi Park. “You have a couple breakthrough hits in 1994,” Condry says; “up till then the record companies were skeptical” (Smith, 2019). Once an underground subculture, hip-hop — the music, the culture and the fashion — has also captured the Chinese mainstream as well. Chengdu, an expansive metropolis of nearly 16 million people that is best known for its pandas and delectable spicy food has quickly become the center of hip hop in China, as it is the hometown of rappers Fat Shady, Kafe Hu, Ty, and the world renowned group, The Higher Brothers (Qin, 2017).
Less than two decades ago, few people in Chengdu had even heard of the term hiphop, “xiha” in Chinese, let alone listened to it. In the late 1990s, when access to the internet and pirated videos became more widespread, locals began to discover the genre. South Korean rapper, Keith Ape who fell in love with hip hop through the internet states, “everyone lives the same trends due to the internet and social media.” Although most Chinese and Asian rappers cannot relate to the conventional themes of hip hop such as living in the “hood,” being in physical danger, and the widespread status of drugs, there is one theme both resonate well with – money. As Asia’s economy grows and Asian millennials are getting richer, the society as a whole has started to dress more opulently and in real designer labels, elevating the already prominent popular street style trends seen in western nations.
Harajuku Streetwear, 2019
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With new role models who are not Jet Li or Jackie Chan, Asian millennials and younger generations now look up to their favorite musical artists to look “cool” or dress in a “street” aesthetic. Today’s Asian youth have role models such as Kris Wu, Rich Brian, and other hip hop and K pop stars who have taken over pop culture. Jessica Oak, editor in chief of Billboard Korea adds, “The influence has been big in fashion as well. Street brands are performing far better than other lifestyle brands … Also, there’s always a rap verse in most Korean pop songs.” Perhaps the coalesce of K pop and hip hop have created a unique style of “street dress” as young Asians take style inspiration from their favorite artists. Moreover, with these popular artists also comes merchandise and collaborations with street and luxury brands. Chinese singer, model, and now actor, Kris Wu became Burberry’s first Chinese ambassador in 2016 and recently became an ambassador at Bulgari as well (BoF, 2017). However, as streetwear becomes the typical dress amongst Asian millennials and young people, we can propose the question, where will streetwear go next? As hip hop gains popularity in Asia and more money is made within the industry, styles of hip dress have also evolved as street style intermixes with luxury and high end fashion. Additionally, the accumulation of chains and drip jewelry as casualwear have been seen on the streets in both the states and Asia.
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Kris Wu walking the Fall 2016 Burberry Menswear show
Jewelry Designer Lynn Ban
The Higher Brothers 8 Year Old Influencer @coco_pinkprincess
Cool Asians have been quick to adopt to new streetwear in the past and have already caught on to these trends styling them amidst their own aesthetic, elevating the style further and reaching new heights. With Asian influencers as young as eight years old such as Harajuku’s own “Coco Pink Princess,” it is indisputably evident that streetwear is here to stay and will only evolve to create more well-designed, complex styles. As hip hop culture becomes more glamorous, we can predict that these “cool Asians” will rapidly become early adopters and only develop the style even more. Hip hop has irrefutably grown and evolved since its beginnings in 70s New York. The music genre and culture has travelled across to world with the help of the internet and curious minds. However, its undeniable influence on fashion, especially streetwear has advanced to form a new style of dress in Asia. This unique style is more innovative and refined compared to the streetwear in the west that is typically only worn by celebrities and influencers. In the streets of Asia, streetwear is worn amongst all millennials and young people and furthermore elevated to new heights. 10
REFERENCES 2017 U.S. Music Year-End Report. (2018, March 1). Retrieved from https://www.nielsen.com/us/ en/insights/report/2018/2017-music-us-year-end-report/ Aslam, S. (2019, September 6). Instagram by the Numbers: Stats, Demographics & Fun Facts. Retrieved from https://www.omnicoreagency.com/instagram-statistics/ DeLeon, J. (2018, October 2). How Hip-Hop Left a Lasting Influence on Streetwear & Fashion. Retrieved from https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/hip-hop-streetwear-fashion-influence/ Fisher, L. A. (2019, June 11). A Fenty Pop-Up Store Is Coming to New York. Retrieved from https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/designers/a27529317/rihanna-first-fenty-collection/ Kris Wu is One of the 500 People Shaping the Global Fashion Industry in 2018. (2017, August 31). Retrieved from https://www.businessoffashion.com/community/people/kris-wu Light, A., & Tate, G. (2019, September 13). Hip-hop in the 21st century. Retrieved from https:// www.britannica.com/art/hip-hop/Hip-hop-in-the-21st-century Newbold, A. (2019, August 15). A$AP Ferg On Breaking Down Boundaries As Tiffany & Co’s Brand Ambassador. Retrieved from https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/tiffany-and-co-asap-fergbrand-ambassador Peclers. (2019). Women’s Fashion FW20-21. Retrieved from https://0-www.peclersplus.com. library.scad.edu/pbook/book/MOFEH21 Qin, A. (2017, October 26). With Dreadlocks, Rhythm and Flow, China Embraces Hip-Hop. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/world/asia/china-hip-hop.html Smith, A. (2019, July 16). Asia’s Homegrown Hip-Hop: SXSWorld. Retrieved from https://www. sxsw.com/world/2018/asias-homegrown-hip-hop/
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