Article: What is Street Fashion?
What is Street Fashion?
It is no secret that street fashion has taken over the hearts of many when it comes to styling preferences. Street fashion has evolved and branched out all over the world with everyone adding their twists. This type of fashion is most frequently seen in the African-American culture as countless hip-hop artists and athletes are constantly photographed rocking this style simultaneously influencing others as well.
If we were to trace back to the roots of street fashion, we would be taken to a woman named Caroline Baker, a Black British Editor who worked for magazines such as Nova, Elle, Cosmopolitan UK, and more. Baker holds a moniker as the “Rebel Stylist” as her styling techniques in her time, (1970’s), were controversial and unheard of.
The premise of the way Baker would style models was to have fun with the clothing. Baker would take elements from several different genre’s of styling and combine them into one [Vogue]. Punk, Disco, and Vintage are all examples of styles whose elements are seen in her works. She pushed the boundaries of predecessors to create something new and unique that pushed a positive message, especially to women, about how you can have fun and be excited about your clothing.
Looking at how street fashion came to be and then taking a look at current times, you can see the inspiration that transcends the decades passed. Artists like Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are often photographed rocking street fashion in their day-to-day outings. Combining bold colors, patterns, and materials, the pair pulls elements of vitange and punk with an overall clean look. Rappers Cardi B and Offset are also among artists who constantly rock the street fashion look, but they take the more bold and flamboyant route.
Offset has constantly been named as one of the fashion trendsetters in the music industry as well as A$AP Rocky. The two rappers have their own flair that sets them apart from each other creating uniqueness.
Another black pinoeer in the industry who has undoubtedly made their mark and left a legacy is Virgil Abloh. He was an iconic fashion designer, artistic director, an an overall fashion mogul. He was the first African American to ever hold the title of artistic director for Louis Vuitton’s menswear department. He had also created a brand of his own called Off-White, a well known staple in luxury fashion. Some pieces of his that highlighted his career are the Louis Vuittan Holographic Deuffel Bag, the Off-White Mona Lisa Hoodie, and the HBA X Been Trill T-Shirt. With his passing, it was a devasting loss in the fashion industry due to his influence and ingenious designs.
There are so many more pioneers of street fashion such as Kanye West with his brand Yeezy that is heavy on the athleisure look. Other brands like Walker Wear, Baby Phat, and Beyonce’s Ivy Park are all black-owned street-style brands that made their way to the forefront of street fashion.
The main take-away for street fashion is to have fun with your look experimenting with different elements. The combination of things is what makes street fashion so unique. A great place to shop this style is with us at Empire Clothing. We have a wide variety of brands who took the initiative to design collections of streetwear and have made their own mark. Popular brands like Blac Leaf, Cult of Individuality, 6th NBRHD, and many others on our site gives a variety of looks you can rock like you’re a celebrity. Shopping in-store allows you to talk to members of our staff, all with varying personal styles, to help you build your looks.
Street fashion has risen in popularity through time with individual expressions being the main attraction. Per the creator of street fashion: live it, wear it, style it.
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