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ELLE SEASON SPECIAL
H~W ~~ Y~U ~tftNt UR~AN fA~Ht~N~ by CLAIRE
Times writer Alex Williams talked to Ouigi (referred to as the Bearded Dandy of Brooklyn) about his clothing line and how he uses the brand's sharp aestehtic to offer a new definition of what black street fashion should be. Ouigi said, "Our goal is to refine the image of urban America ... My dream is to see guys hanging on the corner in suits." He continued, "Urban always had a style to it, a swagger. .. [but it also came with the negative stigma of] overuse of the 'N' word, the pants sagging," he said, " ... When I travel overseas, people see the way we dress and say: 'You guys don't listen to hip-hop. You're not urban.' Yes, we are."
On Glenn, One-Piece
Tribal Print Dress by Forever21 P9000,
Plwto By Via Bautista HMUA Hillary Lee.
On Dax, Printed Sllirt by Bench P950, Corduroy Pm1ts by Mm1go P 1500 Boat Shoes by Rusty P3000 Pilato By Kurt Santos HMUA Hillary Lee.
On Glenn, One-Piece Tribal Print Dress by Forever21 P9000, Bersllka Watch P30000 Photo By Mica Esquivel HMUA Hillary Lee.
On Angelica, Blue Plaid Polo by Bench P 1200, Hat by Forever21 P600 Photo By Mica Esquivel HMUA Michaela Macalinao.
On Dax, Printed Shirt by Bench P950, Corduroy Pants by Mm1goPlSOO Boat Shoes by Rusty P3000 Photo By Angel Perez HMUA Hillary Lee.
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On Angelica, Blue Plaid Polo by Bench P 1200, Shorts by Forever21 P600 Photo By Via Bautista HMUA Michaela Macalinao.
The Times' fashion section also has a slide show called, "A New Fashion Image for Urban America", that shows Theodore and friends in super preppy Brooklyn Circus duds, playing chess and ironing shirts. One caption says, "Mr. Theodore's fashion quest. .. is to elevate a side of black urban culture that goes beyond the baggy jeans and sneakers that still define hip-hop." At the Fashion Bomb our tag is "All Urban Fashion All the Time." And while most of our style stars are hip-hop and R&B icons like Beyonce, Kanye West, and Pharrell, you might notice that very few of them dress in what is typically thought of as an 'urban' way. Beyonce regularly rocks Alexander McQueen, Chanel, and Balmain (mixed in with House of Dereon), Rihanna can be seen switching in and out of Gareth Pugh and Lanvin frocks, and Kanye West wears Phillip Lim, Burberry, and luxurious furs ... with Jordan sneakers. Aside from 'hip-hop' stars embracing designer labels, urban also extends to other races, as in people who have a multicultural, vibrant background, take risks, and mix high and low with the best of them.
Granted, rap in the 90's had a very particular look, but the artists, genre, and audience have grown up. It's somewhat befuddling that larger culture would assume that urban still means low slung pants, bandanas, and dangling toothpicks. I'd venture to say that urban fashion is mainstream fashion-a melange of current trends and designer items, remixed with flair and individuality. All set to a hip-hop soundtrack. At any rate, what does the phrase 'urban fashion' mean to you?
On Glenn, One-Piece Tribal Print Dress by Forever21 P9000, Beige Shoes by Mango P15000 Photo By Kurt Santos HMUA Hillary Lee.
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On Dax, Printed Shirt by Bench P950, Corduroy Pants by Mango P 1500 Boat Shoes by Rusty P3000 Photo By Angel Perez HMUA Hillary Lee.
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