University of Huddersfield Fashion communication and promotion
To explore the role of the grime music scene in relation to the popularisation of the streetwear clothing trend
Laura Hannah u1251904
5th February 2016
UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD
School of Art and Design Department of Design
Case Study Title To explore the role of the grime scene in the popularisation of the street wear clothing trend Laura Hannah
A Case Study submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for
BA (Hons) Fashion, Communication and Promotion.
Module THD 1038 Creative Industries Professional Case Study
The candidate confirms that the work submitted is their own and that appropriate credit has been given where reference has been made to the work of others.
The University of Huddersfield School of Art & Design Department of Design Huddersfield West Yorkshire ENGLAND
4th February 2016
Abstract The recent popularisation of the streetwear clothing trend can be partly explained by theories of ‘innovation and adaption’, laver’s Law and ‘bubble up’; although the profitable relationship between the music and fashion industry has been established, it remains unclear as to the links between grime music and streetwear clothing. The purpose of this case study is to examine the specific role of the grime music scene in relation to recent popularisation of the streetwear trend. Online survey and email interview methods are integrated into the research with the aim to compare changing opinions of grime music and streetwear clothing. Links between dates of significant success for the grime music scene and the streetwear clothing trend are analysed in a comparative case study in order to discover any significant correlations between them. The participants are recruited through a combination of the accidental and purposive nonprobability sampling techniques The prominent findings within the case study establish that there is in fact a significant relationship between the adoption of the grime music scene and the popularisation of the streetwear trend. The quantitative data presents that streetwear clothing is now widely accepted by individuals of all backgrounds. The qualitative data adds that the grime music scene is now perceived to be less representative of the negative stereotypes in which the genre once withheld. With critical analysis of the engaged research methods and the integration of data types this case study presents crucial details of the unrecorded relationship of two rapidly thriving industries.
Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to express my eternal gratitude to Isabella Munro for the immense amount of support in the duration of this case study project.
Secondly, I would like to show appreciation to my tutor Claire Allen for the helping hand and the wise advice.
Finally, thank you to my friends and family who have encouraged and inspired me over the past months.
Contents Page
Abstract Introduction………………………………………………………………………….........1
Chapter 1: The grime scene 1.1 The meaning of ‘grime music scene’…………………………………………...….4 1.2 An introduction to the grime music scene…………………………………...…….5 1.3 Grime history………………………………………………………………………….6
Chapter 2: the streetwear trend 2.1 Introduction of streetwear…………………..…………………………………….....9 2.2 The history of streetwear…………………….….…………………………………...9
Chapter 3: literary review 3.1 Bubble up…………………………………………………………………………….12 3.2 Coolhunters……………………………………………………………………….....13 3.3 Innovation and adoption……………………………………………………………13 3.4 Laver’s law of trend cycles…………………………………………………………15 3.5 DIY culture……………………………………………………………………………16 3.6 The effects of the mainstream………….…………………………………………..17 3.7 Celebrity endorsement………………………………………………………………18 3.8 Music and fashion……………………………………………………………………18
Chapter 4: Methodology 4.1 Aims…………………………………………………………………………………20 4.2 Research philosophy and approach……………………………………………..20 4.3 Data collection methods…………………………………………………………..20 4.4 Research design………….………………………………………………………..21 4.5 Ethic procedures…………….……………………………………………………..21 4.6 Secondary research…………...…………………………………………………..21 4.7 Online survey……………………………………………………………………….22 4.8 Email interview……………………………………………………………………..23 4.9 Comparative case study…………………………………………………………..25 4.10 Rate reliability and validity……………………………………………………….25
Chapter 5: Results 5.1 Streetwear survey………………………………..………………………………..27 5.2 Grime music survey……………………………………………………………….28 5.3 Email interviews……………………………………………………………………28 5.4 Comparative case study…………………………………………………………..30
Chapter 6: Discussion 6.1 Popularisation of the streetwear trend…………………………………………..33 6.2 Adoption of the grime scene……………………………………………………...34 6.3 The grime music scene and streetwear relationship…………………………..34 6.4 The flipside………………………………………………………………………….35
Chapter 7: Conclusions and recommendations…………………………………….37 References……………………………………………………………………………...39
Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………40 Appendices: Appendix A…………………………………………………………………………….43 Appendix B…………………………………………………………………………….44 Appendix C…………………………………………………………………………….49 Appendix D…………………………………………………………………………….50 Appendix E…………………………………………………………………………….52
Introduction In recent years, both the grime music scene and the street wear clothing trend have evolved and developed into something worth investigating. The grime music scene has become increasingly popular over the past decade with its presence at festivals and official charts around the world, which may be considered an immense success for the violent genre it has been perceived to be. Similarly, the street wear clothing trend has continued to go from strength to strength globally; with presence in many luxury high fashion brands there are no signs of the trend slowing down in the near future.
Existing research considered in this case study, such as Aspelund’s (2009) ‘bubble up’ and Roger’s ‘innovation and adoption’ theories, can explain how streetwear initially moved into mainstream success. The case study builds on these theories with the acknowledgment of Laver’s law (date), which presents that fashion trends are recycled over periods of time. The impact of the achieved mainstream success has also been analysed with the addition of celebrity endorsements and collaborations. Studies regarding the relationship between the music and fashion industries are clarified. Even with the above considered, it is still unknown as to whether there is a direct link between the trends movement and the grime music scene.
The aim of this case study is to consider the level of influence that the UK grime scene has played in the popularisation and adoption of the street wear clothing trend. The primary objective of this case study is to determine the changing attitudes towards grime music and whether any alterations have affected street wear clothing trends. The secondary objective is to analyse links between key dates in the grime music scene and streetwear presence in high fashion to identify any correlations in an endeavour to provide proof that they are directly associated.
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 The grime music scene was specifically picked for the topic of this case study as research studies have previously been conducted about the genre and its links with ethnicity and cultural effects on society. All be it very little evidence exists exploring the role of grime music with exact relation to the fashion industry; this case study will draw upon this lack of proof within the research aims. The research topic of this case study holds immense importance as fashion is entwined into everyday life in the entire western culture by those of all ages, backgrounds and sizes. It is also key for fashion brands to understand how changing attitudes towards music genres can affect consumer attitudes and behaviours towards clothing and style. With the information analysed and discovered in this case study the fashion industry can adapt in order to suit the ever evolving needs of consumers, to their profitable benefit, in such a fast paced environment.
Chapter 1 of this case study serves as a background to the grime music scene; it will firstly introduce the meaning of grime music scene in addition to familiarising the concept of culture in relation to the study. The characteristics and representations of the grime music scene are examined. Chapter 2 introduces the personality of the streetwear trend prior to focus on the history of the clothing style. The ways in which it has gained success as well as the effects of the mainstream achievements are identified. Chapter 3 forms an in depth literary review of theories to explain the ways in which a product or trend moves into mainstream popularity and can be recycled again. Exploration of existing secondary knowledge regarding the links between music and fashion industries is seen within chapter 3. Chapter 4 states the planning of research methodology in which critically analyses the sampling techniques, data collection methods, research design and approach to data analysis used in the case study. Chapter 5 builds upon the secondary knowledge of the theories presented in chapter 4 with the primary research results of this case study. The results were gathered by following the methodology in chapter 4, which investigates further ways the streetwear clothing trend specifically has become popularised with reference to the grime music scene. Chapter 6 analyses and 2 Â Â
 discusses the results of the research in detail, including the theories examined within the literary review (chapter 3), as a means of exploring the level of influence the grime music scene has asserted. Finally, chapter 7 concludes the aims and objectives whist drawing upon recommendations for future research on the topic.
