Los Angeles, March 2024
Written by Alex Yang
WATCH THE THRONE
The Music-Fashion Intersection
Watch the Throne: Who Will Succeed Kanye as the Ruler of the Music-Fashion Intersection in the 2020s?
Los Angeles, March 2024
Written by Alex Yang
The Music-Fashion Intersection
Watch the Throne: Who Will Succeed Kanye as the Ruler of the Music-Fashion Intersection in the 2020s?
Los Angeles, March 2024
Written by Alex Yang
WATCH THE THRONE
The Music-Fashion Intersection
Watch the Throne: Who Will Succeed Kanye as the Ruler of the Music-Fashion Intersection in the 2020s?
All Falls Down
All Falls Down
All Falls Down
The artist formerly known as Kanye West ruled the 2010s fashion landscape. Since the infancy of his music career, Ye has continuously channeled his contrarian mindset into his bold fashion choices, and by the mid-2010s, his fans would adopt style cues from whatever aesthetic he was touting. 2015 marked a watershed moment in the fashion industry when Ye signed a deal with Adidas, creating the Yeezy brand. This line challenged the conventional fashion norms at the time, introducing more drapey and vintage-inspired cuts, drab colorways, and alienesque sneaker silhouettes. Millions of Ye fans traded their slim-fit clothes and basketball shoes for baggy loungewear and the signature piece of the “Yeezy Season” era, the Yeezy 350. This aesthetic would come to dominate streetwear and fashion trends as a whole for the rest of the decade.
Four years into the new decade, it is apparent that Ye’s influence on fashion trends has waned. While remnants of his era linger and reflect Ye’s wide impact, overall, fashion trends have been heading in different directions. Even Ye himself has been evolving beyond his trademark style. His style is now more avant-garde, revolving around all-black pieces, big boots, and intricate masks. While still designing clothes, he is seen most often in Balenciaga. His newer Yeezy Gap line had great anticipation upon its first drop in 2021, but never matched the popularity of the original Yeezy products.
Much of the Yeezy aesthetic’s decline is due to Ye’s revolting racist remarks. Ye has been scrutinized for his wild and unpredictable actions throughout his entire career, but his recent unwavering support for white nationalism and antisemitism has drastically (and rightfully) obliterated his image to the general public. While his diehard fans will support him no matter what, his legacy is now permanently tarnished. Adidas and Gap terminated their contracts with him, ending some of their most popular collaborative lines and with them. Of course, all fashion trends inevitably fade out and the Yeezy aesthetic would’ve likely met its end in the 2020s regardless of Ye’s bigoted outbursts, but it was the constant reiteration of said racist comments that effectively killed his presence in popular fashion trends.
With Ye’s influence over fashion greatly diminished, it is worth assessing the current fashion meta to see who, if anyone, will take his place as the definitive ruler of the intersection between music and fashion. Will there be an artist who will have the same impact on fashion in the 2020s as Ye had on fashion in the 2010s? Or are music-related fashion trends dependent more on the aesthetics of subgenres than single artists, making Ye’s astronomical presence in the fashion industry an anomaly? While we won’t know for sure until we can look at 2020s fashion trends retrospectively, there are already some potential candidates
The artist formerly known as Kanye West ruled the 2010s fashion landscape. Since the infancy of his music career, Ye has continuously channeled his contrarian mindset into his bold fashion choices, and by the mid-2010s, his fans would adopt style cues from whatever aesthetic he was touting. 2015 marked a watershed moment in the fashion industry when Ye signed a deal with Adidas, creating the Yeezy brand. This line challenged the conventional fashion norms at the time, introducing more drapey and vintage-inspired cuts, drab colorways, and alienesque sneaker silhouettes. Millions of Ye fans traded their slim-fit clothes and basketball shoes for baggy loungewear and the signature piece of the “Yeezy Season” era, the Yeezy 350. This aesthetic would come to dominate streetwear and fashion trends as a whole for the rest of the decade.
