← Dressed: The History of Fashion
Dressed: The History of Fashion
Fresh Fly Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style, an interview with Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way, part I (Dressed Classic)
00:37:26
Loading summary
Transcript109 lines
- [00:01]
A
Cassidy, did you know that one in three Americans think they are sensitive to gluten, but only about 1% actually have celiac disease. For everyone else, it might be something else in those same foods called fodmaps. And going gluten free doesn't always solve the problem.
- [00:20]
B
And I know how frustrating it can be to feel off after eating, but Phodzyme is here to help. It was created by a Harvard trained scientist who suffered from ibs, so the science behind this has been clinically studied.
- [00:32]
A
Fodzyme mixes into your food fast. It comes in portable packets so you can take it with you everywhere. Just sprinkle, eat and feel great. We are so excited to partner with Phodzyme and offer you 30% off your first order when you go to icaneatagain.com dressed.
- [00:51]
B
That's icaneatagain.com dressed for 30% off your first order. Finally, you can enjoy your favorite foods without the pain. Just go to icanneatain.com dressed and we're
- [01:04]
C
live on matchday as Doug reaches for a buffalo wing.
- [01:08]
A
He's got it.
- [01:09]
C
Oh, and he's gone for a can of Pepsi too. What a finish. There's no doubt about it.
- [01:14]
D
It just tastes better.
- [01:16]
A
Match Days deserve Pepsi.
- [01:19]
B
Please enjoy one of our favorite episodes from the Dressed archive of over 500 plus shows.
- [01:24]
A
The history of fashion is a production of iHeartRadio. With over 8 billion people in the world, we all have one thing in common. Every day, we all get dressed.
- [01:53]
B
But welcome to Dressed the History of Fashion, a podcast that explores the who, what, when of why we wear. We are fashion historians and your hosts,
- [02:01]
A
Cassidy Zachary and April Callahan. Dress listeners, I think that we can all agree that each of us has had at least one specific moment in our lives. That later we look back and we're like, oh, that was the turning point of it all. You know, the moment when everything kind of changed. But in that moment, moment itself, it didn't really feel extraordinary, just felt very ordinary or commonplace. And I bring this up because I wonder if the evening of August 11, 1973 felt like just another regular Saturday night to teenage Cindy Campbell when she was getting dressed and preparing for this back to school party that her and her brother were throwing in the Bronx. Her brother Clive, AKA DJ Cool Herc, was set to spin, and Cindy had spent the days later leading up to this date distributing flyers and handwritten note cards to promote their party.
- [02:56]
B
But what happened that night, many will agree, set off a chain of events that altered not only the future of the music industry, but also, of course, for our intents and purposes, the history of fashion. Using two turntables, Kool Herc mixed the sections of records into themselves, creating a looping effect and what some considered to be the first break beat. The musical genre of hip hop was birthed into the world. And as it blossomed alongside it, so too did the distinctive sartorial stylings of its creators and fans. And as our guests today have noted, quote, ultimately, the story of hip hop style is the story of American style and how it conquered the world. It is the story of black, Latinx and other individuals, tastemakers and trendsetters expressing themselves through invention and reinvention and creating a look that dismissed the stereotypes mainstream society held against them.
- [03:48]
A
Or in the words of hip hop icon Slick Rick, hip hop knows how to freak anything into a stylish masterpiece. We are risk takers without being aware that we are taking risks. Our superpower is knowing how to make diamonds and gold out of dirt and dust. End quote. And today we're actually going to speak about some of that literal gold and some of those literal diamonds as Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way join us to speak about their exhibition fresh fly 50 years of hip Hop Style, which is now on view at the museum at FIT through April 23, 2023.
- [04:24]
B
And some of our listeners may remember Elizabeth Way from a past episode we did on fashion designer Scott Berry. Liz is an associate curator at the museum at FIT at the Fashion Institute of Technology where her co curator of the exhibition, Professor Elena Romero, also works. Elena is an assistant professor and the assistant chair of the advertising, marketing and communications department and for the past 25 years has also worked as a TV, radio and print journalist specializing in covering fashion and culture. Liz and Alaina, thank you so much for joining us today. A warm welcome to you both.