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Chapter 1 The grime music scene Prior to establishing whether the grime music scene has affected the popularisation of the streetwear trend, the meaning of ‘grime music scene’ must be explored. The nature of grime music culture and the roots of underground music in which the scene has grown from are essential factors when considering its effect it has had on the fashion industry. The progression and success of the genre and the changes that the popularisation has encouraged are also importantly considered.
1.1 The meaning of ‘grime music scene’ Guerra, Bennett & Moreira describe the concept of a scene as a ‘cluster of social and cultural activities without rigid boundaries, but with an attachment to a space of interactions’ (2015). Scenes, such as the grime scene, can be established by the type of social activities and the geographical location in which they take place. The Oxford dictionary defines culture as ‘the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society’, therefore culture is a form of belonging and expression by those who collectively adopt certain values and beliefs. Religion is a form of culture in which its members hold the same beliefs, they gather in specific spaces such as churches or mosques and they identify with each other through the clothing they wear. Considering the above the grime music scene is a space or location where individuals with the same values and beliefs can join in a community of activities; therefore the grime scene is a form of culture. Grime culture is typically recognised by spaces of inner city urban environments; individuals affected by economic and social issues such as racial segregation and poverty can form communities through music and lyrics of shared experiences and emotions in which they can relate to (Barron, 2013). 4
1.2 An introduction to the grime music scene Grime music emerged from a rich heritage of underground music that originated with Jazz music in the late 19th century. It is recognised as the 140 bpm (beats per minute) UK garage infused genre that adopted the “DIY attitude of punk” (Collins, 2014). Tulloch observes that the sound and style of rap (spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics) present with grime music was also heavily influenced by hip hop music in the late 1980’s which spread throughout the world and was adopted and adapted in the form of grime music (2004). Polhemus suggests that these underground music genres, such as grime and hip hop, are typically formed on the basis of deprivation and/or segregation (2010). During the economic boom of east London in the early 21st century there was a significant difference between the growth of luxury business ventures and deteriorating tower blocks (Hancox, 2012). The area of Canary Wharf has seen much poverty and deprivation within its time, especially after the docklands were ruthlessly bombed in the second world war in an attempt to cut off supplies to the rest of the UK. The docklands never truly recovered from this, which resulted in the docks being closed down and the area falling back into a state of unemployment, causing a “problem place in social, economic and crime terms” (Oakley, 2013). With this strict division of wealth grime was born in the poverty stricken council estates of east London many years later where violence and street crime is still the way of life for many. Another factor to consider is that of racial segregation; during the 1950’s the UK had a surge of labour migrants that settled into low paid work upon London estates. Hall (1978) notes that in the mid 1970’s moral panics were formed by the media with remarks of an extremely negative nature associated with the black population. This had an immense effect on the quality of life for those facing the racial attack which created more violence and anguish as a result. 5
Barron explains that today, the particular ethnically motivated moral panics within these urban environments of the 1970’s and 1980’s remain in an expression of “knife-crime fears and youth-created disorder” (2013); this is evident in the London riots of 2011.
Traditionally, grime is a reflection of these economic dilemmas in ‘a form of angst-ridden expression against the oppression facing these young voices on a daily basis’ (MTV Staff, 2015). In addition, Barron (2013) states that grime artists are effectively ethnographers as they document the daily struggle of existing in the tough urban environments they are faced with.
1.3 Grime history In London during the first years of the 21st century a group of youths spent their time rapping over garage records at local youth clubs and in school playgrounds after being inspired by crews such as Heartless Crew, So Solid Crew and Pay As U Go (Hancox, 2012). In doing so this provided London’s young generation with a space offering relief from the harsh realities of the streets in which they live. In 2002, early MC (master of ceremonies/mic controller), Wiley concluded that the mainstream garage sounds that were used as a base to rap over did not fit the aggressive tone of the words that the artists were expressing. From this the grime music genre was first created as youths began to digitally produce unique sounds in tower block bedrooms on laptops that were initially borrowed for school homework. The grime music sound was soon to be regularly heard on pirate radio stations, such as Rinse FM, throughout urban environments which defined grime as a genre of its own.
2003 saw the creation of Channel U, a new TV platform exclusively for UK grime artists to air their music; this provided the first opportunity of promotion for a genre that was disregarded 6
by mainstream music labels. During the same year grime music was officially recognised when Dizzee Rascal won a Mercury Prize with his album 'Boy In The Corner' (Capital XTRA, 2015). Throughout 2004 the grime scene was established further; a series of both male and female artists such as Kano and Shytsie secured a place in the official music charts, the success was so great that they achieved platinum record sales of at least 1 million. This theme continued into 2005 as grime artist collectives such as roll deep started to adopt a more commercial ‘electro grime’ tone within their music, which appealed to the mainstream.
During 2006 the authorities started to intervene with the grime music scene in the form of the Promotion Events Risk Assessment Form 696, which was set to ensure that grime raves were safe and free from criminal activity. Hip Hop producer and political activist Lowkey noted that “John Wittingdale, chairman of the culture, media and sports committee, characterises this form as "discriminatory and completely unnecessary" because in essence it serves to further criminalise people who already feel marginalised” (The Guardian, 2012). Grime songs, such as Lethal B’s ‘Oi’, were even abolished from being played in clubs and on the radio as they were said to encourage violent anti-social behaviour.
Over the past 15 years however, the grime music scene has evolved exponentially. Grime music videos have transformed from low budget homemade films to high definition professional videos that capture the inventiveness of the scene. It has been increasingly accepted into mainstream society through the celebration of grime week on BBC Radio 1 whilst influential grime artist Skepta modelled for and created the soundtrack to be played at Nasir Mazhar show at New York Fashion Week.
The popularisation of the internet really changed the grime scene as it created a platform for people to listen to grime music that was unheard on popular radio and TV channels. With the
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 new option for artists to express and promote their music without the help of major labels grime had the opportunity to be heard all over the country by a variety of people (Ilan, 2012).
Ilan (2012) also notes that the effect of this commercialisation caused grime music to become less representative of criminal stereotypes usually associated with the grime scene; therefore it became increasingly appealing to a mass audience and in turn have the opportunity to become mainstream with its less violent approach.
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Chapter 2 The streetwear clothing trend In order to establish the affect that the grime music scene has had on the popularisation of the streetwear trend it important to firstly examine the characteristics and history of the style. 2.1 Introduction of streetwear Street wear is typically associated with trainers, statement jewellery and lose fitting comfort clothing which contain interesting and innovative design aspects that differ from the usual mainstream styles and latest trends. American hip hop has had a crucial role in the rise and development of the trend whilst accessories such as hats/baseball caps and man bags are important features of streetwear style as it provides the opportunity to give outfits a different look in a variety of ways. Polhemus (2010) proposes that streetstyle subcultures arise from hard economic times, which closely relates to the DIY cut and paste culture studied by Luvaas (see chapter 2) as those involved may not have excess money to purchase a whole new outfit therefore experimenting with smaller accessories delivers alternative options.
