If you're a regular reader of this blog then you are probably already well aware of my love and slight obsession with the fashion line Jacked Fashion and the designer behind it. We've interviewed each other, collaborated on the editorial I'm Not From Around Here and now we have begun an ongoing working relationship with a series called A Ranting Redhead. Pretty much what happened was when Alaska and I were shooting together I went on one of my many rants about A$AP Rocky, the rap industry and it's entanglement with the fashion industry. Instead of thinking that I talk way to much and should keep my random thoughts to myself Alaska actually was inspired wanted to hear more later asking if I would be interested in doing a series featured on her blog where I can rant about any topic I want once a week. The only rule was that I had to be real. No playing safe, conservative, trying to not offend anyone bullshit; just be completely and utterly as real as possible about how I feel towards whatever.
It started in the '90s when everyone in
the rap industry began wearing Calvin Klein and it has only grown
exponentially out of control since then. It seems to me that as soon
as a rapper gets their moment in the spotlight they feel inclined to
have to name drop the biggest designer labels of the moment. For
example 'Tom Ford' by Jay-Z, 'Fashion Killa' by A$AP Rocky or
'Christian Dior Denim Flow' by Kanye West. Now my issue is not that
these songs are being made by rappers but simply why do they feel the
need to have to throw these designer names into their songs when most
of the time these rappers do not come from this kind of lifestyle,
they've only recently joined it.
We can go back to Harlem in the 1950's
and justify this sort of consumerism with dandyism. Men and women
would wear high quality suits, dresses, shoes and jewelry despite not
actually being a part of the upper class based on their income and
location. It was a way to say that even though I may not live with
the upper class I still hold a high standard for myself and if I
can't make that $ I'll at least look like I do. This act of dandyism
is clearly still prevalent, just look at boys who are obsessed with
their sneakers and snapback's or girls and their purses.
But when I saw A$AP's 'Fashion Killa'
music video where him and Rihanna are walking through major designer
stores trying on clothes and there is a break away moment at 3:06 where I'm assuming it's doing a flashback to A$AP before he was the
superstar he is today and he is free-styling with friends on the
street. No designer duds to be seen, just A$AP before fashion became
such a major part of his persona. My mind was racking for reasons the
director decided to include this scene in the video. It made no sense
to the storyline and is not included in the original recording of
Fashion Killa, so why????? Was this an attempt at making a subdued
statement on what's happened to A$AP now that he is famous vs. who he
was before the fame? How the fashion industry and it's bougie-ness
been forced upon him so he can be successful?
I was talking to a friend about these
thoughts and she quickly cut me off saying how she finds it
completely ridiculous that these rappers name drop these designers,
make songs dedicated to them but in reality the designers don't give
two flying fucks. Their sales don't change just because Jay-Z made a
song about Tom Ford because the people buying Tom Ford were buying it
long before Jay-Z mentioned him and the people that now know Tom
Ford's name because of that song are still oblivious to who exactly
the man is and what he does. Hell, I know a friend who got asked if
Tom Ford was a strand of weed because Jay-Z name dropped him.
Smh......
Getting back to my point, designers
aren't changing their campaign model types or the people they send
down runways because they are now mentioned in a rap song, they are
just getting free press and the rappers are only looking like one
more sap in the industry. It would seem more beneficial for rappers
to stop designer dropping and take that money to support the
community they came from that they use to give them street cred as a
hard core gangster rapper. Just a thought to ponder the next time
you're jamming out in your car to 'Tom Ford'.
Your's Truly,
A Ranting Redhead
A Ranting Redhead
Disclaimer: I jam out to 'Fashion
Killa' practically every day, I am only questioning the video
direction, not the awesome-ness of the song.