Four years into the new decade, it is apparent that Ye’s influence on fashion trends has waned. While remnants of his era linger and reflect Ye’s wide impact, overall, fashion trends have been heading in different directions. Even Ye himself has been evolving beyond his trademark style. His style is now more avant-garde, revolving around all-black pieces, big boots, and intricate masks. While still designing clothes, he is seen most often in Balenciaga. His newer Yeezy Gap line had great anticipation upon its first drop in 2021, but never matched the popularity of the original Yeezy products.
Much of the Yeezy aesthetic’s decline is due to Ye’s revolting racist remarks. Ye has been scrutinized for his wild and unpredictable actions throughout his entire career, but his recent unwavering support for white nationalism and antisemitism has drastically (and rightfully) obliterated his image to the general public. While his diehard fans will support him no matter what, his legacy is now permanently tarnished. Adidas and Gap terminated their contracts with him, ending some of their most popular collaborative lines and with them. Of course, all fashion trends inevitably fade out and the Yeezy aesthetic would’ve likely met its end in the 2020s regardless of Ye’s bigoted outbursts, but it was the constant reiteration of said racist comments that effectively killed his presence in popular fashion trends.
With Ye’s influence over fashion greatly diminished, it is worth assessing the current fashion meta to see who, if anyone, will take his place as the definitive ruler of the intersection between music and fashion. Will there be an artist who will have the same impact on fashion in the 2020s as Ye had on fashion in the 2010s? Or are music-related fashion trends dependent more on the aesthetics of subgenres than single artists, making Ye’s astronomical presence in the fashion industry an anomaly? While we won’t know for sure until we can look at 2020s fashion trends retrospectively, there are already some potential candidates
The artist formerly known as Kanye West ruled the 2010s fashion landscape. Since the infancy of his music career, Ye has continuously channeled his contrarian mindset into his bold fashion choices, and by the mid-2010s, his fans would adopt style cues from whatever aesthetic he was touting. 2015 marked a watershed moment in the fashion industry when Ye signed a deal with Adidas, creating the Yeezy brand. This line challenged the conventional fashion norms at the time, introducing more drapey and vintage-inspired cuts, drab colorways, and alienesque sneaker silhouettes. Millions of Ye fans traded their slim-fit clothes and basketball shoes for baggy loungewear and the signature piece of the “Yeezy Season” era, the Yeezy 350. This aesthetic would come to dominate streetwear and fashion trends as a whole for the rest of the decade.
Four years into the new decade, it is apparent that Ye’s influence on fashion trends has waned. While remnants of his era linger and reflect Ye’s wide impact, overall, fashion trends have been heading in different directions. Even Ye himself has been evolving beyond his trademark style. His style is now more avant-garde, revolving around all-black pieces, big boots, and intricate masks. While still designing clothes, he is seen most often in Balenciaga. His newer Yeezy Gap line had great anticipation upon its first drop in 2021, but never matched the popularity of the original Yeezy products.
Much of the Yeezy aesthetic’s decline is due to Ye’s revolting racist remarks. Ye has been scrutinized for his wild and unpredictable actions throughout his entire career, but his recent unwavering support for white nationalism and antisemitism has drastically (and rightfully) obliterated his image to the general public. While his diehard fans will support him no matter what, his legacy is now permanently tarnished. Adidas and Gap terminated their contracts with him, ending some of their most popular collaborative lines and with them. Of course, all fashion trends inevitably fade out and the Yeezy aesthetic would’ve likely met its end in the 2020s regardless of Ye’s bigoted outbursts, but it was the constant reiteration of said racist comments that effectively killed his presence in popular fashion trends.
