I’ve always loved both hip hop music and fashion but had never closely examined the relationship between the two.
For my senior capstone project, I delved into their complex history through the creation of a coffee table-style book. The two spaces are deceivingly similar: they are both expressive, artistic, and have deeply ingrained cultures and histories. But the likeness ends there.
Fashion is an exclusive, homogeneous, and traditionalist industry. Hip hop is young, risqué, and rooted in the stories of inner-city Black folks. In the making of this book, I attempted to create a visual narrative that showcases the massive tension, exploitation, and successful collaboration between rappers and large European fashion houses throughout history.
The body copy of the book is a transcription of the documentary Fresh Dressed, which I supplemented with rap lyrics and my own captions and anecdotes to provide context. Visually, I chose to design the book in the style of a traditional art book in order to elevate a subject matter that has historically been regarded as lowbrow.
Within the grid of the art book, I injected uncomfortable moments of visual and physical tension to again reinforce the imperfect relationship at play. Through street and campaign photos, stories, and song lyrics, I told the story of hip hop and high fashion through a curated editorial experience.
