How Fashion Picks Its Hip Hop Style Icons

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Business of Fashion Podcast

Episode: How Fashion Picks Its Hip Hop Style Icons
Date: March 4, 2026
Guests: Sheena Butler Young (Host), Brian Baskin (Host), Lei Takanashi (BoF Correspondent)

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Episode Overview

This episode explores the evolving relationship between hip hop artists and the fashion industry, focusing on how fashion brands select and often over-rely on a small circle of hip hop style icons—most notably A$AP Rocky—as brand collaborators and cultural ambassadors. The discussion unpacks the reasons behind these choices, the tension between authenticity and commercialization, and the opportunities and risks of expanding the talent pool beyond established superstars to include niche and emerging artists.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Rise of A$AP Rocky as Fashion’s Hip Hop Icon

Timestamps: 00:39–07:37

• A$AP Rocky’s Unique Appeal

  • Rocky is a generational talent who helped redefine the relationship between hip hop and high fashion.
  • He brought high fashion influences (mentioning Rick Owens and Raf Simons in his lyrics) directly into hip hop, making runway fashion culture accessible and aspirational to fans.
    • Quote:
      “He came out the gate as this rapper who really declared that he was into high fashion... on his breakout single he said that he was into Rick Owens and Raf Simons.”
      —Lei Takanashi [01:40]
  • Lei credits Rocky with introducing him—and many others—to luxury designers previously outside the typical hip hop fashion lexicon.

• Authenticity Versus Business

  • Early in his career, Rocky’s affinity for fashion was “organic”—a personal passion, not the result of brand deals.
  • Over time, as he became a marketing juggernaut, the authenticity of some collaborations is questioned—but Lei notes Rocky often finds creative ways to keep his projects grounded in cultural references.
    • Quote:
      “Sometimes when I look at partnerships... I do question if it’s really, you know, authentic collaboration, but... he always finds ways to give it the twist that he’s known for.”
      —Lei Takanashi [06:13]

• Regional and Cultural Authenticity

  • Rocky’s style is deeply rooted in NYC street culture, incorporating symbolic items like Timberlands (“beef and broccoli”) and the Marmot Biggie coat, making nostalgic references to New York fashion history.
    • Quote:
      “Even to this day, he’ll still wear clothes that remind you exactly where he’s from.”
      —Lei Takanashi [03:53]

2. The Perils of Over-Reliance on Familiar Names

Timestamps: 07:37–10:33

• Safe Bets and Stagnation

  • Brands frequently select "safe," established artists—A$AP Rocky, Pharrell, Travis Scott—over newer, riskier talent.
  • The cycle mirrors other entertainment industries’ overreliance on proven stars (“Dua Lipa Again”).
    • Quote:
      “Fashion has a tendency to glom onto certain familiar names... But yeah, talk about specifically in the world of hip hop, how this has played out.”
      —Brian Baskin [08:24]

• Business Motivation and Diversity Concerns

  • Brands often lack incentive (or courage) to invest in unproven talent, especially as internal decision-makers may lack cultural proximity or diverse perspectives.

    • Quote:
      “Fashion is a business that extracts culture but doesn’t necessarily give back as much as we’d like for the industry to... Who’s making these decisions?”
      —Lei Takanashi [10:33]

3. Why Isn’t the Next Generation Breaking Through?

Timestamps: 11:26–14:20

• Slow Burn of Celebrity-Building

  • Developing new ambassador relationships takes time, requiring organic connections and gradual public exposure (red carpets, fashion shows, front rows).
  • Emerging UK rapper Central C cited as a recent example: real passion for brands like Nike, but not yet a household name.

• Risk Aversion in Luxury Fashion

  • The industry tends to “play it safe,” fearing alienation of customers or loss of brand prestige.
    • Quote:
      “Luxury fashion... is incredibly averse to change. And there’s a danger in that, right Lei?”
      —Brian Baskin [13:43]

4. Missing Opportunities with Emerging and Niche Artists

Timestamps: 15:03–20:38

• Gen Z and Niche Appeal

  • Gen Z gravitates toward lesser-known, subcultural artists (e.g., Netspends, Playboi Carti) with significant sway over street style—even spawning viral trends like “Opium Core.”
  • Brands like Vans and Miu Miu have taken promising steps by engaging up-and-coming rappers, though luxury houses lag behind.