- [04:58]
A
Ladies. A very warm welcome to dressed.
- [05:01]
D
Thank you so much. It's so great to be back.
- [05:03]
A
Yes. Yes. This is your second appearance on the show and probably not your last, I'm going to guess, hopefully. And Elena, it's your first time.
- [05:11]
C
It's my first time. Thank you for having me.
- [05:13]
A
Yeah. Thank you for joining us. I am super excited to be speaking with both of you today because this exhibition and the accompany a book have been in the works for some time now. And for me at least it's been a little bit of an anticipatory waiting game. It's kind of chomping at the bit to do this episode. So the show actually opens next week. We are recording this a week in Advance. And it is in honor of the fact that it's the 50th anniversary of the birth of hip hop this year as a form of creative expression, which kind of means that this is something that has been in the. The cultural zeitgeist our entire lives, everyone sitting here at this table. So I'm hoping that first of all, you might both speak very briefly about your personal connection to hip hop or maybe your first memory of hip hop culture.
- [06:02]
D
Well, Elena should definitely go first.
- [06:04]
C
I just turned 50, so me and hip hop go hand in hand. I am part of Gen X, which is also considered the hip hop generation.
- [06:14]
A
I am also, just for the record, so.
- [06:15]
C
All right. My earliest recollection of hip hop was my cousin Joey from Hunts Point in the Bronx, moving with my family in the early 80s and sharing with me the stories of the parties that were happening in the Bronx, park jams. He was at least six to eight years older than I, and I got to see his big boombox. And then I wanted one. At that moment in time, I was probably maybe about 11 or 12 years old, and my connection to hip hop was really through film, watching films like Beat street and Wild Style. And so I was not an active participant at that point, but so much of a fan and wanting to know more and getting kind of his own oral history, in so many words, his perspective on what was happening so, you know, a couple subway stops away.
- [07:16]
A
Oh, that's so great. And film was definitely my connection to and probably much more mainstream, but I just remember begging my parents to rent Breakin and break into Electric Boogaloo at the video store on vhs, of course.
- [07:29]
D
Of course.
- [07:31]
A
I don't know how many times I
- [07:32]
D
watched those as a kid. Well, I don't know if Elena. I don't know if you mentioned this Elena, but Elena's from Brooklyn, so she's like. She grew up, like, right there in the mix. I definitely had a much more suburban kind of upbringing, just slightly, slightly younger than Elena. So my earliest. I would. I have to say my strongest and earliest memories of hip hop were very fashion related. I loved Aaliyah.
- [07:54]
B
Yes.
- [07:54]
D
And so, like, I think people might argue about the artist in the show, but there's no doubt whether she was a. She was certainly an R and B artist, but there's no doubt that her style was so, so hip hop.
- [08:05]
A
Yes.
- [08:05]
D
And I really, I loved everything about her. And, you know, we were so thrilled to be able to borrow her kind of bandeau and baggy jeans ensemble from the Tommy Hilfiger archive. So that is definitely kind of my first and greatest memory of, like, hip hop.
- [08:19]
A
Yeah, I mean, there's definitely crossover there between hip hop and R and B. Actually, I. You guys probably can't see this right now, but I'm wearing my cross colors T shirt for you today. And it has TLC on the front.
- [08:30]
D
Exactly.
- [08:31]
A
Yeah.
- [08:32]
D
So, I mean, I think these music conversation genres, like, you know, if you want to break it down by, like, how the music's made or whatever. But I think visually hip hop was taking over the music industry, popular culture at that time. And so, so much of the fashion was hip hop, even if you don't want to say that the music was technically hip hop.
- [08:48]
A
Right, right. For sure. Well, I'm hoping, Elena, maybe we can go back just a little bit.
- [08:52]
C
Sure.
- [08:52]
A
Into the time period that you were just speaking of. Because sitting down with your book, I realized that I myself didn't know too much about the very precise moment, because we're marking it. Right. That people agree that the musical genre was born. Would you tell us maybe a little bit about that moment?
