A$AP ROCKY’S

Influence On Fashion

It’s no big secret, A$AP Rocky is a good looking guy. You know it, I know it. And he knows it, too. Sure, being called the prettiest man alive might be a big deal to others – but to him, it was just another Wednesday, just another person telling the world why they think he’s so cool. That other person just so happened to be GQ, but that’s besides the point. In truth, for a rapper, he’s less known for his rhymes behind the mic and more his ability to string together an outfit with a certain je ne sais quoi. Less of the poetry in words and more of the poetry in motion. And to be honest, that’s not a bad thing at all. In fact, it makes him more relevant. Put it this way: when both Kendrick Lamar and Virgil Abloh occupy a space in your phone book, transcending the lines between music, style and fashion comes second nature.

Since finding fame in 2013, Rocky’s avoided the rocky paths (nice, right?) that affect most modern-day music stars. Almost always armed with a Gucci belt and a clean white tee, he’s carved out his own path in today’s hype culture with all the swagger and confidence befitting a style god. Since his emergence onto the hip-hop scene, he’s made a point to strive for individuality in an industry often fraught with restrictive views on who a real rapper is or looks like.

Pink shirts didn’t phase him – and gender-specific clothes didn’t mean much to him, either. To those used to the baggy jeans-wearing, loose t-shirt fitting ‘OGs’ of hip-pop, much of what he wore and did was unusual. Still, though, if there were ever a prize for trying new things, experimenting and finding one’s niche, he’d win it. Disagree if you wish, but the competition isn’t even close.

Like the Drakes and Timothée Chalamets of the world, Rocky is as comfortable in a pair of sweats as he is in a suit (be it his own version of the traditional suit), switching between a pair of New Balances and Gucci’s iconic black slippers with ease. And like the other style icons of the modern era, his fanbase is as wild for his music as they are for his sartorial choices, love of art and just about anything Rocky-related. That’s what you get, I suppose, when you’re as confident talking about the dynamics of rap music as you are about Japanese architecture and contemporary art.

Given hip-hop’s list of groundbreaking influencers – 2pac, Will Smith, Biggie, Lil Wayne, to name a few – you might think we’re overdoing his influence on the genre. After all, didn’t Will Smith master the crop top and 2pac the nose ring? True, you’re not wrong, and we’re not arguing. Like those before him, Rocky continues to redefine what it means to be a hip-hop hop icon and bridge the gap between music, style and culture. It’s in big part thanks to Rocky that this current crop of youngsters – you and I included – have become heavily invested in style and fashion, with each choice of t-shirt, chain or trainers now carefully mulled over. Our style choices no longer serve the purpose of pleasing the crowd. Instead, they communicate who we are, what we stand for and what we’d like to become.

Long gone are the days when rappers just rapped and singers just sang. Instead, their embrace of culture and style truly counts. They have stylists and teams of publicists in place, with each one carefully curated to ensure nothing is out of place. Their choice of designers, colours and fits are carefully scrutinised by millions of fans around the world. Trouser lengths now sit perfectly on the ankle, tailored suits the order of the day and watches an essential part of any outfit.

That in part, you may say, is due to the changing of times, the ushering in of new expectations and norms. Again, we won’t disagree.

We’ll just insist you add – in bold letters – that it also has a lot to do with “the prettiest mf alive.”

As A$AP Rocky’s status as a rapper grew to great heights, so did his time in the limelight. With each new interview, music video, and photoshoot, Rocky proved to be as pretty and well-dressed as he rapped about. He has not only sported the clothes of, but has also modeled for many of the names he features in the long list of designers on his song “Fashion Killa” (“Cause everything designer / Her jeans is Helmut Lang, shoes is Alexander Wang / And her shirt the newest Donna, Karan / Wearin’ all the Cartier frames / Jean Paul Gaultiers ‘cause they match with her persona”). Of the many luxury brands that he endorses, he most frequently reps and raps about Gucci, Dior, and Raf Simmons, a designer whom Rocky has devoted an entire song to.