2.2 The history of streetwear Luvaas (2012) suggests that street wear was first sparked around the late 1970s in the Californian surf scene, which was then adopted and integrated with skate-boarding, punk and hip hop subcultures. Hip hop culture was ignited in 1976 when Jamaican Dj’s in New York began to throw street parties similar to those in Kingston. B-boy and fly-girl street dancers would gather wearing clothing such as tracksuits and trainers that allowed them the freedom to move; including tight caps that provided head protection (Polhemus, 2010). It was from this scene that the increasingly popular hip hop scene, formed by the celebration 9
of African American culture, adopted an urban twist on the original streetwear style when it hit the streets of New York. The trend began to make an impact in the 1980’s, which was soon to grow into a significant culture in itself. As culture is expressed partly through clothing the way in which African American culture was amplified during this time shaped a path for the success of the streetwear clothing trend. At this point in the 1980’s the hip hop streetwear clothing trend was adopted by young black people in Britain, especially hats, tracksuits and trainers. (Tulloch, 2004). During the 1990’s hip hop music established a great level of success and from this the music, including its fashion, became significantly important around the world. As a result of this the culture became further widespread meaning that hip hop could be enjoyed by a variety of people, which helped in the way that hip hop became boundlessly influential as it was “no longer black and working class” (Lewis, 2015). ‘The authenticity which streetstyle is deemed to represent is a precious commodity. Everyone wants a piece of it’ (Polhemus, 2010). The dramatic success of hip hop in 1986 opened up streetstyle to all ages, races, classes and backgrounds; before long tracksuits and trainers had become adopted by the masses as the style became socially acceptable. This however lost the exclusive persona of streetstyle therefore the innovators had to continuously develop their style in order to maintain authenticity and originality. As hip hop spread throughout the world at the beginning of the 21st century each country began to put their own cultural spin on the style. It was from this influence that the UK grime scene was sparked. Grime music lyrics, as discussed previously, have a specific focus on the documentation of the daily racial and economic struggles that the artists within urban environments face; streetwear clothing is a personified expression of this that reflects the true nature of grime culture. Grime street style adopted the hip hop look of sportswear and
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adapted it with less focus on ‘bling’ (statement jewellery) than its American roots (Tulloch, 2004). In 2005 streetwear clothing, especially hoodies and baseball caps, was banned in some public areas within the UK as a result of the media forging moral panics around ‘hoody culture’ (Marsh & Melville, 2011). With a criminal and violent stereotype surrounding those who choose to wear streetwear the trend was clearly no longer acceptable to the wider public and in turn became less influential. Street wear clothing has since become a global phenomenon again with presence in all levels of contemporary fashion from the small unique businesses such as Sturban right up to New York fashion week with the likes of Nasir Mazhar. “Style journalist Josh Sims estimates that streetwear is now one of the world’s biggest clothing sectors, with sales in the billions of U.S. dollars per year” (Luvaas, 2012). Sportswear giant Adidas has seen profits and brand awareness sore with popularity of the streetwear trend. When Run DMC released the song ‘my Adidas’ in 1989 the connection between art and sports was sparked, which saw the ‘birth of non-athletic promotions in the sporting goods industry’ (Adidas-group.com, 2016)
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Chapter 3
Literary review Chapter 3 examines existing theories that are relevant in the explanation of how streetwear clothing has become mainstream. Aspelund (2009) suggests that as fashion became obsessed with youth it began to take influence from the streets whilst Polhemus (2010) builds on this with the ‘bubble up’ theory. Roger’s (2003) theory of innovation and adoption introduces the different types of consumer that aid a product or person in the journey to mainstream success, which is further explored with Luuvas theory of DIY youth culture. Lavers Law (Laver, 1945) also extends on Rogers (2003) innovation and adoption theory through the introduction of how trends are recycled through the years. The rise of celebrity endorsements and the way fashion brands build relationships with consumers as a means of promotional strategy is addressed. The mainstream success that grime music and streetwear clothing has achieved is partly explained by theories observed. This study also identifies existing research regarding the links between the music and fashion industries to date. With all the above considered, it is possible for this case study to fill in the missing information as to the level of influence the grime scene has had in the popularisation of the streetwear trend.
3.1 Bubble up Aspelund (2009) acknowledged a new wave of young designers turned fashion away from the control by the elite and into the hands off street fashion. The focus of fashion turned away from establishments and became infatuated in the image of youth. High fashion then began to look towards the streets for inspiration in order to breathe youth into their designs meaning that the gap between high fashion and street fashion decreased considerably in comparison to 100 years previously. 12
Polhemus (2010) builds on this by noting that clothing trends originally ‘trickled down’ from the fashion house elite through to the streets, however as times have changed and fashion has become more engrossed on the image of youth it has started to ‘bubble up’. Class, race, education and money were now no longer limiting aspects for creative individuals whilst attempting to make an impact. Innovative and authentic trends that originate on the streets now move up the ladder to inform high fashion designs.
3.2 Coolhunters Coolhunters, as described by Gladwell (1997), are individuals who scour the streets as a means of discovering what the cool and alternative kids are doing; which is then reported back to fashion brand headquarters. The employment of Coolhunters bridge the gap between real people and the fashion industry, which has allowed Polhemus’ (2010) ‘bubble up’ theory to appear. The ‘cool kids’ are innovators who have adopted the DIY culture (Luvaas, 2012) in which exciting styles are created with the mash up of new and old material. As Aspelund (2009) identified, it is this invigorating youth culture of innovators that attracts the interest of significant fashion brands.
3.3 Innovation and adoption Rogers (2003) ‘innovation and adoption’ (or diffusion of innovation) theory can explain to some extent how the streetwear clothing trend started with the cool kids; eventually proceeding into the mainstream through the rate in which it was adopted by the majority. The theory stems from the idea that certain types of people are more open minded to change and are willing to be the first to try out new things. On the other hand, other people need more reassurance of change through innovations being tried and tested by others beforehand; this shows that products have different types of consumer throughout the progressive stages of its life span. 13
This can be seen on the innovation curve graph, see appendix E.
Types of consumers
1. Innovators: innovators are key communicators and brave people who are willing to test out new ideas/products before anyone else, usually at high expense. Innovators make up 2.5% of the initial sales at the very beginning of a products lifespan.
2. Early adopters: early adopters are respectable people and opinion leaders who will carefully take on new ideas after the innovators have initially tried and tested. Early adopters make up the next 13.5% of sales and as opinion leaders within social groups they encourage the product to become social acceptable.
3. Early majority: the early majority are thoughtful people who carefully accept change quicker than the average person, however only after it has been made socially accepted by the early adopters. The early majority extend to 34% of sales and are a crucial component to mass sales.
4. Late majority: the late majority create the next 34% of sales by sceptical people who are only willing to try new ideas/products when it has being used by the majority.
5. Laggards: traditional people who wish to preserve ‘old ways’ account for 16% of sales and are only willing to accept change when it has become mainstream.