- [09:10]
C
Well, the original party was in the Bronx, and it was DJ Kool Herc that was actually throwing a party for his sister, which is a very integral part of the story. So we talk about the birth of hip hop and it's mentioned with Kool Herc, but the sister component sometimes gets mentioned but not highlighted. And in fact, that part is one that. That we want to really stress and highlight that this idea that both men and women were a part of hip hop's early inception in terms of the style that came with it at that particular time, we're talking about 70s into early 80s. Those young teens were really looking at their older siblings and their older cousins and relatives for fashion cues. So there were a lot of different fashionable moments that would have impacted them at that time. We're talking about disco. We're also talking about salsa, we're talking about punk. And so you see different artists kind of incorporating different looks over time. Women had at that point, dressed very much in a unisex fashion, very androgynous, and that was, I think, intentional wanting to fit in with the guys. And so the way they stick was most of the time through accessories, whether that was their hoop earrings, whether it was their rings, their bangles and bracelets. You know, those were kind of their subtle forms of femininity and their ways of showing their individuality.
- [10:41]
A
I'm glad that you said that. All of these different musical influences and the styles associated with them, like disco, were Kind of like all being pulled together, because Elizabeth Wellington, who contributed a chapter in the book, she points out that at the very beginning, there wasn't a particular style really associated with hip hop, but that all changed with Run dmc. So, Liz, maybe you want to speak to how so? And what are some of these kind of like early components of that foundational look, you know, that they established, and then what later emerged as key elements shortly thereafter? Because it's kind of like a puzzle that starts to come together to crystallize in a very specific look.
- [11:25]
D
So we interviewed Sal Aballetto for the exhibition, and he owned Disco Fever in the Bronx, which was really important and very early venue to play hip hop. And he talks about Run DMC's first show, and they're wearing, like, these plaid jackets and these fedoras, and the audience is laughing at them because of this style. And Elizabeth Wellington also talks about the Furious 5 and some other groups that had this much more kind of funk inspired style that people were not emulating in their everyday lives. Right. So when Run dmc, you know, they developed this look with the Adidas tracksuit, with the shearling jacket, with the hat and the Cazale glasses and the chains and the Adidas sneakers, it's a look that's very specific, bringing together all these elements that were kind of in circulation in the Bronx, in other neighborhoods of color at that time. But it was also something that. That their fans were also wearing or had the elements to pull together. It wasn't a fantastical costume. It was a style. And so these elements come from different, different places. So, you know, tracksuits have been kind of around since, like the 1930s as athletic wear. And we see, like, the exercise craze in, like, the 70s and 80s that are bringing kind of more athletic wear into fashion. You know, Adidas had been around. Cazale glasses were a European brand from, like the 60s and 70s. And like the fedoras, they were like kind of these European menswear influences coming together with American streetwear and American sportswear. Elena talks about the sheepskin jacket and how important that was as a rite of passage to go down to Delancey street and get your sheepskin. You know, it was luxurious, but it was also very functional. And so they bring together all of these elements, and it looks so damn cool.
- [13:07]
A
I know going back and looking at the photos, and we have a of Jamel Shabazz's photos in special collections here. And you're just like, every time, you're just like, damn, it was good. Oh cool.
- [13:21]
D
And so it was, it was different. It was taking together all these elements that were there, but it was putting together this very slick look that was very different from, you know, the other rappers who had come slightly before that were wearing much more of a stage costume. So Elizabeth Wellington points to that and I think that that is as good a point as any to really identify a hip hop style. Style. I'm sure other people would point to other kind of moments, but I think that's a really great one.
- [13:47]
A
Dress Listeners Summer is in full effect and it has been a scorcher. Cass I have been in France for the last few months and as our listeners might know it has been record breaking temperatures here and that is one of the reasons why I've loved some like Quint's pieces.