• The Strength of Subcultural Ties

  • Collaborations with artists beloved by niche, passionate fanbases—not just chart-toppers—can yield outsized cultural and commercial impact.
    • Example:
      Action Bronson’s collaboration with New Balance and Westside Gunn with Saucony demonstrate the effectiveness of targeting loyal micro-communities.
    • Quote:
      “He’s not necessarily like a fashion icon... but he’s a personality... and he just built this niche fan base that really, really loves what he does.”
      —Lei Takanashi on Action Bronson [18:08]

• Grassroots Influence on Product Demand

  • Unsanctioned, organic endorsement by underground artists has made certain items—such as Polo Ralph Lauren’s “Japan Iraq” jacket—cult collectibles, driving resale value sky-high years later.

5. Two Lanes for Fashion–Hip Hop Collaborations

Timestamps: 20:38–21:18

• Fashion can succeed either by continuing to work with established megastars or by nurturing influential niche talent.
  • Quote:
    “Maybe fashion doesn’t need to try to find hip hop’s next biggest. Or maybe there’s two lanes here... two distinct but equally potentially successful lanes.”
    —Sheena Butler Young [20:38]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Lei Takanashi on hip hop’s fashion evolution:
  “Hip hop is this genre that’s always had these style icons every decade... but what made ASAP Rocky so different was he came out the gate as this rapper who really declared that he was into high fashion.” [01:40]

• On authenticity and commerce:
  “He tries his best to... give it the twist that he’s known for, tie it back to something that feels authentic.” [06:13]

• On risk aversion:
  “Luxury fashion... is incredibly averse to change. And there’s a danger in that, right Lei?” —Brian Baskin [13:43]

• On niche artists:
  “There’s a lot of strength in collaborating with artists that aren’t necessarily charting super high... but they have these really passionate niche fan bases.” [18:08]

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Key Timestamps

• 00:39: Introduction of A$AP Rocky as the preeminent case study for hip hop–fashion synergy
• 03:53: Discussion of Rocky’s New York roots and authentic, region-specific style
• 06:13: Balancing authentic passion with commercial brand partnerships
• 08:42: Problem of the industry’s over-reliance on established icons
• 10:33: Fashion’s internal diversity issues and reluctance to discover new voices
• 12:07: Challenges and slow process of developing new brand–artist relationships
• 14:20: Risk aversion and missed opportunities in leveraging emerging talent
• 16:16: The power of Gen Z–beloved, niche artists like Playboi Carti
• 18:08: Action Bronson/New Balance as a model for niche collaboration success
• 20:38: The concept of “two lanes” in fashion’s hip hop partnerships

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Conclusion

The episode delivers a compelling critique of fashion’s reliance on hip hop style icons, arguing for a more dynamic and diverse approach to collaborations. While stars like A$AP Rocky remain relevant and influential, the true opportunity lies in fashion’s willingness to take risks on new, authentic voices—especially those with strong grassroots or subcultural followings. Brands are encouraged to diversify their partnerships to remain culturally agile and resonant with new generations.

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For the full article discussed in the episode, see “How Fashion Picks Its Hip Hop Style Icons” at businessoffashion.com.

Transcript

[Lei Takanashi]

Foreign.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Hello and welcome to the debrief from the business of fashion, where each week we delve into Our most popular BoF professional stories with the correspondents who created them. I'm senior correspondent Sheena Butler Young.

[Brian Baskin]

And I'm executive editor Brian Baskin. Hip hop is one of fashion's most powerful pipelines into pop culture. From fragrance campaigns to sneaker drops and front row placements, brands have leaned heavily on a small group of superstar artists who mostly came up during the 2010s to drive visibility and relevance.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Nobody embodies this trend more than A dollar AP Rocky, who is undeniably a cultural force. His collabs have run the gamut from Puma to Ray Ban to Marine Ser. But as Gen Z grows more disengaged with luxury and as music charts become less predictive of cultural influence, the industry is being forced to reconsider how it courts hip hop's biggest and rising stars. BoF correspondent Lei Takanashi joins us to unpack it all. Lei, welcome to the debrief.