Continually dressing in flashy but comfortable outfits, Rocky’s fashion sense has attracted attention from both his fans and his favorite designers. The rapper deleted all photos from his Instagram page in January, which formerly served as an outlet for his fans to see his latest outfits, but he still maintains a strong following of over 13 million followers. As both a rap and fashion icon in the age of social media, Rocky has used his many platforms to promote the nature of his unmatched swagger and become an influencer. In addition to public validation of his keen sense for style, Rocky has in DKNY’s 2014 campaign to being the face of Dior Homme’s Fall 2016 campaign, it became clear that the big-named brands were just as excited to have Rocky sport their clothing as he was.

His wardrobe is not only just as expensive as his lyrics describe it to be, but it’s also just as experimental as his sound. His songs range from loud, uptempo party songs like “Praise the Lord (Da Shine)” to slow, neo-psychedelic beats like “Everyday,” featuring the stylish Rod Stewart. Likewise, Rocky remains confident, whether he’s flaunting new, bold designer clothes, or a simple, classic outfit. Layering a neon Balenciaga vest over a Gucci sweatshirt to sporting a t-shirt from Dior’s womenswear that reads “WE SHOULD ALL BE FEMINISTS” not only demonstrates the range of his wardrobe, but also his intentionality with each outfit he sports in the public eye. With fans and designers keeping tabs on his clothes, the “world’s flyest human” uses them to establish trends and make statements.

The comfort in risk taking that is evident in Rocky’s music also translates to his love for fashion and luxury wardrobe. Whether it be dressing head-to-toe in an embroidered Gucci set, pairing a black suit with Rick Owens x Adidas trainers, or flaunting laid-back Raf Simmons streetwear with a gold chain, the rapper has offered an array of looks as cool, but sundry as his music.

If the name of A$AP Rocky appears at this time next to that of Rihanna, it is also that we owe it to the future parents of the baby most expected in the world, to impose new rules in fashion. Like the singer Rihanna, A$AP Rocky has revolutionized the male fashion and style expected of a rapper, and especially of a man.

With his own way of associating genres, styles, colours and shapes — the rapper has established himself as a guardian figure of contemporary fashion. And in this, the fashion houses knew very quickly to see in him a muse! Starting muse!

Starting by Raf Simons. In 2016, the rapper’s favourite designer chose A$AP Rocky as Dior’s muse, while he was head of the artistic direction of the Avenue Montaigne house. A$AP Rocky, the first rapper to appear as the face of Dior Man, had already established himself as a fashion icon. How ? A$AP Rocky owes its aesthetic strength to a constant — that of breaking the rules. He made it his duty to fight to impose his individuality. A$AP Rocky does not fear risk-taking — unpredictable, bold, his style is known to be original and complex.

Capable of being eccentric but at the same time refined, he based his vision on pointed houses such as those of Raf Simons, Comme des Garçons, Balenciaga or J.W. Anderson and Hood

By Air — to better mix them with the more classic items of the wardrobe. Items signed by Gucci, Dior, Channel, Prado or Hermés. Because that’s the stylistic signature of A$AP Rocky — bragging by combining genres and styles! Wear a candy pink dress, a transparent white lace shirt, silver Dior pants… Wear pieces from women’s collections…

We owe it to him to have cheered up the wearing of the mythical white pearl necklace, the XXXL down jacket, the tangy colors, the hood—not to mention its signature detail the “babushka” scarf, now present on many parades. Travelling from women’s dressing room to men’s dressing room; mix classic pieces, avant-garde gimmicks and streetwear without ever imposing limits…His looks mark the current generation and they inspire: from the red carpet to the MET Gala and streetstyle photos. Present at many fashion week, working in collaboration with designers, Raf Simons again in the lead… A$AP Rocky is a fashion icon driven by the freedom to dress!

And it is in this why he embodies with Rihanna an original and refreshing vision of contemporary fashion.