- [14:05]
B
Yes, their lightweight linen pants, dresses and tops are wonderful and they started $30 and they're effortless, breathable and easy to wear on repeat. They use premium materials like 100% European linen, organic cotton and ultra soft denim. And as you know, we love this dress listeners. They work directly with ethical factories and cut out the middlemen. So you're paying for quality and craftsmanship, not brand markup.
- [14:28]
A
Also, I am completely in love with their second skinned bras and undies, especially in the summer. They are light as air so make
- [14:38]
B
your summer wardrobe feel easier. Go to quince.com dress for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's Q-U-I-N-C-E.com dressed for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quints.com dressed
- [14:58]
A
dress listeners as a fashion history podcast, you know that we love sleuthing out the best vintage finds. And whether that be furniture, books, collectibles or clothes, Whatnot is one of our favorite sites for finding the perfect vintage pieces of your dreams.
- [15:16]
B
Whatnot offers not just static listings like other resale sites, but rather real time online auctions where you can interact with the seller in real time and connect with other collectors. It's the perfect combination of your favorite vintage store and the thrill of an in person auction, but available to you online in the comfort of your own home.
- [15:36]
A
And so many of us know the thrill of the hunt. Find something you like, ask the seller in real time to see a different angle or ask questions. It's sourcing the best vintage in real time, but online.
- [15:49]
B
Download Whatnot today and get $20 off and free shipping on your first purchase. Search whatnot W H A T N O T in The App store. Sign up and start finding the best deals on the products you love, with $20 off and free shipping on your first purchase.
- [16:09]
A
So, Alena, you know in the book that fashion has always been considered an important part of hip hop culture. Style has been part of hip hop's DNA as an outlet of expression, status, and identity. And this is so much so that clothing is a frequent point of reference in early hip hop. So I'm hoping that one of you or both of you might speak a little bit about how the artist rapping about fashion contributed to the spread of hip hop style.
- [16:36]
C
Well, I think it's important to note that while hip hop is part of hip hop culture, we have to look at the role that fashion has played in black and brown communities. And so fashion has always been an integral part of defining their individuality and their form of expression. Hence why there's always been an interest in custom and tailored clothing, which in hip hop may not seem so obvious because so much of what's been broadcasted has been more kind of denim and logo driven. But there was also an element of hip hop that does speak to dress attire. So a lot of early lyrics is really storytelling, and that storytelling has a lot to do with the things that you wore, the things that you wanted, daily life. And so early on, you got Slick Rick and the Get Fresh crew talking about Polo cologne, for example, and getting ready, you know, for a night out on town. So a lot of the lyrics were really naturally speaking about everyday life and what those brands signified to them. They would incorporate it in their lyrics. It's much later that we start seeing more manifestations of actual collaborations with brands where the lines are blurred. Is it so much that they're actually wearing the brands because they're big fans or because there's something behind the scenes? But really, I would say up until the 90s, it was really a natural progression. A lot of it is looking at aspects of wealth and affluence. So much of hip hop and early hip hop was just talking about brands that might have seemed out of reach or spoke about a particular socioeconomic status in class. Growing up, I, like so many young urban teens, watched Robin Leach Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous, and we were glued to our television sets to see what that life was all about. And that seemed really far, you know, far reaching for us. And all of a sudden, when hip hop became global and mainstream, we saw our own reflections, right? Our own celebrity Personas now being incorporated in those kind of lifestyle settings. So so much of Hip hop is also aspirational.
- [19:01]
D
Right.
- [19:01]
C
And about being seen. And one of the ways that you are seen is by the brand identifiers that you choose to put on and wear. And so some of it was authentic and other maybe you know, a little bit more fantasy and like. But nonetheless, it created this wonderful dialogue of what I need to do to stand out. And the deeper conversation is about being seen because so many people from marginalized communities have been othered.
- [19:33]
A
Yeah, yeah. Well, part of that aspirational flex and being seen, I would argue, came by way of customization. So can we talk about the role that. That played and continues kind of to play today?
- [19:49]
D
So we have a range of kind of customized looks. Customization has been so, so important in hip hop for. For the whole 50 years. So, for example, we have pieces that were lent to us by popmaster Fable B Boy, and he has a shirt with iron on letters. So really early on, kids, it was very DIY Iron on letters with your name. Exactly.
