Filed under: Celebrity Style , Designers, Fashion News, Men's Style
It seems that everywhere you turn these days, another rapper is coming out with a clothing line. Successful rap artists like T.I. (Akoo), Nelly (Apple Bottoms and Vokal), Jay-Z (Rocawear), Diddy (Sean John), Kanye West (Pastelle, Air Yeezys), Damon Dash (CEO), Eminem (Shady),Trina (Pink Diamond), Eve (Fetish), Fabolous (Rich Yung), 50 Cent (G-Unit), and music mogul Russell Simmons (Phat Farm/Argyle Culture) have all dabbled in the fashion industry, some more successfully than others.
But are clothing lines another artistic outlet or simply another way for rappers to make money?
"Music and clothing go hand and hand, and it's only natural that a rapper would want to do a clothing line," Dave Saulters, fashion expert and former lead designer of Phat Farm told Black Voices. "The days of just slapping their name and face on a brand in order to sell are long gone. You have to be creative and priced right these days."
After Jay-Z and Dash split, Dash attempted to launch his own clothing line named, CEO. The line was intended to bring out the inner Chief Executive Officer in all of us. Unfortunately, CEO failed and eventually closed up shop.
Rapper Clothing Lines
Hip-hop mogul Jay-z and former partner Damon Dash launched the clothing line Rocawear in 1999. When the two parted ways, Dash sold his stake in the company for $22 million. In 2007, Jay-z sold the rights to the brand to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million, however the rapper still owns stakes in the company and maintains control over marketing, licensing and product development.
Sean "Diddy" Combs will go down as one of the most successful rappers turned fashion designers. His line Sean John launched in 1998 and in the past 12 years has flourished into quite the empire. In 2008, the media mogul added Enyce clothing line to his growing clothing brand.
In 2003, rapper50 Cent teamed up with famed designer Marc Eckoto launch G-Unit Clothing Company. The line offers accessories and clothing designed primarily by the rap mogul, while marketing and merchandising of the brand is handled by Mr. Ecko. After a brief hiatus, the clothing line re-launched in the spring of 2009.
Kanye West is no stranger to fashion. The man that boasted 'Ralph Lauren was boring until I wore him,' seemed destined to create his own clothing line. Sadly, only two days after his line Pastelle debuted online, it folded. Insiders attribute the failure to his bad behavior, primarily his infamous VMA's stunt.
N.E.R.D.'s front runner Pharrell Williams partnered with Japanese designer Nigo to develop the line Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream. The luxury lines consist of t-shirts, polos, denim, suits, hats, sneakers and accessories. The exclusive line has flagship stores in New York, Hong Kong, London and Tokyo.
In 2003, rapper Nellylaunched the popular women's line Apple Bottoms. The line's denim jeans became an instant favorite for many young women with 'apple shaped' derrieres. Since then, the rapper launched a line dedicated to men called Vokal.
Eve first launched her clothing line Fetish back in 2003 but the line was unexpectedly canceled due to creative differences between the rapper partnering company INNOVO Group. After re-launching the line three times, the rapper appears to be content with her product.
Eminem launched his urban clothing line in the summer of 2003. The line, which features hoodies, active wear, t-shirts and jerseys, was acquired by Rocawear in 2006. The '8 Mile' rapper still has full design control, but the partnership has helped the quality of the line.
Damon Dash has been working on launching his clothing line CEO for quite some time. The line has yet to debut to the public, but has been featured in a Magic Trade Show in Las Vegas. The former Roc-a-fella executive actually owns a stake in his ex-wife Rachel Roy's successful line. He might want to take notes!
Lupe Fiasco's luxury line Trilly and Truly launched in 2006. The line -- which is based on the three concepts anarchy, peace and history -- re-launched in the spring of 2010.