(Management.net, 2015) (Learnmarketing.net, 2015)
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3.4 Laver’s law of trend cycles Roger’s theory of innovation and adoption is limited as it does consider the fact that after a product has reached mainstream adoption trends often repeat themselves throughout the years. Laver’s law (Laver, 1945) suggests that after a fashion trend has become mainstream it enters a time scale (see Table 1 below) in which it will adopted again.
Table 1
Laver's Law Indecent Shameless Daring Smart Dowdy Hideous Ridiculous Amusing Quaint
10 years before its time 5 years before its time 1 year before its time current 1 year after its time 10 years after its time 20 years after its time 30 years after its time 50 years after its time
Charming
70 years after its time
Romantic Beautiful
100 years after its time 150 years after its time
The theory of fashion trend cycles is necessary to acknowledge as it is apparent that the streetwear trend was first adopted in the 1980’s and then potentially, as this study aims to establish, revived by the introduction of grime music in the UK in the past decade.
The limitation with laver’s law however, is that fashion has now become a fast paced industry therefore there is a higher turnover of trends in a smaller timescale. This can explain the fact that streetwear has been once again adopted just 25 or so years later; rather than the 50 year time period predicted by Laver.
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3.5 DIY culture Building from this, the theory of DIY culture explores further the innovators that re-energized the streetwear clothing trend. Both the grime music scene and streetwear clothing were born out of working class cultures that lacked materialistic goods due to economic deprivation and marginalisation (Polhemus, 2010). This however, did not hinder the creativity and motivation of youths within these spaces who ultimately became the innovators. Lévi-Strauss explains this as ‘bricolage’; the bricoleur uses initiative to find creative ways to use the materials available to them, even if they are not typically suited for the task at first sight, they will find inventive ways to complete the job. On the other hand, Lévi-Strauss compares this is the opposite to an engineer, who sets out to complete a task by gathering the specific materials and equipment they need in order to complete the job (1962).
The introduction of new media and digital technologies have provided the youth generation with the tools they need to ‘rework’ existing material will little skill and extensive knowledge of computer software. The ‘cut and paste’ effect provides a way to create new ‘mash up’ versions of existing material and never seen before styles to form an innovative edge that popular styles hadn’t adopted. The ‘DIY’ ethos really captures ‘that creative, experimental, go-getter, and be-yourself spirit that drives innovation’ (Luvaas, 2012), which can especially be visible in the case of streetwear clothing and the grime music scene.
The creative nature of the grime music scene and streetwear clothing is important to examine in this case study as it can be said that this innovative and opportunistic feel was what made them appealing to the mainstream. In addition, the limitability of streetwear clothing items by avoiding the mass market was the one of the components that made the style so appealing with its increased exclusivity. As a result of these, streetwear clothing holds a particular cool factor in which consumers and mainstream brands are continuously on the hunt of in order to contract the most cutting-edge styles to date. 16
3.6 The effects of the mainstream The effect of ‘bubble up’ and the ‘innovation and adoption’ model has seen high fashion brands imitating the look that streetwear style emanates. This is clearly acknowledged in the book of ‘Fashion and celebrity culture’ by Pamela Church Gibson (2012) where it is mentioned that Karl Lagerfeld dressed models in gold chains and quilted bum bags which was clearly influenced by American hip hop group Run DMC. Because of this Polhemus describes that the authenticity of streetwear clothing has been lost in translation and as a result the true representation of subcultures has declined.
Espinoza extends on the effect of the ‘bubble up’ theory by concluding that luxury fashion brands are now promoting streetwear clothing aspects within designs, which gives ‘muchneeded validation to a genre that was often disregarded for its underground roots” (2015). On the other hand, it is apparent that fashion industry expert’s disregard that influence is taken from streetwear clothing and admit that although the inspiration exists, the luxury fashion versions of the style are “more prestigious, more considered, and definitely more influential.” (2015). Removing the association with street culture luxury brands create a diluted tone that is more accessible to the mainstream industry, therefore it becomes more appealing to greater amount of people
Ilan (2012), as discussed in chapter 1, exclaims that as grime music has become mainstream, the authenticity of the genre has declined; this similarity of weakened originality between grime music and the streetwear clothing trend is clearly visible. With the methodology in chapter 4 this case study aims to establish this link further.
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3.7 Celebrity endorsement Church Gibson (2012) notes that the ‘economic power of celebrity culture has been effectively harnessed’ by the fashion industry. This includes popular music artists who are endorsed by fashion brands as ambassadors whilst featuring on advertising campaigns. Also, brands use celebrity endorsements as a means to forming ‘attitudes that are robust and enduring’ (Till, Stanley & Priluck, 2008) to consumers; this encourages the customer to build a relationship with the brand through relating to the chosen celebrity. This is particularly important to this case study as well-known grime artists are endorsed by brands to promote their clothing at events and in music videos. In addition, grime artists have also recently been seen to collaborate with brands, for example sportswear brand Puma collaborated with grime duo Krept and Konan (Munro, 2016). The promotion of streetwear brands through grime artist endorsement gives a feasible explanation as to how the streetwear clothing trend has become a mainstream industry.
3.8 Music and fashion “The relationship between fashion and music is embedded in and emphasized by the sharing of language” (Miller, 2011). With similar sensibilities the two industries cross over marketing techniques that appeal to consumers who are attracted to a certain taste of music and style. As Miller suggests, music fans can use style and fashion in order to recognise the music cultures they support, therefore forming a sense of community in which they can relate and belong to. This is supported by the work of Youngjoo Na and Tove Agnhage, (2013) where research showed that participants who shared music tastes alike adopted parallel aesthetic views and emotions. Also, individuals with increased interest in fashion and music related more significantly.
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Tulloch, author of Black Style, proposes that music brings people together which promotes diffusion of racial tension, which allows individuals of all backgrounds to express themselves freely without segregation. With this liberation, ‘their modes of dress actually serve to strengthen their cultural definition’ (Tulloch, 2004), which demonstrates that those who listen to certain music genres style themselves in a certain manor in order to be associated with the particular culture.
In relation to this case study, street wear clothing is adopted by grime music enthusiasts in order to express the values and beliefs of grime scene culture. Chapter 3 finds that music artists and fans can connect through a shared language and style, which is useful in understanding the relationship between grime music artists and their audience; including possibly, their ability to influence the purchasing of streetwear clothing. The aim of this case study research is specify further than the generic theory of links between the fashion and music industry with a direct focus on the grime music scene and streetwear.
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Chapter 4 Methodology This chapter discusses the different opportunities of research methods that are available for the use of effective, reliable and valid data collection and analysis. The possibilities in research philosophy and approaches are considered along with methods of research design and sampling techniques. Each of these are critically analysed in relation to the strengths and limitations involved in order to benefit the case study; it is crucial to consider these factors as a means to clarifying the level of reliability and validity of the data collected. 4.1 Aims The primary research within this case study aims to compare changing opinions in addition to finding links between dates of success for the grime scene and streetwear clothing trend in order to discover any significant correlations between them. 4.2 Research philosophy and approach The study takes a phenomenological research philosophy with the interest of gaining descriptive meanings surrounding the research topic. This is the favourable option as it allows greater insight in to the connotations and reactions that individuals devote to; creating opportunities for the advancement of new concepts. The draw back in using this philosophy is in the reliability and validity ratings as the data is complicated to analyse with the lack of hard evidence. The study adheres to an inductive approach as, described by Neuman (1997), it develops ideas and detects patterns during the process of the research.