With Ye’s influence over fashion greatly diminished, it is worth assessing the current fashion meta to see who, if anyone, will take his place as the definitive ruler of the intersection between music and fashion. Will there be an artist who will have the same impact on fashion in the 2020s as Ye had on fashion in the 2010s? Or are music-related fashion trends dependent more on the aesthetics of subgenres than single artists, making Ye’s astronomical presence in the fashion industry an anomaly? While we won’t know for sure until we can look at 2020s fashion trends retrospectively, there are already some potential candidates
Travis Effect
Travis Effect
Travis Effect
Travis Scott is the easiest musician to attribute recent streetwear trends to. Whenever Travis’s name appears in a product name, it sells out. Even the logo of his record label, Cactus Jack, is in the Pantheon of iconic modern streetwear logos. His merch and collaborations with brands like Fragment, Reese’s, McDonald’s, and most notably Nike/Jordan have all been wildly successful, selling out immediately and then demanding high resale prices. Pieces from those collections became mainstays in streetwear fits between 2018 and 2021. Travis’s influence on streetwear trends is best exemplified by the 2020 Dark Mocha Air Jordan 1 High, which had a near-identical colorway to Travis’s Jordan 1 collaboration released in 2019.
Besides the collabs and their derivatives, Travis’s style was very well-reflected in the common streetwear meta of 2018-2021. Boxy vintage-washed tees with 90s-inspired graphics, baggy cargos, Jordan 1s or Nike Dunks, thin box chains, flat-billed baseball caps, and flannels were ubiquitous, and many careers were built off of “styling” various combinations of these items on social media.
However, this aesthetic is harder to tie directly to Travis than connecting the Yeezy aesthetic to Ye. While Yeezy produced original and unique sneaker designs in a very specific color palette, Travis simply plastered his name and logos on products designed by other people. Additionally, this aesthetic is already dated, as the Travis-type fit’s dominance started fading in 2022. While it’s still pretty easy to find people wearing Traviscore streetwear, fashion influencers on Instagram and TikTok have long moved past this style.
Travis Scott is the easiest musician to attribute recent streetwear trends to. Whenever Travis’s name appears in a product name, it sells out. Even the logo of his record label, Cactus Jack, is in the Pantheon of iconic modern streetwear logos. His merch and collaborations with brands like Fragment, Reese’s, McDonald’s, and most notably Nike/Jordan have all been wildly successful, selling out immediately and then demanding high resale prices. Pieces from those collections became mainstays in streetwear fits between 2018 and 2021. Travis’s influence on streetwear trends is best exemplified by the 2020 Dark Mocha Air Jordan 1 High, which had a near-identical colorway to Travis’s Jordan 1 collaboration released in 2019.
Besides the collabs and their derivatives, Travis’s style was very well-reflected in the common streetwear meta of 2018-2021. Boxy vintage-washed tees with 90s-inspired graphics, baggy cargos, Jordan 1s or Nike Dunks, thin box chains, flat-billed baseball caps, and flannels were ubiquitous, and many careers were built off of “styling” various combinations of these items on social media.
However, this aesthetic is harder to tie directly to Travis than connecting the Yeezy aesthetic to Ye. While Yeezy produced original and unique sneaker designs in a very specific color palette, Travis simply plastered his name and logos on products designed by other people. Additionally, this aesthetic is already dated, as the Travis-type fit’s dominance started fading in 2022. While it’s still pretty easy to find people wearing Traviscore streetwear, fashion influencers on Instagram and TikTok have long moved past this style.
Travis Scott is the easiest musician to attribute recent streetwear trends to. Whenever Travis’s name appears in a product name, it sells out. Even the logo of his record label, Cactus Jack, is in the Pantheon of iconic modern streetwear logos. His merch and collaborations with brands like Fragment, Reese’s, McDonald’s, and most notably Nike/Jordan have all been wildly successful, selling out immediately and then demanding high resale prices. Pieces from those collections became mainstays in streetwear fits between 2018 and 2021. Travis’s influence on streetwear trends is best exemplified by the 2020 Dark Mocha Air Jordan 1 High, which had a near-identical colorway to Travis’s Jordan 1 collaboration released in 2019.