- [20:11]
C
Absolutely.
- [20:12]
D
I mean, youth subcultures, they're creative, and they want, you know, like, having your name, having your crew, having your neighborhood, you know, it was a way to personalize. So we have pieces that. From personal wardrobes that were. That are so special, but we also have Dapper Dan, who, like, you know, really did this on a. In a, like a professional way. He was a designer, and he opened up this dialogue between American street streetwear, American sportswear, and European luxury before anyone had thought to do that. But we also have pieces that show how graph artists transferred their canvases from trains from walls to fashion. So shirt king Fade, we have one of his jackets with a custom art piece on it. But then we also have pieces from 5001 Flavors who are making these custom looks for Biggie Smalls for people like Aaliyah and Missy Elliott. And it was, you know, it was custom tailored clothes and in leather, in luxury fabrics that we're making, you know, four concerts for music videos. So we have all these different aspects of different customization. Also on display are not the real diamonds, but video are 3D animations of diamond pieces from people like Cardi B. And so that's another manifestation of custom work, of course, very, very different from iron on letters. So we see this huge range of customization in hip hop. And it's so important to individualization and also pushing styles forward, creating something brand new.
- [21:33]
A
Yeah, yeah. And also incredibly important in jewelry styles. We can't talk about customization without mentioning nameplates in the book. Isabel Flower and Marcel Rosa Salas contributed a chapter that kind of briefly details the Euro American history of jewelry bearing text and names. But you know, this dates at least all the way back to the Victorian area, like even earlier. But as an element of hip hop style, the nameplate jewelry is its own phenomenon really. So would you tell us a little bit more about the nameplate trend and generally about the role that jewelry plays?
- [22:11]
C
I mean, jewelry played a tremendous role in hip hop and still does to this day. Speaking from a feminine point of view, there isn't a young girl who isn't has a coming of age story that doesn't speak to when they're able to get their gifted first pair of either name plated hoops or their nameplate chain, which in my case happened probably closer to my 16th birthday. And hence I've done the same with my own daughter who asked for a nameplate chain. It's almost a sign of again of maturity, of going up the rite of passage. So customization is so important in our story because it's something that is forever something that we can treasure, hold onto and that eloquently speaks to who we are.
- [23:00]
A
Beautiful. And also the earrings too. Oftentimes it wasn't just the nameplate necklaces, but the bamboo earrings and the big hoops, the names in them as well,
- [23:08]
C
and rings as well. Whether it was singular one finger rings or actually four finger rings. And name belts where you would represent your personal name, your crew, your sign, really, it could have represented all kind of things, whatever you felt at that particular moment. Brass buckle name belts in particular is what I remember going to a local little shop, really, you know, almost like a little hole in the wall. And these letters were individual and they would put them together and put it in a frame and then you would have these leather belts customized to your waist and attach it and then there you go. You would wear it with your Lee's or Levi's and your Latigra or Izod shirt and you would wear either your Nike Cortez or your show toe Adidas and you were good to go.
- [23:57]
A
Yeah, those shops are still on Fulton street and I love going in them and looking around. It's pretty amazing.
- [24:03]
D
We have four different nameplate belts in the collection in the exhibition, including the one that Elena donated to the museum.
- [24:11]
A
Oh, how so nice.
- [24:13]
D
We have one from Kid Freeze, an early B boy, also one from Popmaster Fable, and then we have one that was made by PNB Nation, a brand but that was definitely taking on, you know, this customized name belt trend. We also have Walker wear, initial earrings. So, again, like, we see how it was personal, it was customized, made by the individual, and also how hip hop brands also kind of adopted and adapted them.
- [24:38]
A
Yeah, well, I'm really glad that you brought up Walker wear, because I would like to, of course, speak about April Walker and Dapper Dan, who you've already mentioned, and you point out in the book that the 80s, generally regarded as the era when Logomania took over, largely due to hip hop specifically. So what role does the logo start to play in the 80s?
