The Maturation of Hip-Hop's Menswear Brands: Outfitting the Urban Consumer

Abstract

Hip-hop clothing brands emerged in the 1990s in response to a growing acknowledgment amongst its artists that fashion was an important part of the culture. From the 1980s into the 1990s, hip-hop fashion was an adopter of designer brands that represented an aspirational American lifestyle of its wearers. With the introduction of clothing brands in the 1990s, founded primarily by African-American men involved in the rap music industry, hip-hop clothing began to exert its own influence on American fashion. However, as the youth who followed hip-hop culture matured their clothing preferences began to change and few brands were able to quickly adapt. The most successful brands have proven to be those that were the earliest entrants into the market and managed to maintain a brand equity that likely associated them with authenticity among consumers. One of the most profitable brands was headed by hip-hop music entrepreneur Russell Simmons who was also interviewed for this article.