[Lei Takanashi]

Thank you, Sheena and Brian. I'm so excited to talk about this with you both today. You know, hip hop's been something I've been actually covering even before I started writing about fashion for BoF. I ended up writing a lot about it for Masterpiece or Complex, and I had some clips and amusing magazines like Vader and Pitchfork. So stick. Definitely a topic I'm really passionate on. Love just talking about it.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Awesome. So let's start with asap. Your story sort of frames ASAP as the case study for this. The case study of hip hop meets fashion and then an icon emerges. Why was he a good choice? What was so special about asap?

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, I mean, I think what makes ASAP Rocky so special is that he's like this generational talent who just redefined, I guess, artists relationship between hip hop and fashion. Right? Like, hip hop is this genre that's always had these style icons every decade, you know, whether it's Rakim or Big Daddy Kane or, you know, someone like Kanye west in the 2000s and 2010s. But I think what made ASAP Rocky so different was he came out the gate as this rapper who really declared that he was into high fashion, you know, and then on his breakout single Queso, he said that he was into Rick Owens and Raf Simmons.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Please don't touch my Rap.

[Lei Takanashi]

As a teenager growing up in New York City in the early 2010s, listening to his music, that was actually how I got introduced to some of those brands, you know, I never considered any of those designers before. I was mostly into like sneakers and streetwear brands like supreme, which has these really organic connections to that genre of music. But it wasn't like, I guess, high fashion or Runway fashion. Right. And he's been committed to that since he came on. And I think that's what makes him such a attractive talent for just like all these brands today is that he has this real organic love for just Runway fashion, high fashion, and also just like, you know, street wear and like street style.

[Brian Baskin]

So he was doing this not because the brands were paying him, at least initially, but just because he liked the brands, right?

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, yeah. It was this like real organic love. I mean, when he first came onto the scene in like the early 2010s, he built this whole fashionist egg around these like goth esque, like fashion brands such as, like why Free Hood, By Air, you know, bygone streetwear labels like Black Scale. And you know, by the time releases debut the album, he had this song called Fashion Killer that really just he saw. He just, he used this track to just claim that he himself was like the best dress rapper to emerge from what we now refer to as the blog era of the early 2010s.

[Sheena Butler Young]

I love that Fashion Killer video. Rihanna was in there. Who's now the mother of his three children and their partners. How would you otherwise. So let's assume that some of our listeners have not seen ASAP Rocky. I don't know how that's possible, but like, how would you characterize this aesthetic? Because you, you hinted at this earlier. It sort of ran counter to what the hip hop aesthetic was presumed to be at that time. He, he had something different. What is his look?

[Lei Takanashi]

It's so tough to say because ASAP Rocky to me is just ASAP Rocky. But when I consider just like the history of like hip hop fashion icons, I always draw comparisons between him and Camron. And I, I, I know listeners here probably aren't aware who Cameron is, but I say that because, you know, they're both from Harlem. But it feels like there's a regional undertone that runs for how ASAP Rocky dresses. That feels like it's very true to New York fashion, New York style, New York street style. Basically the same way how like, you know, Run DMC came out in the 80s. Their whole look was basically inspired by New York City B boys that, you know how to dress in tracksuits and you know, laceless Adidas. Superstars like ASAP Rocky sort of channel that same energy. And I think that's what really distinguished him from someone like Pharrell or Kanye West. Like, yes, asap. Rocky love fashion. He loved designer brands, and that's always been, like, consistent with the best dress rappers. But I think what kind of set him apart from everyone else is that, you know, even to this day, he still wear clothes that remind you exactly where he's from. You know, he'll come out wearing beef and broccoli Timberlands. You know, a really great example of this, like, hybrid style he's sort of built or distinguished himself with is that at the Met gala last year, he arrived wearing a super dapper suit, but he layered it with, like, a very big coat that had these, like, velcro straps on the cuffs. Anyone who grew up in New York in, like, late 2000s and early 2010s, know that's a reference to this jacket called a Marmot Biggie. And there's a super long story behind that coat that I can't get into. But I encourage anyone who's interested to read an article that I wrote about it for, like, Complex, like, five years ago. But it's like how north faces got popped in the 90s. It's just a jacket that was embraced by youth of color in New York City, kids in uptown New York, the Bronx, you know, and Rocky makes these, like, authentic callbacks to just these regional New York style trends. And I think that's what really distinguishes them in this space, you know, but.

