FROM ZOOTS TO TELFAR: BLACK STREETWEAR AS A CULTURAL MOVEMENT
October 29, 2024
Christian Davis
The editorial will explore the evolution of the Black street style as a canvas for cultural reclamation, resistance, and creativity. The fusion of streetwear and ancestral motifs will reflect how young Black designers draw on the past while contributing to a modern, urban aesthetic. The narrative centers around fashion as a tool for self-expression, identity-building, and defiance in a space that has historically imposed social and cultural constraints on Black bodies.
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This October, the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced next year's Met Gala theme: Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. Based on Monica L. Miller’s 2009 book Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity, this year's looks will explore the fashion of Black men through the lens of dandyism. Dandyism is defined as excessive refinement and over performance of the self: Begging the questions: what is Black fashion and is it only applicable to the nicest of dresses?
More than a fashion movement, Black street style has always been profoundly political. During the Harlem Renaissance, as Black street style began to formalize, it transcended the garments that defined it, becoming a cultural statement and a tool for Black Americans to reclaim their identities. Black Americans utilized clothing to assert they were here in a society that continued to marginalize them. Whether it be the zoot suits of the 1940s or the baggy jeans and oversized shirts of the 1990s, Black street style became a cultural identifier and a form of self-expression, signaling pride and opposing social norms.
The 1970s, displaying an emphasis on sleek silhouettes and bright colors, marked a vibrant period of Black expression through fashion. Platform shoes, bell-bottom pants, and bold patterns were emblematic of the euphoric spirit of the times, with Black musicians influencing many of the trends of the time. As the years passed and the 1980s began, disco gave way to hip-hop, bringing the distinctive B-boy and B-girl styles that characterized the decade. Clad in Adidas tracksuits, fresh sneakers, and bold gold jewelry, this era saw some of the first pioneering streetwear brands like Cross Colours and Karl Kani. Soon came the infamous 90s, probably the decade most associated with Black streetwear due to its popularity. Baggy jeans, oversized shirts, and branded sportswear became synonymous with Black communities and diverse demographics worldwide.
Until the 1980s, streetwear existed primarily on the fringe of American culture, as did the Black Americans who popularized it. It wasn't until the 1980s, when hip-hop and rap began to soar on the charts, that Black streetwear found its place in mainstream American culture. The zoot suits, flares, and tracksuits were a chisel for Black communities to carve out space in an industry and a country that excluded them for too long. Streetwear became more than simply a style; it became a language through which solidarity and cultural pride could be expressed. FUBU, a Black-owned clothing brand popularized in the 1990s, stands for "For Us, By Us." In doing this, Daymond John, the founder of FUBU, was doing more than merely creating a catchy brand name; he was issuing a political statement that amplifies the importance of Black influence on popular culture.
Not much has changed since the 80s in terms of Black streetwear; it still exists at the forefront of the fashion industry now, with new talent reshaping the style to continually challenge industry norms and forge new paths. Telfar Clemens, for example, is redefining what luxury means. His cult favorite Telfar bag, iconically dubbed the "Bushwick Birkin," defies the exclusionary tactics used by other luxury bag brands for its stature. By doing so, Clemens combats the narrative that luxury may only be ascertained by the privileged and uber-wealthy. Similarly, Grace Wales Bonner is elevating the Black male identity within the fashion industry through a mix of fine tailoring and sportswear. Designers like Virgil Abloh and Kerby Jean-Raymond exemplify a fusion of cultural heritage with modern aesthetics, creating a new Black street style. Beyond such, Off-White, Louis Vuitton, and Pyer Moss —some of the most influential menswear brands of the 21st century — have curated designs at the highest echelons of the fashion industry that are steeped in Black culture.
Evidently, fashion does not exist without the Black Street style. Black streetwear remains on the front line of cultural innovation, constantly evolving and reshaping. From Harlem to London, from hip-hop to haute couture, Black influence on the fashion industry cannot be linked to just one style — for to ignore the impact of Black streetwear would be to ignore decades of creativity and perseverance.
Photo Sources:
https://www.wsj.com/articles/fubu-how-the-90s-brand-is-courting-the-instagram-generation-11614006448
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/17/style/telfar-tv-circle-bag-new-york-fashion-week.html