- [25:00]
D
Well, I mean, like Alaina mentioned, we see rappers mentioning these brands in their songs. You know, Slick Rick talks about Gucci, he talks about Kangol, he talks about other brands and so many other artists as well. And so people are, you know, discovering, you know, young listeners, they might not know what Gucci is, but, like, you know, they certainly are going to find out when they hear it in a song. So Dapper Dan talks about how he really introduced kind of a lot of these brands to his neighborhood in Harlem, and it really spread from there. His initial customers were gangsters in the neighborhood, and the rap artists wanted to look like the gangsters. They were the ones who were broadcasting success in that time and place. And Dapper Dan tells a story for us in an interview about a gangster who comes in with his Louis Vuitton pouch. Dapper Dan studies religion and he studies symbols, and he's thinking like, this is a symbol with power, and this is what kind of gets him started on this design journey. And then he introduces Gucci and Bally and mcm, all of these European brands that weren't necessarily, you know, definitely were not marketing to people in Harlem, but weren't necessarily kind of household names either. So he really kind of introduces this idea. But brands, you know, Logomania was something that was already in the air in the 1980s with this very ostentatious kind of style that was happening in high fashion. So Dapper Dan really was speaking to the zeitgeist, his own zeitgeist, but had a lot of currency in the wider kind of community.
- [26:23]
B
Yeah, well.
- [26:24]
A
And gotten some himself in some hot water more than a few times along the way. Because let's just say that his borrowing of the logos wasn't always signed off on by the brands.
- [26:37]
C
And it wasn't only borrowing of the logos. It was manufacturing the actual leather and embossing those logos. Right. The techniques that were used and the technology at the time, really ahead of himself. Not only did he have his 24 hour, seven day a week custom Shop in Harlem, but way ahead of his time. He also had a custom body shop in East Harlem. So while he customized the outfits for the gangsters, he also customized their rides way before we had the show. Pimp My Ride.
- [27:10]
A
Right? So good. So good. Plan B is a backup birth control
- [27:17]
B
option that's there for you when things
- [27:19]
A
don't go according to plan. It specifically works after unprotected sex and
- [27:24]
B
before pregnancy occurs by temporarily delaying ovulation.
- [27:27]
A
Plan B is available nationwide at all major retailers and through delivery apps like DoorDash, no ID, prescription or age requirement. It's the number one OB GYN recommended brand of emergency contraception, and it won't impact your future fertility. That's freedom to be use as directed. You want to get your backyard summer ready, but you don't want to break the bank. Wayfair gets it. Planning on dining al fresco or relaxing poolside? Wayfair has everything you need to prep your space. Shop now and save up to 70% off during Wayfair's four 4th of July clearance score. Huge deals on outdoor furniture, area rugs, and more. We're talking thousands of products for every style and budget, plus surprise flash deals. July 6th. Don't wait. Shop Wayfair's 4th of July clearance now through July 6th at Wayfair.com Wayfair Every style, every home. What about Walkerwear? How and when was that founded?
- [28:21]
D
So April Walker granted us an interview, and I write a little bit about on her based on that interview. And she also speaks in our exhibition video. So she was actually inspired by Dapper Dan and she started with a custom shop called Fashion In Effect, and she was making her rough and rugged denim suit that was worn by people like Jam Master J and comedians on Def Jam. And it was actually Jam Master J that encouraged her to start a ready to wear line because her custom looks were so in demand. And she talks about really listening to her customers. You know, they want like the crotch of their jeans lowered. They want it to be a little bit of a baggier fit. They were really kind of perfecting that silhouette that they really wanted. And I mean, we can talk about these guys like 19th century dandies. They were so in tune to every detail of their clothes. So she starts Walker Wear in the early 90s. And, you know, she goes to the magic trade show. And, you know, Elena covered all of these shows as a journalist in the 1990s, so she can perhaps speak more to it. But it was really coming into the young men's market at that time where she really found an audience. And for a long time, people didn't know that April Walker was a woman. She is a pioneering streetwear designer who is absolutely affected the way we all dress today. And for a long time, the Walker Wear brand, you know, was front and center as opposed to her as the designer.