[Brian Baskin]

But today it's more a mix of what he's wearing personally. And then all these deals he signed. I mean, it may have started out organic, but now, you know, he's designing Ray Ban sunglasses and Moncler puffer coats and Puma sneakers. And he released a capsule with Quince. I mean, I'm. I'm guessing Quince was not like an organic expression of his love of fashion. No, no. Nothing against Quince, but it feels different than what we've been talking about. And I'm curious, I mean, has he maintained the authenticity and. And the general vision that you're talking about, as he's also embraced the commerce side of it?

[Lei Takanashi]

I think he tries his best to. Sometimes when I look at partnerships, like what he did with Quince, I do question, like, if it's really, you know, authentic collaboration, but I guess at the end of the day, it's like a white T shirt, which is like, also a staple to, like, just hip hop style probably. So I think he always finds ways to kind of, like, give it the twist that he's known for. I just try to tie it back to something that feels authentic. Like, you know, he did a collaboration at Cash app where on paper it kind of sounds ridiculous, right? Like, why would you collaborate? Like a payment services thing. But he ended up using as an opportunity also just like release apparel from his own designer collection, awg. So I think he tries his best to kind of make it seem authentic at the very least. I mean, I think one great example that came out there like yesterday was he did this ad for Ray Ban that like basically referenced the 90s hip hop movie Belly. He got Nas in this campaign. They recreate a scene with him and his character Sincere from the movie.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Man, I get a phone call from Flaco this evening. He want to meet in Harlem. Funny thing is this same restaurant where I last met with his pops before he passed.

[Lei Takanashi]

And like, the glasses are actually inspired by the same ones he wore in this, like, 90s film. That's become a very iconic reference point for a lot of designers or a lot of brands when they want to just reference 90s hip hop culture. So even though the reference is kind of played out at this point, I still respected that he did build something that felt like authentic and real to the culture.

[Sheena Butler Young]

So basically, ASAP Rocky is amazing, right? He's a star. We just listed like the full gamut of brands that he's been able to collaborate with. But I think what we're getting at next is that what tends to happen in fashion but also elsewhere is that someone becomes a go to. Brands start to get lazy. You become the. The easy pick for every collaboration that a brand is coming out with. Do you see that happening with an ASAP Rocky? I think that's the point of your article, is that brands can start to over rely on these iconic figures, like a ASAP Rocky, like a Pharrell, like a Travis Scott, some would say. Do you see that starting to happen? And is there a pipeline building up?

[Brian Baskin]

And before you answer, I also want to add that this goes way beyond hip hop. I mean, one of my favorite headlines we ever ran was Dua Lipa Again. That was just the headline.

[Sheena Butler Young]

I love that.

[Brian Baskin]

Definitely read it in that Dua Lipa Again. I think that fashion has a tendency to glom onto certain familiar names that they know everyone's heard of and is interested in. But yeah, talk about specifically in the world of hip hop, how this has played out.

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right. We've definitely relied on certain artists and like, sort of crushed onto them, like, you know, Asap Rocky, Pharrell Travis Scott. You know, and I think it's like we have a tendency to do that just because it's like, you know, these artists, they have just like such long resumes where a marketer can just point to like several examples they've done in the past and they could already see the result of it. Right. So I think it's a lot harder just in general to just towards to take your chance on something new, something different. And I think with asap, Rocky specifically, I think he's so attractive to just consistently work with because outside of the music, he's just built this life that I think just engages just regular people. Like, you know, he's partners with Rihanna, he has like three kids, he's a family man. And it's like, it's really, I think, hard to like dislike someone who just seems so wholesome and just so charming outside of music as well. A lot of his fan base are basically growing up with him. Right. So all these consumers who are teenagers when they first started getting to him, or now adults who are probably experiencing the same things he's experiencing, they probably have kids now, they probably have partners. And I think they almost. See, I said Rocky is like, this is like the coolest version of adulting or something like that. So I think that's also why so many brands turn to him.

