The relationship between fashion and hip-hop is a close and complicated one. Jay-Z raps about Tom Ford; Alexander Wang enlisted Missy Elliott for his H&M collaboration show; Givenchy’s Riccardo Tisci designed the album art for Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Watch the Throne,” and who could forget West’s clothing line? Despite this interconnectedness, rarely has anyone taken a closer look as to why rappers name-drop designers in lyrics, or how these artists suddenly influenced designers beyond providing the runway soundtrack. This is where “Fresh Dressed” comes in.
The documentary was co-produced by Nas and premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last weekend. Combining old-school video footage and interviews, director Sacha Jenkins — who’s also the creative director of the magazine “Mass Appeal” — sends the audience on a whirlwind trip through the history of hip-hop and fashion. From the breakdancers’ custom outfits in the South Bronx during the ‘70s to the ‘80s designer Dapper Dan (known for spray painting designer logos on T-shirts from his Harlem apartment) to Rocawear, the clothing line started by Jay Z in the ’90s, the references here stretch far and wide.
Additionally, he’s enlisted more than 70 music and fashion industry players including Pharrell Williams, Andre Leon Talley and Tisci to weigh in on how hip-hop has influenced them — and vice versa.
Get briefed on “Fresh Dressed,” which will air on CNN later this year, in our interview with Jenkins. Plus, watch a clip from the upcoming film below.
Speak On It!