4.3 Data collection methods The maintenance of an inductive approach involves the collection of qualitative data which can be recognised as an investigation into the meanings and emotions that individuals attach. A benefit of using qualitative data is that it promotes the finding of other aspects of 20 Â Â
the topic which may have otherwise been missed as well as its ability to provide understanding of complex social topics. Quantitative data also has contains advantages; the collection of numerical data is available to accurately analyse and draw conclusions from. An integration of both quantitative and qualitative data provides the opportunity to harvest the benefits of each data type in favour of the research; this works particularly effectively as the factual quantitative data can back up the descriptive findings discovered with qualitative means.
4.4 Research design Exploratory research design methods are used as a means to explore and explain the topic of the research question in greater detail whilst conclusive research design methods provide hard evidence that solidly proves the research question. 4.5 Ethic procedures Walsh (2001) establishes the importance of gaining informed consent and permission of participants whilst it must be trusted that anonymity and confidentiality is enforced within the research. In addition, interview participants should firstly be introduced to the purpose of the research, assured confidentiality and their right to withdraw from the research at any time.
4.6 Secondary research Walsh (2001) notes that the ‘first challenge’ of undertaking research is forming an unblemished understanding of the research question and the topic in which it is focused on. Detailed secondary research of theoretical literature was implemented as this method provides a strong backbone for the basis and direction of a case study. Academic books, such as Polhemus’ ‘Streetstyle’ (2009), and journal articles written by established theorists have been sourced in order to understand the factors involved in the topic of the popularisation of streetwear clothing. This method is increasingly beneficial through the 21
opportunity to identify gaps and possible missing links within existing theories. The sources used have been gathered through a variety of reliable platforms such as Summon, Google Scholar and the university library.
4.7 Online survey With the wide scale accessibility of the internet today online surveys offer the perfect opportunity to collect a large amount of data from a variety of sources.
Two self-administered online surveys were conducted as means of data collection. Survey 1 is to focus on the assessment of changing opinions of the grime music scene; survey 2 is to clarify individual’s thoughts on the popularisation of the streetwear trend. The surveys were created through Surveymonkey, an interactive online survey provider that promotes ease of use as well as accessibility for those involved in the research. Sharp, Peters & Howard (2002) suggest that it is of benefit to pre-test questionnaires, with a few individuals representative of the sample, prior to the full scale distribution; feedback by piloting allows the researcher to analyse the effectiveness of the methods and edit the measures employed for the benefit of the study. The accidental sampling technique is adopted in the case study online surveys. Generalisations and sampling errors cannot be estimated with the use of this method meaning that confidence in the representibility of the sample cannot be calculated. The surveys are to be distributed through word of mouth to friends, family and classmates of the researcher. In addition to this the survey will be advertised by posting links on online social media. The grime music scene survey (survey 1) was designed with 6 questions formed comment boxes for answers, which the participants had the freedom to enter as much or little 22
information as they felt necessary. The involvement of this open style question method is advantageous with the opportunity of collect qualitative data. The streetwear clothing survey (survey 2) was built of 7 questions with a mixture of multiple choice and comment questions in order to gather both quantitative and qualitative data. Dawson (2009) proposes that when using interviews within research it is beneficial to create “interview summary forms” in order to complete the task of analysing qualitative data. It is also recommended that quantitative data is analysed with computer software. Walsh (2001) explains that descriptive statistics, such as percentages, are helpful in finding patterns when analysing quantitative data. The quantitative data collected by survey 2 is investigated with the aid of computer generated descriptive statistics specified by the survey provider in the form of calculated percentages regarding each response. A limitation of using online surveys is that participants may not take the questions seriously resulting in anomalies within the data, which can harm the rate of reliability and validity. With the absence of a face to face environment in self-administered surveys the participant is unable to clarify any aspects that they may not understand, meaning responses may incomplete or misunderstood (Dane, 2011).
4.8 Email interview Dawson (2009) expresses that the method of interviewing provides the opportunity to gather qualitative data.
The email interview method, with the benefit of collecting qualitative
information, is selected for this case study as they allow in depth studies of the participants opinions and experiences. Email interviews are favourable as they can completed in the participants own time without the pressure of the researcher and interview environment which inspires, to a certain extent, less bias. This method was used in this case study to gain insight from the heart of the grime scene and the way in which it is adapting as it becomes 23
 increasingly popular; by comparing with attitudes of streetwear clothing a direct link between the two may become apparent. The participants of the email interviews are recruited through the use of purposive sampling. Dane (2011) states this sampling technique is adopted when the element is chosen as a result of specific characteristics that are required. This is a favourable choice as individuals with a strong relationship with the study topic can provide important insight that cannot be found with accidental sampling methods. The email interviews are conducted with people specifically known for their established relations and involvement in the grime scene (see appendix B for full participant profiles). The participants were contacted by email, which stated research on the grime scene is being directed for a university project and would they agree to be involved. Open-ended questions encourage the participant to provide first hand descriptions of personal experiences. For this reason a series of 9 open questions were designed for the case study research to provide detailed insight to possible links between these experiences and the streetwear clothing trend. This contracts the descriptive benefits of collecting qualitative data as discussed. The data is analysed similarly to the way in which the qualitative data is investigated within the online surveys. The limitations of email interviews include that the researcher cannot clarify the meaning of questions with the same value of a face to face interview setting. Dane (2011) states that unless it is certain that the respondents fully comprehend the questions proposed, the data cannot be completely trustworthy as the responses must be fitting with the research topic.
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4.9 Comparative case study This method is adopted within the case study in order to distinguish any correlation between the dates of significant success for the grime music scene and appearance of streetwear style influence in luxury brand runway shows. The comparative case study is completed by studying the runway show history, from 2000 to 2015, of the luxury brands Balenciaga, Givenchy, Prada and Louis Vuitton. Dates of runways featuring visible influence of key streetwear aspects such as trainers, sweatshirts/hoodies and caps are documented. The data is gathered through the access of Vogue’s online luxury fashion brand runway history which, although not as effective as the real deal, provided important insight into the street styles adopted within the collections. Acknowledgement of the most important achievements in grime music was made including the year of the successes in order to form a comparison of dates as to when streetwear influenced high fashion appeared. This information was accessed through a BBC article in addition to the viewing of Channel 4 and Dazed ‘open mic’ documentary, which records firsthand information from significant ambassadors of the grime music scene. The disadvantage of using secondary resources to form this case study is the reliability of the information that is published; however this issue is suppressed with use of the established online sources Vogue.com and the BBC that value trustworthy information.
4.10 Rate reliability and validity The reliability of data can be tested through internal reliability testing. This can be analysed by measuring how the results correlate; discovering similarities within the data responses suggests a higher rate of reliability through consistency.
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 Both face and content validity measures are formed by subjective judgement that the research describes the topic question accurately. Although it is a weak measurement, it is a beneficial staring point.
With the adoption of the above approaches, philosophies and research design it is not possible to calculate errors. Instead, reliability and validity measures are formed through the grouping of responses and analysis of anomalies.