[Sheena Butler Young]

So the other important thing I think we have to get into in your article, Lay does a really good job of threading the needle here. There is a subtext. There is a perception that maybe some fashion brands, especially the super high end ones, don't want to do the legwork of reaching into the hip hop community and be. And making that association with these stars. So they, they easily reach for the safe bet, the one that their other peers have worked with, the one that is proven not just because they can drive revenues, but because they feel safe and maybe they don't want to do that with other artists. How has that come up in your research? When you were reporting this story, did you, did you get into that?

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, I mean, I think that's almost like an issue with sort of like how generally fashion is a business that like extracts culture but doesn't necessarily get back to it as much as we'd like for the industry too. Right. Like, I think they put rappers in the front row and they, they put, they put artists in campaigns. But I think you wonder if like who's, who's making these decisions behind all this. Right. And it's usually not people who are necessarily truly invested in the Culture as others maybe. And I think first, I think these companies have to strive to just make their workplaces more diverse and bring more diverse perspectives. Who could probably argue that, okay, someone like this name here is someone that is just as viable as all these other talents that we've used for years. And here's why. Because they have a true just resonance within the culture.

[Brian Baskin]

My question is, why is fashion struggling to find new artists? I mean, there's nothing wrong with A$AP Rocky, obviously very beloved and effective brand spokesman. Organic, all in one. But I was looking at a list of lists. Put out an index in 2017 of the most influential rappers in fashion. I'm just going to read it. So 1 and 2 are Kanye West, Nicki Minaj. I think we can strike those off. But then it goes Pharrell, cardi B, Drake, ASAP, Rocky, Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott. That's almost 10 years ago. And it's basically the people we've been talking about this entire episode about fashion in 2026. So where's the next generation?

[Lei Takanashi]

It's so hard for us to detach ourselves from these names because it truly. When I saw in the many talent agencies, they all mentioned how this process of sort of shaping or molding these future celebrity ambassadors is very much a slow burn. Right? You kind of have to one. Oh, God. That is like a real organic connection. These artists have to brand. So, like, yeah, Central C is like a much younger artist. He's very new. He's not necessarily like a household name yet. He just cracked the Billboard 200, like, last year. Granted. I think his album placed in the top 10, which is, I think, one of the biggest debuts for a British rap star in, like, history, actually, which is pretty impressive in itself. But that's the thing. It's like, he's not someone, I think, who people are checking, like, asap Rocky. Right. Because he's so young, you know, and so for. I remember when I was talking to someone at Nike and Nick Schoenberger who, like, kind of leads or kind of helps shape these partnerships, he was telling me what they really look for first. It's just an organic connection. Right? That's how their partnership with Drake started. That's how their partnership with Travis Scott started. It was this organic connection to the brand and. And like, I guess, a lot of sport as well. So it was Central C specifically. You know, if you go to his earliest videos, he's wearing a lot of Nike tech. He's wearing Nike Air Maxes. He, like, he's very passionate about the Brands real connection to it. So I think you have to see that first and from there you have to just also just sort of, you know, go back and forth a bit. You know, it might just, it might start just like, okay, like for luxury brand might start just dressing the artist for a red carpet appearance. Then it might go to like putting them in the front row at a show and then seeing maybe how people react to those moments.

[Brian Baskin]

Is there a danger though that fashion has just become too risk averse? I mean it just seems looking at who the top artists were 10 years ago and today that sure they can dress an up and coming rapper for an awards show, but every single major campaign they're just going to default to Travis Scott or A$AP Rocky or 1 of these safe names. They're known quantities. And luxury fashion, I mean this is one of the knocks against it is incredibly averse to change. Um, and there's a danger in that, right Lei?

