Free Stylin': How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry

273 Pages·2012·2.45 MB·English

by  Elena Romero

’
Free Stylin
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Alvin Blanco
Free Stylin’
H H H C F I
OW IP OP HANGED THE ASHION NDUSTRY
Elena Romero
Foreword by Daymond John
Hip Hop in America
Juleyka Lantigua-Williams, Series Editor
Copyright2012byElenaRomero
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproduced,storedinaretrieval
system,ortransmitted,inanyformorbyanymeans,electronic,mechanical,
photocopying,recording,orotherwise,exceptfortheinclusionofbriefquotationsina
review,withoutpriorpermissioninwritingfromthepublisher.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Romero,Elena,1973–
Freestylin’:howhiphopchangedthefashionindustry/ElenaRomero;forewordby
DaymondJohn.
p.cm.—(HiphopinAmerica)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978–0–313–38646–6(hardback)—ISBN978–0–313–38647–3(ebook)
1. Fashiondesign—UnitedStates.2. Hip-hop—Influence.3. Clothingtrade—United
States. I.Title.II.Title:Freestyling.
TT507.R656 2012
746.9020973—dc23 2012000371
ISBN:978–0–313–38646–6
EISBN:978–0–313–38647–3
16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5
ThisbookisalsoavailableontheWorldWideWebasaneBook.
Visitwww.abc-clio.comfordetails.
Praeger
AnImprintofABC-CLIO,LLC
ABC-CLIO,LLC
130CremonaDrive,P.O.Box1911
SantaBarbara,California93116-1911
Thisbookisprintedonacid-freepaper
ManufacturedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
This book is dedicated to my oldest daughter, Gabriela, a natural
fashion diva who from the moment she could talk knew what she
wanted to wear.

Contents
Foreword by Daymond John ix
Author’s Note xiii
Acknowledgments xxi
1. ACentury of Style 1
2. Fresh Dressed 9
3. The Revolution Will Be Publicized 25
4. Solidarity in Cross Colours 41
5. Brooklyn’s Finest 61
6. Tailor-Made 77
7. Hip Hopreneurs 95
8. How FUBU Changed the World 113
9. Hip Hop Hooray 129
10. Urban Luxe—A Sean John Story 143
11. They Got Fashion Game 153
12. White Behind the Brands 161
13. The Ecko, The Rhino, and the Empire That Marc Built 169
14. Dollars and Sense 183
vii
viii | Contents
Epilogue 197
Notes 203
Bibliography 211
Index 225
Foreword
GrowingupinHollis,Queens,Irememberhearingtheearlysoundsof
hip hop from Spoonie Gee (credited for the origination of the term
“hiphop”and“yes,yesy’all”)andTheSugarHillGang’s1979classic
“Rapper’s Delight.”
Iwasabout12yearsoldwhenIfellinlovewithfashion.Atfirst,Iwas
into the labels that were popular at the time—Puma, Pony, Ellyse, and
Kangaroos for sneakers; Lee’s and Levi’s for jeans; and sweatsuits by
LeCoqSportif. Irememberthefirst hiphopartists wearingsomereally
crazy outfitslike Grandmaster Melle Mel and Afrika Bambaataa,wear-
ingstufflikeGeorgeClinton,Parliament,andtheFunkadelicsonstage.
Hiphopattireonthestreetswasactuallysimplebetweentheearlyto
mid-1980s.Thoseofuswhofollowedthemusicfoundawaytotrickit
outandmakeitspecialbycustomizingourwares.B-boyswereagreat
example for practicality, function, and style. As dancers, their pants
couldn’t be too baggy so b-boys either tapered jeans by putting pin
tucks or permanent creases down their legs or took shoe laces and
stringed them up to their thighs. To stand out, sneakers could have
dyed soles or checkerboard laces.
EachNewYorkboroughhaditsownuniqueflavor.AsQueensguys,
weworeAdidasshell-toesbecauseofRun-D.M.C.anddonnedaBVD
look, which consisted of a BVD short-sleeve T-shirt with a BVD tank
top overit.Wewould headtoJamaica Avenue to theColosseum Mall
for sweatsuitsand airbrushed gear by The Shirt Kings.LocalJamaica
ix