Question

Who are the visible fashion elite today? Why?

Answer 1

trickle-down theory

fashion moves downward from the elite classes to the next adjacent class. fashion viewers in the latter half of the 20th century have criticized the trickle-down-theory as being flawed. Chief criticism is that the elite did not consistently set prevailing styles any time after the introduction of mass production and mass communication.

The fashionable elite in the latter half of the 20th century practiced a kind of status denial; people with the wealth and status to wear anything chose to dress down. Served the same purpose as conspicuous consumption which is differentiation.

Here are the 5 elite from the world of hip-hop, with some explanation as to why they’re here with us today. / Hip-hop is not the oldest music genre, but in 2016 it’s not the youngest either. There are icons who have come and gone who have left their marks in important ways, but we’re focusing on who is still alive — whether they’re still on the charts or not.

5. Young Thug

We’re going to say this loud and clear: America needs more Young Thug. At a time of mass uncertainty and a resistance to learning about the experiences of others, Young Thug is at least eight breaths of fresh air. His rejection of gender norms and ability to wear clothes that he likes because he likes them — regardless of whether its a Alessandro Trincone dress, gold lame pants, or a fuzzy hat — is not just awesome, it’s necessary. Fashion and style are about clothes and conventions. Young Thug uses one to disrupt the other. Perfect.

4. Tupac

Tupac’s death in 1996 meant that he would miss out on hip-hop’s current obsession with style, and the variety that came along with it. Tupac lived with baggy pants and the inelegantly named “wife beater” undershirt, two looks that have mostly expired. But Tupac’s signature — the tied bandana with the knot out — has become an icon and far outlived him. That’s why he’s on this list of the living style elite: One element of his look has survived the tides and turns of fashion that most everyone else on this list rides every season. His has been a stalwart.

3. Kanye West

There was a time that Kanye would be at the top of this list but boy have the mighty fallen (Just to number 3 though.) Kanye’s touch has set trends that lived for seasons, from bringing Louis Vuitton, Balenciaga and Saint Laurent to the forefront of the street, to ushering in a generation of kids wearing neutral sweats that are far too big for them. But as of late his more — shall we say “without home” — comfortable style has made us reconsider. We hope he’s just going through a phase and that he’ll jump back to the top soon enough

2. A$AP Rocky

Hip-hop’s identity has been tied to street fashion from the beginning. Blended with that has been a deep vein of taking inspiration from high fashion houses, and no one has engaged that better that A$AP Rocky. Not only have his looks been impeccably tailored but he’s mixed high and low so expertly as to almost make his own world out of it. Everything he wears, whether it’s Topman to the Met Gala or filling his mouth with diamonds for a film screening, is a meditation on conventions.

1. Pharrell

When you think of Pharrell and style it’s a wild mishmash of risk taking, boundary breaking, and failed trends. He’s not batting 1000 over here, but no one swings as much as he does. Style is about more than getting it right all the time, it’s about experimentation challenging expectations and revealing a vision for possibilities beyond what people think. Pharrell does this time and time again, whether he’s working with Domeau & Pérès to make a bicycle or Kiehl’s to make an Acai Spray, he’s always cooking up something. Don’t forget Adidas went to Pharrell before they went to Kanye. Pharrell might not have the pervasive star power as others on this list, but when it comes to vision and living that vision: There’s no one better.