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Chapter 5 Results This chapter displays the results of the methods planned within the previous chapter. Firstly, the quantitative data retrieved from the online surveys will be presented followed by a further observation of the opinions revealed. The detailed qualitative data collected through 3 email interviews is excavated. An in depth case study is developed to compare dates of significant achievement for the grime scene and appearance of streetwear style upon high fashion runway shows.
5.1 Streetwear survey (1) •
73.5% of participants stated that they wear items of streetwear clothing including trainers, tracksuits and t-shirts.
•
Nearly 90% agree that streetwear clothing has become mainstream.
•
77.2% think that streetwear has gained popularity as more music artists are wearing and promoting streetwear clothing
•
Just over 18% also add that it has become less associated with violent stereotypes therefore more people wear it.
•
64% of participants have listened to grime music, 30% of these listen to the genre regularly
•
Just over 74.4% believe that streetwear has (23.3%), or to some extent (51.2%), become more popular due to the fact that grime music has become more popular.
Opinions on how participants believe streetwear has changed show that a high percentage of participant’s perception of streetwear clothing has in fact changed; more than half believe
27
that streetwear clothing is now more accepted by mainstream society and it is seen as generic casual wear for all types of young people. Respondents also mention that they consider the reason for more people wearing streetwear clothing is due to it being more associated with fashion; whereas in previous years wearing streetwear was stereotyped through negative connotations as being ‘common’ or a ‘chav’.
5.2 Grime music survey (2) Opinions widely held by most participants show that the grime music scene is perceived as an ‘essence of youth culture’ that provides a platform for freedom of expression for those living in urban environments; only a small minority still held the view that the grime scene is representative of crime and violence. The majority of participants stated that there is a definitive link between the changes in attitudes towards grime and the adoption of streetwear. Some commentated that there are now more grime music videos in which present streetwear clothing therefore the style has been promoted to the masses and in turn has become popularised. An additional key point addressed is that as grime music has become popular it is more socially accepted, therefore the streetwear fashion representative of grime is also increasingly widespread and more in line with the mainstream.
5.3 Email interviews Participant 1: 1. Agrees with the secondary research previously discussed in that the grime scene has ‘changed beyond recognition’ as people are making increasing amounts of profit for the commercialisation of the genre. She does however believe, similarly to the research in chapter 1, that it ‘still gives a sense of community and self-expression for
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a lot of young people’ and that there is a ‘similar energy in the music, it's a strong DIY attitude and irreverence that comes across’. 2. provided key points of opinion in how streetwear has adapted, for example it has shifted away from an American streetwear look to a really British look in the early days of grime (Polhemus, 2010, see chapter 1). 3. Supported that high fashion has adopted streetwear style (Aspelund 2009, see chapter 2) and ‘grime has had some part in this’. This, as she exclaims, is due to young creatives, such as Nasir Mazhar, from ‘different backgrounds coming together, street fashion influencing outwards and upwards’. 4. ‘Music, fashion and art collide to create a hybrid and things feel distinctly British’. ‘People creating their own cultures from their realities of where they come from, which is a lot of what grime is about for me.’ Participant 2: 1. Has been involved in the grime music scene for over a decade and believes that grime has always had different aspects to it therefore it hasn’t changed much. The ‘Only thing that had changed is people accepting every style’. 2. Streetwear clothing such as tracksuits and Nike trainers are the key style due to sporting hobbies and influence from the urban environment in which they grew up in. 3. It is agreed upon that the grime music scene has a significant effect on streetwear clothing trends as ‘tons of kids buying our tracksuits or the one we wear to be like us’. Participant 3: 1. “Nowadays you don’t have to worry about the police shutting down the rave.
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2. “The crowd aren’t there because they love it, but more because they feel cool to be there. The raves are definitely safer but I feel like the followers of the genre have become less authentic”
5.4 Comparative case study: Grime music adoption and streetwear influence in luxury fashion brand runway shows See appendix B for full results. 2001-2003 The comparative case study shows that the grime music scene was quickly establishing itself as a genre with success entering the official charts. Over these years there was no presence of streetwear inspired designs upon the runways. In 2004, as music record companies became interested in the grime music scene Givenchy briefly features a sports themed jacket in the spring ready to wear collection. 2005 The grime scene continued to gain popularity with a commercialised electro twist on the sound. At the time moral panics were created around ‘hoodie culture’, which resulted in the ban of hooded clothing and caps in public areas such as shopping centres within the UK (Marsh, I., & Melville, G, 2011). Whist this damaged the presence of the style worn by youth on the streets there was an introduction of streetwear influenced designs on luxury brand runways (Givenchy spring ready to wear collections). 2006
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In 2006 the progress of the grime music scene was halted with the introduction of stricter policing at grime music events and the restriction of where grime songs can be played in public. This did not affect the streetwear features within luxury brands as Louis Vuitton maintained a theme of caps and hoods within 16 looks of the fall menswear collection; the models often had their eyes covered. Givenchy showed a hoodie in the fall menswear show. The Prada spring and fall menswear collections feature bucket hats, oversized t-shirt and black hoodies on 6 occasions. 2008 The 696 formed in 2006 is revised in 2008. Givenchy sustains its streetwear links as models are decorated in thin gold chains on 4 times in addition to collection features of mostly all black outfits. 2009 Grime artists achieve five numbers one hits in the official charts. Givenchy and Louis Vuitton spring menswear designs include oversized t-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts. 2010 Pirate radio station Rinse FM finally gains a legal licence. Givenchy spring and fall menswear clothing embraces bold graphics, bandanas/caps, oversized t-shirts and sweatshirts. Small gold details feature in 4 looks. Louis Vuitton spring menswear adopts sweatshirt style.
2011 Wretch 32 releases Black & White, which reaches number one in the UK R&B chart. In the same year luxury brands increasingly show streetwear aspects within collections. Balenciaga spring menswear plain black sweatshirt and sports jacket. Givenchy spring 31
menswear oversized lace t-shirts and full headwear gear; fall menswear sweatshirts (some with bold Rottweiler graphic), oversized t-shirts and trainer inspired footwear. Givenchy fall ready to wear sweatshirts (with graphics), gold details and bold prints. Prada spring menswear and ready to wear with oversized t-shirts. Prada fall menswear sports jacket and sweatshirts. 2012 Wretch 32 wins the best international act at the BET awards. Givenchy fall winter snap backs, cropped jumpers and bomber Jackets; spring menswear oversized t-shirts and sweatshirt appear very frequently. Louis Vuitton Spring summer men’s hoodies and bomber bomber jackets. Balenciaga fall ready to wear bold oversized sweatshirt style and Chanel spring ready to wear oversized t-shirt. 2013 Fall Givenchy, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Chanel all feature sweatshirts and oversized t-shirts. 2014 Stormzy wins best grime act at the 2014 Mobo awards, Meridian Dan reached number 13 in the Official Singles Chart and Lethal Bizzle released Rari Workout, which again peaked at number 11. Chanel and especially Givenchy feature streetwear inspiration in most of the collection closely followed by Louis Vuitton. 2015 Within 2015 the grime music scene evidently flourished as its success begins to spread worldwide with Skepta’s Boy Better Know tour and Stormzy’s best international act award at the BET awards. The genres achievement is noticed in America with support from music kings Kanye West and Drake. Increasing streetwear influence is clear in the Balenciaga fall menswear runway with a black hooded jacket, cameo sweatshirt. Balenciaga spring menswear sweatshirt under suit, large 32
white t-shirt, trainer style footwear. Givenchy spring menswear feature 6 oversized bold or sheer t-shirt looks, a black hooded jacket and sweatshirt. American hip hop rapper inspirations are visible with bandana headwear and the layering of large t-shirts over long sleeved tops. Louis Vuitton also cohere with models wearing sweatshirts, trainers, jumpsuits and hooded jackets.
