Hip Hop and Fashion

Hip hop is a unique style of dress originating with the African American and Latino youth in The Bronx NY, and later influenced by the hip hop scenes of Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and a many of other cities. Each city contributed a variety of elements to its overall style seen worldwide today. Hip hop fashion complements the expressions and attitudes of the hip hop culture in general. Hip hop fashion has changed dramatically during its history, and today it is an important part of popular fashion as a whole across the world and for all ethnicities. Black Nationalism was ever more influential in rap during the late 1980s, and fashions and hairstyles reflected traditional African influences. Blousy pants were popular among rappers like MC Hammer. Fezzes, Kufis decorated with the Kemetic ankh, Kente cloth hats, Africa chains, locks and red, black, and green clothing became popular as well, promoted by artists such as Queen Latifah KRS-one, Public Enemy, and X-Clan). In the early 1990s, pop rappers such as The Fresh Prince, Kid n’ Play, and Left Eye of TLC popularized baseball caps and bright, often neon-colored, clothing. Kriss Kross also established the fad of wearing clothes backwards. Kwame sparked the brief trend of polka-dot clothing as well, while others continued wearing their mid-80's attire. Hip hop influences are seen in Chanel's fall 1991 collection.The Nike capture of soon to be superstar basketball protégé Michel Jordan from rivals Adidas in 1984 proved to be a huge turning point, as Nike dominated the urban streetwear sneaker market in the late 80's and early 90's. Other clothing brands such as Champion, Carhartt and Timberland were very closely associated with the scene, particularly on the East coast with hip hop acts such as Wu-Tang Clan and Gangstarr sporting the look.
Gangsta rap pioneers N.W.A. popularized an early form of gangsta style in the late 1980s, consisting of Dickies pants, plaid shirts and jackets, Chuck Taylor sneakers, and black Raiders baseball caps and Raiders Starter jackets. Starters in addition, were also a popular trend in their own right during the late 1980s and early 90s. They became something of a status-symbol, with incidents of robberies of the jackets reported in the media.
Hip hop fashion in this period also influenced high fashion designs. In the late 1980s, Isaac Mizrahi, inspired by his elevator operator who wore a heavy gold chain, showed a collection deeply influenced by hip hop fashion. Models wore black catsuits, "gold chains, big gold nameplate-inspired belts, and black bomber jackets with fur-trimmed hoods." Womenswear Daily called the look "homeboy chic."