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, yeah. And I think every, the world just, I think just moves a lot faster now, you know and I think we gotta consider how like there are a lot of these like you know, emerging artists who I think people would like to just pan as like a TikTok like you know, one hit wonders, you know. But at the same time it's like with how fast people forget things, remember things, like it's like why not just take that chance? You know, at the end of the day even just a social media post, it doesn't have to be like a global campaign. There are ways I think you could engage with emerging talent and it doesn't have to be like an insanely huge commitment, you know. And I think it would be nicer to see just like luxury brands kind of explore that because I feel like they're kind of want to engage with it, but it's engaging from like a very far distance.

[Sheena Butler Young]

You know I was thinking about, you know, what Brian said around risk. There is a true cultural payoff that brands are missing when they don't take that risk. Right. I think there's the headline of Dua LIPA again is getting after the fact that like is it moving the needle anymore when it's the same person? Like it's safe but what does it actually do for your brand? Like what does a mass star like that actually do when they're used over and over again? Is anyone surprised to see ASAP Rocky on a red carpet in Gucci again?

[Brian Baskin]

Or do you even associate, even ASAP Rocky? I mean do people associate the brand with ASAP Rocky or Are they just releasing ASAP Rocky? I see ads all the time where it's such a flashy, well done, clever ad. And then I'm like, wait, that was an ad for mayonnaise. Like I, you know, like, not that ASAP Rocky is doing a mayonnaise ad, although, you know, but you know what I mean? Like I don't know how much it's doing for the brand when the ad is really for the star.

[Sheena Butler Young]

In the end, at that point it becomes interchangeable. Right. Like you look at that and I don't know if this is Ray Ban or Maureen Ser or if it's Puma. Like I see him and he looks great, but like, am I really, am I really taking note of the brand and building any affinity? I think that's the real risk that brands may not be thinking about. It's safe. But is it actually, actually moving the needle?

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, yeah. And also I think it's just like, are you engaging? Like just a new, younger customer audience? Right. Like, you know, I think I admire how brands like Vans and Mew Mew have like, you know, I, I wouldn't say like this rapper named like Netspends close to becoming like anyone ASAP Rocky name. Yeah. Like he's far from becoming a household name but he has, he's like over indexed amongst like Gen Z listeners. So like to me it catches my eye and makes sense when I see him on the Mew Mew Runway or I see Gucci dress him. Same goes from just like Playboy Cardi being put on like a supreme shirt. You know, it's like that's an artist who almost for 10 years now is, I think really shaped street style, street fashion and just shaped how an entire generation of hip hop listeners dress. Right. I mean there's a whole TikTok trend that's dubbed Opium Core that's basically based on how he dresses and how people within his own like artist roster dress. Yet it's how it shocks me that one on the only brands that like collaborated with him are not like, they're not major brands necessarily. Like the, the biggest one I can think of is like Pele Pelly. You know, it's like we're just like a. Which is, which makes sense because it's like a hip, it's a, it's a lighter jacket brand that's very, it's had been invested in hip hop for like over 50 years. So of course they're, they're looking at talent like him. And I don't know, it's just like it it is bizarre to me sometimes.

[Sheena Butler Young]

Maybe that's the point. Right? Like, maybe like, because then with west side Gun or Action Bronson, some of the people that you mentioned that are up and coming, when they make the leap, whatever it requires them to make the leap from that to the next big star, then we'll be talking about them on the debrief about how they're the new low hanging fruit. Like, is that the point?

[Brian Baskin]

Yeah. Talk about Action Bronson and New Balance. Because I. I think it's. Their New Balance is a huge brand. But like when they went to a hip hop artist, they did not go to ASAP Rocky, they went to Action Bronson.

