Did Obama's Presidency Influence Today's Fashion?

The Carter-Knowles tandem, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, rent out the almighty Louvre to shoot their latest video Apesh*t

 

I remember choking on my water when Rihanna performed at the Met Gala three years ago. Not because it was Rihanna, per se—she had solidified her position in fashion by pushing the envelope in marrying couture and streetwear as seamlessly as a model shifting between runway shows. It was the song she chose, and perhaps the manner in which she performed it. I’d seen her ability to transform from stage, to citizen, to socialite darling. I’d just never seen her bring them all together. But there, in the heart of one of the most sacred spaces for the high art snobbery of New York City’s elite, the girl from Barbados went gangster on us.

 

 

A post shared by Chiara Ferragni (@chiaraferragni) on May 4, 2015 at 8:18pm PDT

 

It was everything fashion at one time feared and turned their noses up against, but here they all were, the judgiest of the industry, entranced and inspired by the grit and gusto of a girl in Galliano, gyrating and swearing on stage.

Ah, how things change.

Fashion shunned hip hop not too long ago, actively working to create separation between the luxury houses and the streets, despite the frequency with which rappers wore and even included brand names in their lyrics. I remember seeing the Wu Tang Clan’s Method Man at the Chanel boutique in Hawaii in the nineties and the salespeople looking completely horrified, relieved when he finally left the store (with tens of thousands of dollars worth of product he had just purchased, no less.)

 

READ: Going Apes**t! The Carters Give Us A Fashion And Art Tandem In Their New Music Video

 

Today, fashion houses are reaching out to artists to collaborate. Even the attitude towards graffiti and copycat culture has shifted. The recognition of Gucci Ghost and Dapper Dan by Gucci, and Jay-Z and Beyonce shooting their music video at the Louvre, herald a new day.

So, how did rappers finally become “accepted” in the eyes of luxury fashion houses?

What changed?

Perhaps the powers of social media have altered the balance of the luxury fashion universe. Once the self-proclaimed dictators of trends and pace, storied couture houses are becoming more inclined to react to the frenetic pace of pop culture shifts, and the number of followers and traction artists have become a better gauge of the true influence of rappers than the less-than-favorable reputations that once preceded them. In English? Money talks, and increasingly affluent hip hop fans are finding ways to buy into the hype of luxury when others are happy to ride the peaks and valleys of fast fashion. Or perhaps designers are finally succumbing to the quietly known truth that the streets are the true

Perhaps it is more of a political shift. As time has documented, pop culture and social issues have directly impacted fashion collections for decades. It is arguable that seeing the Obamas in the White House somehow opened the door for black performers and artists to be considered “welcome” into hallowed halls like the Met and the Louvre, and subsequently into the ateliers of Milan and Paris’ finest.

 

Then:

 

A post shared by GUCCIGHOST®? (@troubleandrew) on Apr 2, 2017 at 12:40pm PDT

 

Now:

 

A post shared by GUCCIGHOST®? (@troubleandrew) on Jul 3, 2017 at 9:06am PDT

 

The Met Gala guest list is itself testament to this shift, as is the seating at fashion week. Cardi B next to Anna Wintour, anyone?

Food for thought: Tommy Hilfiger was criticized for associating with, as well as appropriating, hip hop and black culture way back when. Could it be that he was just two steps (or decades) ahead of everyone else?

 

Lead photos from "Apes**t" by The Carters music video.