NYFW: Men’s Spring 2018 Trend Report: Rock It or Leave on the Runway: 90s Hip-Hop Revival

In the 1990s, the relationship between fashion and hip-hop was a marriage of dissimilar bedfellows that found ways to reap huge financial benefits. Over the last two decades that rocky marriage has served where other fashion unions have dissipated. Between the increasing roster of hip-hop stars attending The Met Gala, to rappers like Lil Yachty becoming the creative director of Nautica, this seems to be a romance that will withstand the test of time. 90s hip-hop trends were apparent on this season’s runway at New York Fashion Week: Men’s, but every trend isn’t always a must. Fashion Reverie is here to let you know what consumers should be rocking, or what some consumers should leave on the runway

Dangling Belts

Landlord, which usually takes its inspiration from 90s hip-hop, accessorized numerous pieces in their collection with brightly colored belts. The look was utilitarian, but somehow impractical. What purpose could there be for wearing a belt so long, aside from it looking cool? Dangling belts can be an attention getter, but not the right kind of attention. Young hip-hop stars like Lil Uzi Vert can pull this off, but it’s not for everybody. Every season, there is always something urban designers have to do, whether it’s baggy pants, or shoulder pads and oversized sleeves, and this season it happened to belts, but it’s a miss with this time around.

Verdict: Leave it on the runway

Reconstructed Shirts

If there is one easy way to make a shirt more interesting without getting too pattern crazy, deconstruct it and then reconstruct it and make it more avant-garde and edgy. Brands like Woodhouse added oversized pockets to simple navy tee shirts, and menswear designers like Luar took it to a whole other level completely destroying shirts to add details like layers of neckties where fabric would normally be. This is one of those trends that should be approached with caution.

Don’t go so overboard that your living situation is questionable, looking like a homeless person who owns a sewing machine. The Woodhouse effect is the best approach when adopting this trend.

Verdict: Rock it (but with subtlety)

Today’s Hip-Hop Stars Are Wearing … Tracksuits

While 90s nostalgia was the big craze this season, designers were also thinking about what today’s hip-hop celebs are wearing. Track jackets are a staple piece once again, as seen with brands like Head of State. Denim, which for a few years seemed to be losing its luster, is bigger and bolder than ever. While hip-hop stars have been going flashier than ever on the red carpet, it’s those staple pieces that everyone will want to curate. Stars like A$AP Rocky and Pharrell are known to regularly rock a simple, yet tasteful track jacket. With hip-hop now the world’s most listened to music genre, who better to take fashion cues from.

Verdict: Rock it

 

Bold Colors

The brighter the better was the theme for many designers this season. While menswear has long been cautious when it comes to bold color palettes, this season designers went as crazy as the 96 crayon Crayola box. Monochromatic ensembles will be big for spring/summer 2018 as evidenced by brands like C2H4 Los Angeles, who presented neo-futuristic monochromatic orange and blue ensembles. Red will also be popular for spring 2018, and appeared in the runways and presentations of designers including Carlos Campos, Feng Chen Wang and swimwear brand Katama. Men need to stop shying away from color, somber dressing is out, and it’s great that fashion is pushing men to be more daring.

Verdict: Rock it

—Kristopher Fraser

 

 

 

 

 

 

Image credits

• nyfw-mens-rock-it-leave-it.jpg — Editorial image.
• kenneth-ning-spring-20181.jpg — Editorial image.
• downloads404.jpg — Editorial image.
• downloads405.jpg — Editorial image.
• general-idea-spring-20181.jpg — Editorial image.