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah. I think there's a lot of strength in just kind of collaborating with artists that aren't necessarily like charting super high in a Billboard chart, but they have these really passionate niche fan bases. You know, Action Bronson is definitely someone who's like. He's not like a Kanye West. No, he's not like a Pharrell. He's not. He's nowhere near that. Like, and honestly, as a. He's not necessarily like a fashion icon even in that sense, but he's a personality. And he used to have his own TV show and all this stuff. And like, he just built this niche fan base that really, really loves what he does. And I think they love his like kind of quirkiness and his style. And then you have someone like west side Gun collaborating with Saucony recently. And I think that's also interesting because it taps into the server. You know, it's like he is perhaps like the biggest hip hop serf in a niche of hip hop which is like east coast boom bap revival. I think another good example I could bring up that's outside of Seeker space is like Polo Ralph Lauren. They recently re released this jacket called a Japan Iraq. And this is a jacket that is super coveted by people that collect Polo. It's a jacket that it resells for 1500-2000 dollars on the second hand market. It came out in I think the late 2000s, I believe. And how that jacket got popular was such an intriguing story because it was actually an item that went on clearance at the time. Like people didn't want this coat. But what happened was like there was this rap duo from Queens in timeless truth. And this is a rap duo who. They don't. They're not. Again, these are not like mainstream names at all. Right. But there are Polo collectors who had this outsized influence on a larger polo collecting community, a larger Polo collecting culture. And when they wore this jacket in one of their most popular music videos, which really had less to this day it has less than a thousand likes on YouTube, less than 40,000 views. They turned this jacket that went on clearance into like a modern day Polo Ralph Lauren grill. So when this jacket came out for a collaboration with the Japanese single Beams, like two weeks ago, it sold out in seconds. And it's the resale value has maintained. You know, it's like people are literally flipping these jackets right now for like 1,500 to $2,000 like as we speak. And it's just like, I think that just goes to show the power of working with like artists who just aren't necessarily the flashiest names in the world. You know, it's like, and I mean, to clarify, this collaboration wasn't a collaboration with the artist, but these artists made the jacket what it was.

[Sheena Butler Young]

That's fascinating. I so it sounds like we've ended on the fact that maybe fashion doesn't need to try to find hip hop's next biggest. Or maybe there's two lanes here. And also, by the way, Leigh and I talked about this a lot offline as you were working on the story. It's not that fashion needs to ordain someone in hip hop as cool or fashionable anyway, but it sounds like you've described two distinct but maybe equally potentially successful lanes that artists go down in terms of their fashion collaboration.

[Brian Baskin]

I think that is so well put, Sheena. And also a great note to end on. So Lei, thank you so much for joining us today.

[Lei Takanashi]

Yeah, thank you Brian. Thank you Sheena. Honestly, like, I feel like I could talk all day about this and I really appreciate you asking me questions.

[Sheena Butler Young]

And please be sure to check out le's article how fashion picks its Hip Hop style [e-mail] this and other stories are available to BoF Professional subscribers only and you can find the links in the episode notes. You've been listening to the debrief, produced and edited by Olivia Davies and Eric Brea. I'm Sheena Butler Young.

[Brian Baskin]

And I'm Brian Baskin. We'll be back next week with a new episode. Thanks so much for joining us and be sure to follow us wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Boost Mobile Expert]

We deliver and set up phones. It's not a tour.

[Lei Takanashi]

Oh, you're definitely a groupie.

[Boost Mobile Expert]

Introducing store to door switch and get a new device with expert setup and delivery wherever you're at.

[Lei Takanashi]

Delivery available for select devices [e-mail] knock knock. Ooh, who's there?

[Boost Mobile Expert]

A boost mobile expert here to deliver and set up your all new iPhone 17 Pro designed to be the most powerful iPhone ever.

[Lei Takanashi]

You called that a knock knock joke?

[Boost Mobile Expert]

This isn't a joke. Boost mobile really sends experts to deliver and set up your phone at home or work.

[Lei Takanashi]

Okay, it's just that when people say knock knock, there's usually a joke to go with it.

[Boost Mobile Expert]

Like I said, this isn't a joke.

[Lei Takanashi]

So the knock knock was just you knocking?

[Boost Mobile Expert]

Yeah, that's how doors work.

[Lei Takanashi]

Get the new iPhone 17 Pro delivered and set up by an expert wherever you are. Delivery available for select devices [e-mail] terms apply.