Welcome to the 151st insertion of DEMUR®, an analytical series highlighting the intricacies of the artistic world and the minutiae lying within. In this episode, we travel to the city that never sleeps, exploring the wardrobe of a New Yorker in both past and present light.
Amidst an ongoing hustle, cold attitude and endless rush hour lies a glimmer of humanity in any concrete jungle. Packed on top of one another, it’s easy to get lost in opposing professions or political views, but many are able to share a common interest in style and self-expression. Within metropolitan areas, fashion is a congruency amongst most, creating city-wide trends that can offer worldwide influence.
New York, as one of the four major fashion capitals of the world, retains an abundance of key stylistic landmarks. What is known today as ‘Fashion Week’, was exclusive to the European circuit back in the 1940s, enticing journalists and insiders from around the globe. The event was coveted and exclusive but remote to the Western hemisphere, meaning that when WWII broke out, an alternative was necessary.
Inciting what New York Fashion Week has become would attract a slew of new faces in the city. Helmut Lang would pioneer New York’s scene as he departed from the East, spawning many of this era’s biggest names like Ralph Lauren. The fashion calendar quickly became a key trait of New York City, as we transcended through the 19th century and entered the 90s.
In the wake of the East/West Coast hip-hop rivalry, select stylistic options would become defining on a geographic scale. Figures like The Notorius B.I.G would aid in popularizing sports motifs and jerseys, among colourful Coogi knits and Timberlands. Rapping about the cult-classic footwear in his 1997 hit-single ‘Hypnotize’, in pair with similar bars from the up-and-coming Nas, we’d see the ignition of a city-wide trend.
Hip-hop would spark the ethos of street style, establishing the foundation for labels like Supreme. Likewise, skating and nightlife would play critical roles in trendsetting, most prominently in the present era.
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