Besides the collabs and their derivatives, Travis’s style was very well-reflected in the common streetwear meta of 2018-2021. Boxy vintage-washed tees with 90s-inspired graphics, baggy cargos, Jordan 1s or Nike Dunks, thin box chains, flat-billed baseball caps, and flannels were ubiquitous, and many careers were built off of “styling” various combinations of these items on social media.
However, this aesthetic is harder to tie directly to Travis than connecting the Yeezy aesthetic to Ye. While Yeezy produced original and unique sneaker designs in a very specific color palette, Travis simply plastered his name and logos on products designed by other people. Additionally, this aesthetic is already dated, as the Travis-type fit’s dominance started fading in 2022. While it’s still pretty easy to find people wearing Traviscore streetwear, fashion influencers on Instagram and TikTok have long moved past this style.
King Vamp and the Opium Minions
King Vamp and the Opium Minions
King Vamp and the Opium Minions
The Opium aesthetic, popularized by Playboi Carti, is a trend that can be tied more directly to its progenitor than the Travis Scott streetwear style. Just like Ye, Carti’s unique style started influencing his fans’ fashion choices, creating a whole aesthetic associated with him. After Whole Lotta Red turned out to be a sleeper hit, fans rushed to emulate Carti’s new gothic-inspired style. Sneakerheads retired their Jordan 1s and Nike Dunks in favor of the Rick Owens Ramones that Carti frequently sports. At the same time, all-black fits became less emo and more “Opium”– the term referring to Carti’s record label that includes other Opiumcore pioneers, Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson.
However, Opiumcore is at high risk of extinction due to Carti’s inactivity. While Ye has been an unpredictable person throughout his entire career, his ability to stay in the limelight has been leveraged as a tool for Yeezy's success. In contrast, Carti lacks consistent relevance due to limited media and public presence. Even if Carti drops a new album in the next year, there is a chance that he will revamp his style in this new era. In December 2023’s music video for “UR THE MOON,” Carti wears a green Rick Owens fur coat. Adding a new color to the Opiumcore color palette is an unprecedented disturbance to the all-black color scheme that is so tied to the Opium aesthetic. The direction of Opiumcore is now contingent on whether or not its followers embrace this new development. Despite the likelihood of the aesthetic fizzling out, it is clear that Opiumcore remnants will still linger, as all-black fits are less stigmatized as “emo” and seen instead as “opium.”
The Opium aesthetic, popularized by Playboi Carti, is a trend that can be tied more directly to its progenitor than the Travis Scott streetwear style. Just like Ye, Carti’s unique style started influencing his fans’ fashion choices, creating a whole aesthetic associated with him. After Whole Lotta Red turned out to be a sleeper hit, fans rushed to emulate Carti’s new gothic-inspired style. Sneakerheads retired their Jordan 1s and Nike Dunks in favor of the Rick Owens Ramones that Carti frequently sports. At the same time, all-black fits became less emo and more “Opium”– the term referring to Carti’s record label that includes other Opiumcore pioneers, Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson.
However, Opiumcore is at high risk of extinction due to Carti’s inactivity. While Ye has been an unpredictable person throughout his entire career, his ability to stay in the limelight has been leveraged as a tool for Yeezy's success. In contrast, Carti lacks consistent relevance due to limited media and public presence. Even if Carti drops a new album in the next year, there is a chance that he will revamp his style in this new era. In December 2023’s music video for “UR THE MOON,” Carti wears a green Rick Owens fur coat. Adding a new color to the Opiumcore color palette is an unprecedented disturbance to the all-black color scheme that is so tied to the Opium aesthetic. The direction of Opiumcore is now contingent on whether or not its followers embrace this new development. Despite the likelihood of the aesthetic fizzling out, it is clear that Opiumcore remnants will still linger, as all-black fits are less stigmatized as “emo” and seen instead as “opium.”
