BLACK CULTURE AS THE BLUEPRINT FOR POPULAR CULTURE
If any person were to pick up their phone and scroll through their Twitter feed, Instagram timeline, or TikTok “for you” page they would undoubtedly see the influence of Black culture. Whether it’s through music, fashion, dance, or the use of AAVE (African American Vernacular English) it is undeniable that Black culture has and continues to be the blueprint for popular culture. After being enslaved for over 400 years, Black people were still able to utilize what was given to them in order to develop a common cultural identity. Centuries later, things that Black people were once ridiculed for are now given the highest of praises. This paper will focus on the impact 80s and 90s rap culture had on African American style trends, and how they are now being rebranded by big names in fashion without paying homage to their Black pioneers.
As stated before, in times of oppression African Americans were given very little resources, let alone enough for luxury clothing. As a result, popular designer brands were not marketed towards them. Instead, they took what was given to them and fashioned them to their own needs. Clothes became more than just a covering for bodies, serving as a form of self-expression. Through this lens we can now see fashion and style as a form of literacy. In this case, literacy is more than just your ability to read and write. It can be defined as one’s ability to effectively communicate and tell their story though varying types of media, including music, food, clothing, etc. By taking clothes that were already available and transforming it to fit their own needs, African Americans created something new and exciting that told their story through something other than pen and paper.
During the 1980s, with the birth of rap culture we start to see a connection form between artists and luxury brands. If a rapper was wearing the latest designer labels, it was their way of communicating to society that they had found success. At this time designer brands were not putting their logos onto their clothes, yet a designer by the name of Daniel Day, famously known as Dapper Dan, found a way to repurpose luxury logos into clothing for those who could afford it. In 1982, he opened up Dapper Dan’s Boutique in Harlem and using the logoed materials from brands such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, and MCM, would create custom clothing for the biggest names in hip-hop. After ten years of operation, however, Day’s shop was forced to close due to legal confrontations by the lawyers of these famous brands. Despite having to close his shop, Day still continued to run his business underground.
In Figures 1 and 2, Day’s body language speaks for itself in showing the pride he has for his shop and the work that takes place within it. The success of opening and running his own business is not only an accomplishment on his part, but also on behalf of the Black community. After growing up fairly poor, Dapper Dan’s feat of opening his own store that would go on to serve many famous customers, inspired countless other African Americans to pursue careers in fashion, a field oversaturated with their white counterparts.
Figures 3 and 4 show the power innovation has within industry. Dapper Dan’s designs gave new life to the logos of their original brands. This achievement in design demonstrated to society the commercial potential that the Black community holds in their many talents. Fast forward to today, these same brands profit from Dapper Dan’s signature style and many other Black trends as well. Unfortunately, big industries still fail to understand the benefits of having a diverse creative force, thus, continue to recycle things that have previously been done as shown in Figure 5.
The incident shown on the right of Figure 5, was followed by an uproar of criticism of social media. The public was outraged because Daniel Day was not given any recognition for the nearly identical jacket shown on the right. It was not until after this social media outcry that Gucci offered Dapper Dan a collaboration deal.
In the film The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion (2019), April Walker states, “We [African Americans] create culture but don’t participate in the longevity of it, in terms of the business part of it” (32:36 ). In other words, when something that Black people created is finally deemed “acceptable” for popular culture it is heavily capitalized on, making the market oversaturated with said trend, and the originator is not given credit. In the time that it takes for a Black trend to become mainstream, we as a community have already moved on to something new.
The following are a few trends that were originated or popularized within Black culture:
STREETWEAR/BAGGY CLOTHING
As seen in Figure 6, baggy clothing, though seen as unconventional, was very popular throughout the 90s. This style was worn especially by women in the music industry who were looking to hide some of their feminine features. The loose fitting clothes allowed them to emulate the styles of men, in order to be taken seriously in a male-dominated music genre.