- [29:38]
A
Yeah. What was that like for her, breaking through in that moment?
- [29:43]
C
At the time, the fashion category that the industry was using to kind of label these new and emerging designers was young men's and more specifically, urban fashion. Part of the labeling came from the urban centers and also how the music was being classified. On the music side at the time, there weren't many brands at the Magic Trade show, which at the time was in Las Vegas. The show had historically young men's brands that came predominantly more so from the west coast, kind of surf and skate influence, as well as some contemporary sportswear. And in came kind of this new breed of designers and including cross colors call Kanai. And then April Walker with Walkawear. Uh, she was really one of the first and few in that particular space. And only strategically someone who. She had a communications and business background. She observed how Dapper Dan did his business and wanted to imitate or mimic that for her borough of Brooklyn. Um, she strategically decided that it would be more appropriate to be behind the scenes and let the brand speak for itself, not clearly identifying that she was a woman. Although the brand definitely had identifiers that it was by someone of the black community as these other brands. That was really an interesting entry point into fashion. The designers wanted the customers to know that they were just like them.
- [31:17]
A
Yes.
- [31:18]
C
And that was an integral part in understanding their needs and how to meet their needs with their fashion.
- [31:23]
A
Right. Well, I'm so glad that you said that. Cause this leads me directly into the next thing I wanted to ask you, because Afrocentrism often plays a role in this, particularly like Queen Latifah early on. So how was African Pride expressed sartorially within hip hop style?
- [31:42]
C
African pride is a complete essential component of every person of the African diaspora. And as young people, they look to Africa to kind of identify who they were and what they represented and the integral roots of who they wanted to be. And with that meant listening to groups like Public Enemy and X Clan. And those looks included everything from medallions, kind of expressing your Afrocentricity to African inspired garb.
- [32:17]
D
So in the exhibition, we look at Afrocentricity over time. So for example, we have a suit from Professor X that is like this beautiful bronze kind of suit, but it kind of deviates from this Western standard tailored suit. It has onk symbols. We also have a leather top hat that includes the colors of the Pan African flag and ankh symbols. But we also have an ensemble that was worn by Professor Alfonso McClendon, who is a great fashion historian. I think he's known more for his work in jazz, but he went to an HBCU in the 90s, and so he has these customized graffiti jeans, this black Bart T shirt, and this leather Africa pendant. And he talks in the book about, you know, this black consciousness was a big part of life on campus at that time. And Public Enemy would come and do concerts on campus. And then we also have, you know, a hat from Cross Colors that shows Africa in the Pan African flag. So we see it in all these different ways across time. One of our newer pieces is from Beau McCall, who's a designer who doesn't kind of specifically work just with hip hop, but he created this triple T shirt that has, you know, text about black lives Matter next to an image of Tupac Shakur. And so we talk about how even in the current time, this Afrocentricity is very much associated with hip hop.
- [33:28]
A
Yeah. And let's talk a little bit about the story behind the Cross Colors brand, if we can.
- [33:33]
C
So Carl Jones came out of the surf business, had done very well, and he had been noticing how hip hop was becoming this major music force. And so he recruited TJ Walker, and together they created Cross Colors. I remember them talking about making a trip to New York and riding the New York subway and looking at the young men and how they were wearing their saggy pants. And at that point, they kind of sketched out what that would look like and realized that, you know, the men needed much more roomier comfort in the rear area. They had also visited the Spike Lee store, Spike's Joint out in Brooklyn. So a big component of Cross color success was the specs. Changing the specs in the bottoms to have a much more cinch waist, but much more of a fuller, wider silhouette on the bottoms. Also the play on color. They were very mindful of staying away from gang related colors, but staying true to bright colors, Afrocentric colors. They took a very unique approach in terms of marketing. They had Runway shows in Paris. They hired so many creative talents that went on to amazing companies, from Jeff Tweedy, who would later go on to run Sean John, to celebrity stylist June Ambrose. The name goes on and on and on. So, you know, Cross Colors in many ways became kind of like this fashion arsenal in the very same way that Ralph Lauren has gotten so much talent. And so it kind of goes back to that particular brand to show that from 1990-94 they were able to make $100 million in sales. We had not seen that kind of volume in the young men's business. And they spoke about messages of unity. So it wasn't just Afrocentricity, but this idea of unifying culture, unifying the youth, which is also a really integral part of hip hop. How while it has its roots in black and urban centers, the reality is that it really touches youth all over
- [35:49]
B
the world and perhaps never more so than now. Dress listeners when the hip hop industry is a multibillion dollar a year industry influencing aspects of culture folks far beyond music and fashion, Hip Hop artists influence trends in beauty, food and beverage, the auto and travel industries, and so, so much more. Liz and Elena, thank you so much for speaking with us today and for joining us for part two of this episode on Thursday.