The Opium aesthetic, popularized by Playboi Carti, is a trend that can be tied more directly to its progenitor than the Travis Scott streetwear style. Just like Ye, Carti’s unique style started influencing his fans’ fashion choices, creating a whole aesthetic associated with him. After Whole Lotta Red turned out to be a sleeper hit, fans rushed to emulate Carti’s new gothic-inspired style. Sneakerheads retired their Jordan 1s and Nike Dunks in favor of the Rick Owens Ramones that Carti frequently sports. At the same time, all-black fits became less emo and more “Opium”– the term referring to Carti’s record label that includes other Opiumcore pioneers, Destroy Lonely and Ken Carson.
However, Opiumcore is at high risk of extinction due to Carti’s inactivity. While Ye has been an unpredictable person throughout his entire career, his ability to stay in the limelight has been leveraged as a tool for Yeezy's success. In contrast, Carti lacks consistent relevance due to limited media and public presence. Even if Carti drops a new album in the next year, there is a chance that he will revamp his style in this new era. In December 2023’s music video for “UR THE MOON,” Carti wears a green Rick Owens fur coat. Adding a new color to the Opiumcore color palette is an unprecedented disturbance to the all-black color scheme that is so tied to the Opium aesthetic. The direction of Opiumcore is now contingent on whether or not its followers embrace this new development. Despite the likelihood of the aesthetic fizzling out, it is clear that Opiumcore remnants will still linger, as all-black fits are less stigmatized as “emo” and seen instead as “opium.”
Arc’teryx On Everyone
Arc’teryx On Everyone
Arc’teryx On Everyone
Perhaps music-related fashion trends in the 2020s and beyond won’t be tied to one specific performer, and will instead stem from certain subgenres of music. One example of this is gorpcore and its presence in underground and alternative rap. Gorpcore, a style based on functional outdoor clothing like waterproof shells and hiking sneakers, is seemingly unconventional for a fashion trend, but its popularity amongst alternative rappers and their fans has brought this aesthetic to the mainstream.
Two songs titled “Arc’teryx” were released in 2021: one by Kankan, one of the biggest names in the underground rap scene, and another by YT, whose gorpcore-themed song blew up on TikTok. This in effect, created a trend, in which, people would record themselves standing under running shower water with their Gore-Tex Arc’teryx shells. In 2023, Lil Uzi Vert dropped the track “That Fiya,” in which they boasted, “I don't wear Supreme, but if I indulge, you know I only wear Gore-Tex.” Outside of rapping about gorpcore, artists such as A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Frank Ocean have been seen sporting the aesthetic.
While gorpcore is another incredibly viral trend, it will still contribute a long-lasting legacy to the fashion meta of the 2020s. While dressing in all gorpcore is significantly less trendy than it was in 2023, brands like Arc’teryx and Salomon, as well as the material Gore-Tex, are here to stay due to their functionality. As long as precipitation exists, they will continue to be worn by the people who have relied on their athletic and survival uses and the people who bought $300 jackets to film TikToks.
Perhaps music-related fashion trends in the 2020s and beyond won’t be tied to one specific performer, and will instead stem from certain subgenres of music. One example of this is gorpcore and its presence in underground and alternative rap. Gorpcore, a style based on functional outdoor clothing like waterproof shells and hiking sneakers, is seemingly unconventional for a fashion trend, but its popularity amongst alternative rappers and their fans has brought this aesthetic to the mainstream.
Two songs titled “Arc’teryx” were released in 2021: one by Kankan, one of the biggest names in the underground rap scene, and another by YT, whose gorpcore-themed song blew up on TikTok. This in effect, created a trend, in which, people would record themselves standing under running shower water with their Gore-Tex Arc’teryx shells. In 2023, Lil Uzi Vert dropped the track “That Fiya,” in which they boasted, “I don't wear Supreme, but if I indulge, you know I only wear Gore-Tex.” Outside of rapping about gorpcore, artists such as A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Frank Ocean have been seen sporting the aesthetic.
