It is generally accepted that the urban style was born out of the New York City hip-hop culture of the late 1970s and early 1980s, with elements of Los Angeles surf culture. Streetwear is a clothing style that became known around the world in the 1990s. It originated from a combination of New York hip-hop fashion, California's surf cat culture and elements of sportswear, punk and Japanese street fashion. Urban fashion has taken a big leap in recent years, going from being cult followers to becoming a giant icon in the world of luxury fashion.
Where does this enormous interest come from? Several fashion sources point to the subculture of the skate era, which originated in the early surf era in the late 1970s. Urban fashion also has its roots in music with the development of hip-hop culture. Nowadays, urban fashion has a multifaceted personality, combining a casual look, ready-to-wear fashion and, often, luxury with exclusivity. Sneakers have been an important part of urban fashion culture (mainly Pumas, Nike, Adidas, Converse, Vans) since the 1970s.
Urban fashion fans often wear loose-fitting jeans, oversized sweatshirts and other loose-fitting garments, breaking the rules of proportion to achieve a modern effect. The sneakers created by brands such as Adidas and Nike are the cornerstones of the urban uniform. Since its creation in 1994, the urban clothing brand Supreme, based in New York, has become popular exclusively among skaters; its unforeseen rise as one of today's leading urban clothing brands was never expected to occur. From FUBU to Cross Colours (and many others), the influx of urban clothing brands progressed at a good pace throughout the rest of the 80s and 90s.
From models with the Champion brand to Justin Beiber's new urban clothing line, Drew House — Gen Z is slowly recovering the fashion of loose-fitting clothing, flashy brands, unique graphics and functional utility jackets. Jeff Staple's vision and designs have inspired Umahoin in his own creative store, ensuring a deeper connection with the urban clothing brand. The brand's minimalist version of urban fashion classics, such as hoodies, jogging pants and cropped blouses, enraged fans. In the early 2000s, music producers and influencers such as Pharrell Williams, Kanye West and Lil Wayne catapulted interest in Japanese urban clothing brands.
Luxury urban clothing brands reflect the most recent appearance of brands that blur the lines between original urban clothing and luxury fashion. Designers such as Jerry Lorenzo from Fear of God, Kerby Jean-Raymond from Pyer Moss and Virgil Abloh from Off-White offer premium urban clothing at very high prices. The value of each urban clothing brand is derived from a variety of sources, including product quality and design, celebrity fans, musicians and artists. Brands such as DC Shoes, Vans and the publication of Thrasher Magazine influenced the urban culture of the time and created an appeal and a sense of community for skaters around the world.
Urban fashion should not be seen as a trend within fashion, but as the driving part of a major change that has empowered popular culture that encompasses fashion, art and music, and which is largely driven by black culture.
