Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style

Abstract

Over the last half-century, hip hop has cemented itself as one of most influential cultural movements globally. Its origins can be traced to Cindy and Clive Campbell’s (aka DJ Kool Herc) legendary back-to-school party held on August 11, 1973, in their Bronx apartment building. From this singular event, hip hop became a global phenomenon with style being one of its most significant and enduring manifestations. With Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style, The Museum at FIT presented a sweeping retrospective using over 150 objects sourced from fifty lenders that examined hip hop’s relationship with fashion over the last half-century. Co-curated by Elizabeth Way, Associate Curator, and Elena Romero, Assistant Professor of Advertising and Marketing Communications, the exhibition Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style addressed how hallmarks of aspiration, inventiveness, and individualization within hip hop style pushed sartorial boundaries and infused itself within mainstream culture. In an interview with the New York Times, Romero observed: “Fashion is the original sixth element of hip hop . . . . Aspirations become a reality through what we wear. From nameplates to chains, it’s a way of being seen, and wearing the right clothes is a way to announce yourself to the world.” Upon descending the staircase to the Museum at FIT’s main galleries, visitors encountered a large image of Kool K and DJ Lee Rock posed in front of a busy merchandise display (Figure 1). In this photo, Kool K and Rock are wearing clothing typically associated with hip hop style’s earliest iterations with Lee jeans, gold name-plate jewelry, and newsboy caps. Upon first glance this introductory image seemed to be a visual portal to a bygone New York, but Jamel Shabazz photographed the image in 2019 for the denim brand Lee’s Spring/Summer 2019 campaign. This visual flattening of time between hip hop’s aesthetic origins and its current interpretations presented a strong entry point for viewers, emphasizing the style’s sartorial longevity as well as its roots in New York City. Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous was split between two primary gallery spaces and was organized thematically rather than chronologically. The smaller, front 1 Elena Romero and Elizabeth Way, “Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: 50 Years of Hip Hop Style.” https://www.fitnyc. edu/museum/exhibitions/hip-hopstyle.php.