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Chapter 6 Discussion Chapter 6 forms an in depth analysis of the findings presented in the data in order to answer the research question. The discussion is an investigation as to whether the results reveal any significant correlations between the grime music scene and the popularisation of the street wear clothing trend. The theoretical findings of the secondary research are integrated and extended with the supplementary data revealed in the primary research of this case study.
6.1 Popularisation of the streetwear trend The results show that streetwear has indeed become mainstream in recent years and it is the adopted style choice for many individuals. The data suggests that this is due to the fact that streetwear clothing is less associated with anti-social stereotypes than in previous years, therefore making the trend more appealing to many. Findings in the research clarifies that streetwear clothing is now perceived to be associated with high fashion. This outcome backs the Polhemus (2010) theory of ‘bubble up’, as noted in chapter 3, in the way that streetwear style clothing that originated in the streets of urban environments has worked its way up into luxury fashion brand territory. The data collected in the comparative case study clearly establishes Aspelund’s (2009) statement that high fashion takes inspiration from streetwear style. The most frequent significant features of streetwear are prominent over the past 5 years and by 2013 most of the looks/outfits within the collections studied contained designs influenced by streetwear style.
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6.2 Adoption of the grime scene It is also clear from the online survey data within the case study that the grime music scene has become popularised as a high percentage of individuals are aware of the genre. The data agrees with Ilan’s (2012) point, as discussed in chapter 1, that the grime music scene has been approved by variety of classes, races and backgrounds. The primary and secondary data clarifies that it is now considered as less representative of violent and criminal stereotypes. The results of this study provide more detail into the differences between old and new opinions regarding the grime music scene. Today, grime is perceived by many to express the positive essence of youth culture; it is apparent that the genre still withholds its authentic urban environments roots whilst giving a voice to the members that inhabit these spaces. This present wider acceptance, as mentioned in the email interview, has increased the grime scene’s opportunity to generate profit. With more opportunities and financial aid there has been a boom in professional grime music videos featuring on the television, internet and social media platforms. In addition, prominent grime artists have received significant music industry awards, establishing the success further.
6.3 The grime music scene and streetwear relationship A significant number of participants conclude that streetwear has reached mainstream appeal partly due to the increased popularity of grime music. It could argued from that email interview research that the coolhunters described by Gladwell (see chapter 3) may have discovered the exciting cool kids of the up and coming grime music scene including the style that they wear; meaning the grime music scene has directly sparked the streetwear trend.
35
This is investigated further as the participants acknowledge that the streetwear style adopted by grime artists is promoted on a wider scale. Pamela Church Gibson’s (2012) theory (see chapter 3) noting the benefits of using celebrity endorsements for the use of fashion promotion is evident in the findings of the research; the audience are adopting and purchasing streetwear style clothing as a result of viewing grime music videos. The data can suggest that the grime artists are the innovators of the streetwear trend which are, as described by Rogers (2003) in chapter 3, the daring individuals who spark trends.
6.4 The flipside The research within the comparative case study clarifies that the grime music scene and the streetwear trend have achieved significant mainstream success within the past five years; the direct link between the dates of success, however, is questionable. Whilst grime music was labelled as too violent and grime events were heavily policed in 2006 the adoption of streetwear influenced luxury fashion did not decline in response. In fact, during the same year Louis Vuitton presented a strong theme of caps and hoods whilst Givenchy and Prada feature black hoodies on several occasions. The research data can be perceived from a different angle with the proposal that the adoption of streetwear clothing actually promoted grime music as genre. Streetwear has a rich history of celebrated underground culture therefore it is possible that this association with the style in previous years is the key factor in encouraging the acceptance and popularisation of the grime music scene. It could be argued that the appearance of streetwear style within luxury fashion brands in 2006 was an attempt to oppose the hoodie culture moral panic and violent stereotypes that were present at the time. Espinoza (2015), as established in chapter 2, relates to this angle through the opinion that luxury fashion brands have validated the style by disassociating it with negative stereotypes; in turn,
36
making it more ‘prestigious’ and appealing to a larger variety of people, especially those of higher class. It could also be considered that grime music’s recent success in America (see comparative case study) has allowed the streetwear trend to grow so rapidly. Further research into grime and streetwear as a global trend would be an interesting topic for future study that would be useful for the fashion industry as a worldwide market.
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Â
Chapter 7 Conclusions and recommendations
The aim of this case study is to consider the level of influence that the grime scene has played in the popularisation and adoption of the street wear clothing trend.
The primary objective of this case study is to determine the changing attitudes towards grime music has been met as the results display that grime music is more associated with urban youth culture and freedom of expression rather than the prior criminal stereotypes. This is argued to have encouraged the growth of the street wear clothing trend as this style is now more accepted by wider society and is seen as general casual wear for young people of all backgrounds.
The secondary objective of this case study is to analyse links between key dates in grime music and streetwear to observe any correlations proving they are directly associated. The comparative timeline case study establishes that in the same time period that grime was becoming recognised for its mainstream success the streetwear trend began to be an increasingly present theme in the high fashion catwalks of luxury brand designs. The dates however, did not consistently correlate throughout all the years in question.
The main findings of this case study in summary show that the commercialisation of grime music has attached a new and positive set of attitudes to the representations regarding street wear clothing, resulting in the popularisation of the trend. The increase of professional grime music videos featuring prominent artists in streetwear clothing appears to have stimulated the rise of streetwear clothing sales. It could be suggested through the results that the adoption of streetwear within luxury fashion has in fact popularised the grime scene.
As a whole the case study resolves the research aims and objectives effectively. A significant correlation between the fashion and music industry has been made with the 38 Â Â
 academic analysis of theoretical studies with the addition of interesting and effective primary research.
The results have the level of validity useful for the fashion industry to implement strategies with relevance to consumer behaviours and attitudes. This case study can also be beneficial for use within the music industry with the adoption of fashion styling for specific consumer types.
It would be beneficial to extend this research with a greater sample size randomly selected in order to increase the reliability of the data. In addition, further qualitative research gathered by completing face to face interviews with participants would aid the conclusion as to whether the grime music scene revived the streetwear trend in more detail.
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Appendices Appendix A Email interview participant profiles Participant 1; photographer, artist and modern day pop-ethnographer who is celebrated for her book ‘What We Wore – A People’s History of British Style’, published by Prestel in 2014 and has worked with Dr Martens, Dickies, Umbro, Adidas, JD Sports and Nike. Participant 2; Famous UK grime artist, successfully entered grime music into the UK charts during 2010 and 2011 whilst featuring with other key grime artists Kano, Wiley, Lethal Bizzle, JME, Chipmunk, 2Face and Ghetts. Participant 3; popular young grime scene photographer from London who has worked with influential grime artists Stormzy and Skepta.