While gorpcore is another incredibly viral trend, it will still contribute a long-lasting legacy to the fashion meta of the 2020s. While dressing in all gorpcore is significantly less trendy than it was in 2023, brands like Arc’teryx and Salomon, as well as the material Gore-Tex, are here to stay due to their functionality. As long as precipitation exists, they will continue to be worn by the people who have relied on their athletic and survival uses and the people who bought $300 jackets to film TikToks.
Perhaps music-related fashion trends in the 2020s and beyond won’t be tied to one specific performer, and will instead stem from certain subgenres of music. One example of this is gorpcore and its presence in underground and alternative rap. Gorpcore, a style based on functional outdoor clothing like waterproof shells and hiking sneakers, is seemingly unconventional for a fashion trend, but its popularity amongst alternative rappers and their fans has brought this aesthetic to the mainstream.
Two songs titled “Arc’teryx” were released in 2021: one by Kankan, one of the biggest names in the underground rap scene, and another by YT, whose gorpcore-themed song blew up on TikTok. This in effect, created a trend, in which, people would record themselves standing under running shower water with their Gore-Tex Arc’teryx shells. In 2023, Lil Uzi Vert dropped the track “That Fiya,” in which they boasted, “I don't wear Supreme, but if I indulge, you know I only wear Gore-Tex.” Outside of rapping about gorpcore, artists such as A$AP Rocky, Lil Yachty, and Frank Ocean have been seen sporting the aesthetic.
While gorpcore is another incredibly viral trend, it will still contribute a long-lasting legacy to the fashion meta of the 2020s. While dressing in all gorpcore is significantly less trendy than it was in 2023, brands like Arc’teryx and Salomon, as well as the material Gore-Tex, are here to stay due to their functionality. As long as precipitation exists, they will continue to be worn by the people who have relied on their athletic and survival uses and the people who bought $300 jackets to film TikToks.
Watch the Fashion Throne
Watch the Fashion Throne
Watch the Fashion Throne
For now, it is too soon to tell if any potential regent will be able to match the magnitude of Ye’s reign upon the popular fashion world of the 2010s. Kick-starting the 2020s, Travis Scott seemed like a suitable heir to the throne, but his influence has already diminished. The question of whether he is a trendsetter or a trend-follower will hamper his claim to the throne. Playboi Carti has amassed a large army of followers who are strongly influenced by his style, but his inconsistent behavior may cause his authority to be undermined. Gorpcore may have the most sustainable legacy, but this trend was spread by a clique of rappers as opposed to one monarch.
For now, it is assumed that no artist will be able to take the mantle of the definitive fashion icon in the 2020s, so it is worth asking if it is even fair to compare Ye with these other rappers. It is clear that Ye’s music career has been more substantial than Travis’s, Carti’s, and the gorpcore-associated rappers. Additionally, the rise in short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has greatly altered the fashion industry by exacerbating microtrends. Microtrends are specific and niche trends that blow up and spread quickly on short-form content platforms before sputtering out. The longevity of the aforementioned fashion styles has proven to be unsustainable because of the expeditious turnover rate of new fashion trends, a concern the Yeezy aesthetic did not have to face in the mid-2010s.
Nonetheless, the impact that these artists have had on their fans to cultivate their fashion aesthetics is ultimately impressive. While their influence may not last as long, Travis is now perpetually associated with brown Jordans, Carti raised a legion of all-black-wearing Rick fiends, and a conglomeration of alt rappers made waterproof jackets a must-have in any climate.
As Ye’s influence has unfortunately come to an atrocious end, it is perhaps beneficial that no one man has all that power over fashion trends. Artists now have the opportunity to cultivate small but passionate fashion trends based on their personal style, encouraging their fans to experiment with more styles of clothing and helping them find pieces that mesh with their unique identities, diversifying the world of fashion as a whole.