HOOP EARRINGS AND GOLD JEWELRY STACKING
Jewelry has a deep-rooted history in Black culture and streetwear. During the rise of rap and hip-hop culture in the 80s, hoops got thicker and grew in size, giving rise to the “door-knocker” and bamboo styles. For some, getting your first pair of hoops or gold chain may serve as a rite of passage, representing of a step towards maturity. In “A Brief History of Trends that Originated from Black Communities,” the author explains, “ It’s important that non-POCs who wear this style do so mindfully, and use their platform to engage in meaningful discourse regarding race” (Lawrence).
SNEAKER CULTURE
Sneaker culture began in the 1970s, as shoes became less of a practical clothing choice and more of a stylistic expression. In the 80s the industry took off due to the rise of hip-hop culture, the increasing popularity of basketball and the emergence of Michael Jordan’s “Air Jordan” shoe line (Lawrence). Jordan’s ad campaign in collaboration with Spike Lee for the Jordan 3s built a connection between film, sport, and style culture to reach even bigger audiences. The commercial marks a pivotal moment in Jordan’s rise to becoming a cultural phenomenon.
The magnitude at which we see these styles being worn on non-black bodies in the media today, raises the questions of gatekeeping, appropriation, and representation. In a video entitled “Things Black Culture Popularized,” content creator, Jackie Aina, explains that Black people and the culture that they have created is extremely marketable. Things that were once deemed “ghetto” are receiving praise when they are being worn by non-POCs. This form of capitalism provides wealth to those that had no part in the creation of said product. In the regurgitation of styles that African Americans have popularized, it is not being marketed back towards Black people. This creates a form of gatekeeping that excludes Black people from their own personal form of literacy. In a piece titled The Skin We Ink: Tattoos, Literacy, and a New English Education, the author writes, “…literacy cannot exist separate from human struggle, especially among under-siege groups. Hence, narrow definitions of literacy that educational policies…endorse pose a unique social and educational threat to individuals…” (Kirkland). Thus, it is quite traumatizing to see when things that one has created out of their own personal experiences and struggles is stolen by those who have no appreciation for it. In order to dispute these issues of appropriation, there needs to be an increase in Black people in the correct spaces: in positions of power making the big decisions. “Diversity is not about showing more Black people, it’s about diversity of perspective. The next frontier of representation is about who is making the decision” (The Remix 51:00).
Work Cited and References
Aina, Jackie. “Things Black Culture Popularized.” YouTube, 10 Oct. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=AM7tjVVAGSQ
Cadogan, Dominic. “Gucci responds to claims it copied Dapper Dan.” Dazed, 1 Jun. 2017, www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/36144/1/gucci-responds-to-claims-it-copied-dapper-dan-look-jacket-cruise-2018-show.
Cadogan, Dominic. “The legendary Harlem bootlegger will be a mentor at the upcoming NYFW VFiles show.” Dazed, 27 Jul. 2017, www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/36895/1/dapper-dan-to-mentor-young-new-york-designers-vfiles-ss18-nyfw.
Cooper, Barry Michael. “The Fashion Outlaw Dapper Dan: Twenty-five years after luxury labels sued his Harlem boutique out of existence, Gucci looks to him for inspiration.” The New York Times, 3 Jun. 2017, www.nytimes.com/2017/06/03/fashion/dapper-dan-harlem-gucci.html.
Houghton, Edwin Stats. “Dapper Dan Talks Gucci Partnership, Dressing Harlem’s Notorious Gangsters, and Getting Busted by Sonia Sotomayor.” GQ, 5 Mar. 2018, www.gq.com/story/dapper-dan-gucci-harlem-atelier-exclusive-interview.
Kirkland, David. “The Skin We Ink: Tattoos, Literacy, and a New English Education.” Visions and Cyphers, 2016, pp.156–171.
Lawrence, Jonquil. “A Brief History of Trends that Originated from Black Communities.” Bricks, 29 Jun. 2020, www.bricksmagazine.co.uk/2020/06/29/black-culture-in-fashion-a-brief-history-of-trends-that-originated-from-black-communities/.
The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion. Directed by Lisa Cortés, Farah X, Netflix, 2019.
The Wall Street Journal. “Carrying MCM Through the Years.” WSJ, 12 Mar. 2010, www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703625304575116161951912790
