Streetwear has had multiple influences that birthed it. While, skate culture & the West Coast (read. Stussy), is credited as the home of streetwear, the influence of Hip Hop, especially from the East Coast, is equally impactful.
Oversized t shirts, adidas track jackets, bucket hats and PUMA Suedes were the staples of B- boys and B- girls. And when Adidas signed on RUN DMC for a million dollar collaboration and a special line of their own, the trifecta of sportswear-hip hop-streetwear could not be separated.
Celebrity endorsement has undeniably played a key role in moulding streetwear. LL Cool J’s iconic FUBU hat in a Gap commercial deserves honorary mention.
And it wasn’t just the brands that said ‘streetwear’, but the overall styling and vibe that came to be associated with the category.
The 90s and early 00s saw the birth of brands influenced by hip hop such as Karl Kani, Cross Colours while others like Wu Wear, X-Large, Rocawear were started by artists themselves for the community from within the community.
By the mid 00s, Hip hop and streetwear had become almost synonymous. Pharrell Williams was an ambassador for BAPE, working closely with NIGO (Founder, A Bathing Ape). He gave hip-hop a new look mixing elements of skate, Japanese streetwear and punk and also collaborated with the likes of Timberland and Mark McNairy (voted Complex’s Man of the Year in Style in 2012). For more information please visit streetwear culture.
And then came Kanye who took the streetwear category mainstream! Kanye West’s Yeezy collaborations with Nike and Adidas have ingrained themselves in every sneakerhead and streetwear enthusiasts wardrobe, worldwide.
While rappers took the category to the next level, millennial rappers launched their own clothing lines to tell stories & express themselves through fashion regularly. Anwar Carrots launched Carrots that collaborated with designer Mark McNairy for a special drop. Activist, community leader & West Coast Rapper Nipsey Hussle, RIP, went on to start The Marathon Clothing in the hood, as a way to uplift his community. The Marathon Clothing went on to collaborate with The Hundreds an OG streetwear brand that tells incredible stories through their product.
Collaborations are a hallmark of Streetwear and Fashion. And a sign of Streetwear’s powerful influence was evident when majör fashion houses tapped present day Rapstars like A$AP Rocky to increase their relevance. And here’s a little fun fact to finish with, A$AP Rocky, not only represents ‘streetwear style’ in its current high fashion avatar but he has an indelible connection with the OGs with his tattoo of The Hundreds mascot – Adam Bomb.