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Appendix B Comparative case study full table Year 2001
Grime scene So Solid Crew release debut single Oh, No, opening the doors for grime music (though this was technically classed as garage)
2002
More Fire Crew release Oi! Which reaches seven in the Official Singles Chart. Wiley holds Eskimo Dance, biggest grime event ever
2003
Streetwear
the
Kano booked for events in Aiya Napa Channel U is birthed (Now known as Channel AKA) Dizzee Rascal releases Boy In The Corner, winning a Mercury Prize
2004
Record companies became interested in grime
Givenchy spring ready to wear sporty jacket (look 12)
Lethal B brings the best MCs from collectives across the grime scene together and releases Pow! (Forward Riddim) in 2004, which reaches number 11 in the Official Singles Chart. 2005
Commercialised ‘electro grime’ sound makes an appearance helping the genre more accessible
Media moral panics over ‘hoodie culture’ bans hoods and baseball caps in public areas Louis Vuitton spring ready to wear silver glitter sweatshirt style (look 49)
2006
Form 696 is created in 2006 to target violence at music events, which puts a block on grime and hip-hop events and leads to big urban gigs being cancelled. Grime fades from charts
Louis Vuitton fall menswear caps (6 looks) 1 bucket hat, (hoods 9 looks) Louis Vuitton ready to wear oversized bucket hats covering eyes
Lady Sovereign signs to Jay Z's Roc-A-Fella Records. Love Me or Hate Me became the first video by a British artist to reach number one 45
Givenchy spring menswear sweatshirt (look 16) Givenchy fall menswear hoodie (look 23)
on MTV's Total Request Live. Jamal Edwards sets up SBTV, an online platform which allowed MCs the artistic freedom to create what they want for their fan base without label limitations. 2007
Prada spring menswear bucket hat (look 1, 3, 17) oversized t-shirt (look 33) Prada fall menswear black hoodies (look 40, 41
2008
Form 696 is revised in 2008 after asking what ethnicity the artists and attendees are.
Givenchy fall ready to wear thin gold chains (look 1-3 & 4), mostly all black outfits
2009
Labels interested in white grime artist Devlin
Givenchy spring menswear oversized tshirts (look 10, 11, 17), sweatshirts (look 14)
Five numbers ones from grime artists including: Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder and Chipmunk. 2010
Rinse FM finally gains a legal licence in 2010.
Louis Vuitton spring menswear oversized t-shirts (look 1, 50) hoodie (look 4, 20, 45, Givenchy spring menswear bold graphics (looks 10-13) bandana/caps headwear (7 looks) oversized t-shirts (looks 15, 18, 19, 23, 29) sweatshirts (looks 22, 27) gold details (4 looks) Givenchy fall 2010 menswear black hooded jacket (look 6) oversized t-shirt (look 7
2011
Wretch 32 releases Black & White, which reaches number one in the UK R&B chart.
Louis Vuitton spring menswear sweatshirt (look 14) Balenciaga spring menswear plain black sweatshirt (look 4), sports jacket (look 6, 17) Givenchy spring menswear oversized lace t-shirts (look 12) full headwear gear (4 looks) Givenchy fall menswear sweatshirts (some with bold Rottweiler graphic (look 4, 5, 7, 12, 15, 19, 21, 22, 24, 33, 35, ) oversized t-shirts (look 31, 38) trainer inspired shoes Givenchy fall ready to wear sweatshirts (with graphics) looks 8, 10, 13, 14, 16,
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17, 21, 23, 36, 38, 41, 43) gold details and bold prints Prada spring menswear oversized t-shirt (look 27 – 33) Prada spring ready to wear oversized tshirts and crop tops (look 3, 8, 12)
2012
Prada fall menswear sports jacket (look 12, 13, 33) sweatshirts (look 31, 32) Wretch 32 wins the best international Givenchy fall winter snap backs, act at the BET awards 2012. cropped jumpers and bomber Jackets. Givenchy spring menswear oversized tshirts (look 1, 17, 18, 35, 37) sweatshirt (look 3,7, 9, 10, 16, 20, 22, 24, 31, 33, 41, 42) Louis Vuitton Spring summer men’s hoodies, bomber jackets, Balenciaga fall ready to wear bold oversized sweatshirt style (look 14, 15, 20 - 25) Chanel spring ready to wear oversized tshirt (look 9), sports style jacket (look 56)
2013
Fall Givenchy ready to wear sweatshirts (look 1, 6, 9, 25, 29, 31, 35, 36, 37, 44, 46- 49) and oversized t-shirts Givenchy fall menswear oversized t-shirt (look 7, ) sweatshirt (look 9, 24, 25, 27, 35, 40, 45, 47) Prada spring ready to wear shows black sweatshirt with bold pattern (look 15). Prada spring menswear oversized t-shirt (look 4, 16) Nasir Mazhar launched his first collection at London Fashion Week. Louis Vuitton spring menswear bucket hat (look 18) Balenciaga menswear oversized t-shirt (look 12), Chanel spring ready to wear sweatshirt 47
2014
Stormzy wins best grime act at the Mobo awards 2014. Meridian Dan reached number 13 in the Official Singles Chart with his track German Whip featuring Big H and JME 2014. Lethal Bizzle releases Rari Workout, which again peaked at number 11 in the Official Singles Chart
2015
Stormzy wins the best international act at the BET awards 2015. Kanye West brings out grime MCs at the Brit Awards 2015 and performs alongside Boy Better Know in Camden. Wireless 2015 and Drake brings out Skepta during his headline performance.
style (look 9, 54) Chanel fall ready to wear matching jogging tracksuit (look 1, 2, 3), trainers (42 looks) Givenchy menswear spring large hooded jacket (look 1, 3, 9, 37, 55, 57) sweatshirt (look 4, 6, 25, 28, 47, 48, 52 ) matching bold prints, oversized t-shirt (look 10, 19, 22, 35, 49, 54) Givenchy fall menswear hoodie (look 11) sweatshirt (look 13, 17, 29, 40, 42, 44, 45, 46, 51) black hooded jacket (look 24, 34, 36) Louis Vuitton fall ready to wear sports style jacket (look 20), sweatshirt style (look 41) Spring menswear hooded jacket (look 10, 13, ), oversized shit (look 18, 19) Balenciaga fall menswear black hooded jacket (look 6), cameo sweatshirt (look 10) Balenciaga spring menswear sweatshirt under suit (look 14), large white t-shirt (look 18), trainer style shoes (look 19 – 23) Givenchy spring menswear oversized bold or sheer t-shirts (look 20, 22, 29, 34, 54, 56) black hooded jacket (look 27) sweatshirt (look 45) rapper headwear in places
Skepta then begins his world tour with Boy Better Know, performing across the planet to spread the UK grime sound.
Givenchy layer sweatshirts
large
t-shirts
over
Givenchy fall menswear sweatshirt (look 18, 40, 54) t-shirt (look 20 Louis Vuitton spring menswear sweatshirt look 15) trainers, jumpsuits Louis Vuitton fall menswear hooded jacket (look 17, 18) 3 sweatshirts
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Appendix C Online survey question sample
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Appendix D Participant consent
50
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Appendix E
Diffusion of innovations theory
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