For now, it is too soon to tell if any potential regent will be able to match the magnitude of Ye’s reign upon the popular fashion world of the 2010s. Kick-starting the 2020s, Travis Scott seemed like a suitable heir to the throne, but his influence has already diminished. The question of whether he is a trendsetter or a trend-follower will hamper his claim to the throne. Playboi Carti has amassed a large army of followers who are strongly influenced by his style, but his inconsistent behavior may cause his authority to be undermined. Gorpcore may have the most sustainable legacy, but this trend was spread by a clique of rappers as opposed to one monarch.
For now, it is assumed that no artist will be able to take the mantle of the definitive fashion icon in the 2020s, so it is worth asking if it is even fair to compare Ye with these other rappers. It is clear that Ye’s music career has been more substantial than Travis’s, Carti’s, and the gorpcore-associated rappers. Additionally, the rise in short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has greatly altered the fashion industry by exacerbating microtrends. Microtrends are specific and niche trends that blow up and spread quickly on short-form content platforms before sputtering out. The longevity of the aforementioned fashion styles has proven to be unsustainable because of the expeditious turnover rate of new fashion trends, a concern the Yeezy aesthetic did not have to face in the mid-2010s.
Nonetheless, the impact that these artists have had on their fans to cultivate their fashion aesthetics is ultimately impressive. While their influence may not last as long, Travis is now perpetually associated with brown Jordans, Carti raised a legion of all-black-wearing Rick fiends, and a conglomeration of alt rappers made waterproof jackets a must-have in any climate.
As Ye’s influence has unfortunately come to an atrocious end, it is perhaps beneficial that no one man has all that power over fashion trends. Artists now have the opportunity to cultivate small but passionate fashion trends based on their personal style, encouraging their fans to experiment with more styles of clothing and helping them find pieces that mesh with their unique identities, diversifying the world of fashion as a whole.
For now, it is too soon to tell if any potential regent will be able to match the magnitude of Ye’s reign upon the popular fashion world of the 2010s. Kick-starting the 2020s, Travis Scott seemed like a suitable heir to the throne, but his influence has already diminished. The question of whether he is a trendsetter or a trend-follower will hamper his claim to the throne. Playboi Carti has amassed a large army of followers who are strongly influenced by his style, but his inconsistent behavior may cause his authority to be undermined. Gorpcore may have the most sustainable legacy, but this trend was spread by a clique of rappers as opposed to one monarch.
For now, it is assumed that no artist will be able to take the mantle of the definitive fashion icon in the 2020s, so it is worth asking if it is even fair to compare Ye with these other rappers. It is clear that Ye’s music career has been more substantial than Travis’s, Carti’s, and the gorpcore-associated rappers. Additionally, the rise in short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels has greatly altered the fashion industry by exacerbating microtrends. Microtrends are specific and niche trends that blow up and spread quickly on short-form content platforms before sputtering out. The longevity of the aforementioned fashion styles has proven to be unsustainable because of the expeditious turnover rate of new fashion trends, a concern the Yeezy aesthetic did not have to face in the mid-2010s.
Nonetheless, the impact that these artists have had on their fans to cultivate their fashion aesthetics is ultimately impressive. While their influence may not last as long, Travis is now perpetually associated with brown Jordans, Carti raised a legion of all-black-wearing Rick fiends, and a conglomeration of alt rappers made waterproof jackets a must-have in any climate.
As Ye’s influence has unfortunately come to an atrocious end, it is perhaps beneficial that no one man has all that power over fashion trends. Artists now have the opportunity to cultivate small but passionate fashion trends based on their personal style, encouraging their fans to experiment with more styles of clothing and helping them find pieces that mesh with their unique identities, diversifying the world of fashion as a whole.
© Forward 2024
"For the Future"
© Forward 2024
"For the Future"
© Forward 2024
"For the Future"