- [36:15]
A
That's right dress listeners. You didn't think we were done, did you? There is so much more to cover on Thursday. We talk about some of the fashion brands launched by Hip Hop artists themselves, High Fashion's Courtship of Hip Hop Style Icons. We talk about sneakers, we talk about nails, we talk about hair, and so much more. So please stay tuned. And of course check out both the book fresh, fly, fabulous 50 years of hip Hop Style that we have been discussing today and the exhibition of the same name which is currently on view at the museum at FIT through April 23, 2023.
- [36:49]
B
And that does it for us today. Dress listers, may you consider how you feel the most fresh, Fly and fabulous. Next time you get dressed, please head
- [36:58]
A
to Eressed podcast on Instagram or Eress Podcast without the underscore on Facebook to check out the visual content associated with each week's episodes.
- [37:08]
B
And remember, we always love hearing from you. So if you'd like to write to us, you can do so at. Hello dressedhistory.com dressed history.com is also our website site where you can sign up for our monthly newsletter, our in person tours and online fashion history courses and you can check out whatever else we have up our finely tailored sleeves.
- [37:26]
A
We get so many questions from you all about our recommendations for fashion history books. So if you are interested you can always find a link in our show notes to our bookshop Bookshelf. So that address is bookshop.org shop dress and there you can find over 150 of our favorite fashion history titles.
- [37:47]
B
And do you love Dressed but want to skip the ads. You can now sign up for Ad Free listening with any tier on our Dressed History Patreon.
- [37:55]
A
We are also excited to now be part of the Airwave Network and their Premium ad free History subscription Airwave History plus available on Apple Podcasts. The subscription brings dress and also 27 other popular history podcasts ad free for just $5.99 per month. More information on Patreon and Airwave is available at the link in our bio.
- [38:19]
B
Thank you as always for tuning in and more Dressed coming your way very soon. The History of Fashion is a production of Dressed Media.
- [38:35]
C
Hey, it's Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile Now.
- [38:36]
A
I was looking for fun ways to
- [38:38]
C
tell you that Mint's offer of unlimited Premium Wireless for $15 a month is back. So I thought it would be fun if we made $15 bills, but it turns out that's very illegal. So there goes my big idea for the commercial.
- [38:53]
A
Give it a try@mintmobile.com switch upfront payment of $45 for three months, $90 for six months or $180 for a 12 month plan required $15 per month equivalent taxes and fees Extra initial plan term only greater than 50 gigabytes me slow when network is busy.
- [39:04]
C
See Terms do you find it hard to sleep at night?
- [39:08]
D
Then the Sleep Cove podcast can help you.
- [39:11]
C
Hi, I'm Christopher Fitton, the voice and clinical hypnotherapist behind Sleep Cove. Sleep Cove features sleep hypnosis, meditations and
- [39:23]
D
bedtime stories, all designed to help those
- [39:26]
C
of you who struggle at night to achieve a restful and peaceful night's sleep. Search for Sleep Cove on Apple Podcasts
- [39:35]
D
or Spotify and see why.
- [39:36]
C
Sleep Cove helps millions of people sleep deeply all night long.