Polls: Is the Perpetuation of High Fashion in Hip-Hop Played Out?

High fashion brands for the most part have been reliable rhyming content for rappers to announce their riches. Marrying this with their endless budget for an extravagant getup, the two entities often intersect. While obvious luxury brands like Versace, Gucci and Louis Vuitton were in heavy rotation in the mid 2000s, contemporary rappers have delved deeper, exhibiting their tastes via references to bespoke yet equally acclaimed fashion architects like Riccardo Tisci, Raf Simons and Rick Owens. Displaying dexterity with an openness to bold, and at times androgynous outfits, rappers further mirror their dress cues onto their releases. A recent favorite is Kanye’s ’what’s that jacket, Margiela?’ rhyme off hit number “N***** in Paris,” while Jay-Z’s recent efforts in Magna Carta… Holy Grail dedicated a whole track name to celebrated designer Tom Ford. Albeit high fashion references used previously in satire of the elitist, or used to brag about a lifestyle foreseeable once Platinum Record status is reached, rappers today are more hands-on with the brands they mention — with A$AP Rocky’s forthcoming collaboration with Raf Simmons and Kanye’s unyielding penchant for Givenchy. Hence, is the use of high fashion in braggadocio rap more relevant now then ever before or has it become a redundant topic in the spheres of hip-hop?

Looking back at our last poll in which we asked, “Do You Like the Rick Owens x adidas Collaboration?” the results showed 59.4% saying, “No” while 40.5% said, “Yes.”