Which Fashion Designer Is Considered The Pioneer Of Streetwear?

Hiroshi Fujiwara, the founder of Fragment Design, is a renowned Japanese tastemaker who has significantly shaped the Tokyo streetwear scene. He has collaborated with global brands like Nike, Louis Vuitton, and Starbucks, and his work has been credited with line-ups, quickstrike sneaker releases, and even higher-priced T-shirts. Fujiwara is often referred to as the “Godfather of Streetwear” and a living internet. His creative contributions extend beyond fashion, playing a pivotal role in shaping Japan’s current street culture.

Hiroshi Fujiwara is known as the “godfather of streetwear” due to his preference for disruption and connection throughout his career. He has been responsible for nurturing the careers of many of today’s giants in Japanese fashion, from UNDERCOVER’s Jun Takahashi to A Bathing Ape. As Louis Vuitton launches its collaboration with Fragment Design, it is important to examine the brand’s founder Hiroshi Fujiwara, who is known for being the pinnacle of Japanese streetwear.

Fujiwara is a full-time creative collaborator, musician, designer, and thinker who refuses to bow down to the standards of any industry. He is also known for his influence on hip-hop in Japan, mentored Kanye West and Virgil, and possibly invented the idea of retro shoes. Fujiwara’s legacy continues to be a testament to his impact on the world of streetwear culture.

Who was the first streetwear designer?

Willi Smith, born in 1948 in Philadelphia, was an artistic child who grew up with an ironworker father and a creative arts-skilled mother. After his parents divorced, Smith’s grandmother, Gladys “Nana” Bush, nurtured him throughout his life. In 1965, Smith left Philadelphia for Parsons School of Design in New York City, where he was groomed to follow fashion’s rules of engagement while New York City faced bankruptcy. Smith’s downtown overflowed with artists across disciplines forging a radically experimental culture amidst failing infrastructure and disintegrating postwar moral strictures.

In 1967, the legendary chair of the Fashion Design Department, Ann Keagy, expelled Smith for having an open affair with another male student. However, he was inspired by the teeming life below 14th Street and struck out on his own. Impresario Harrison Rivera-Terreaux introduced Smith to French artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude to help with the construction of a wedding dress. The Wedding Dress defied boundaries between fashion and art, fashion and clothing, and sculpture and performance.

The exhibition, The Museum of Merchandise, featured works by artists who were bringing the aesthetics of mass culture into the fine-art world, including Andy Warhol, Robert Indiana, Arman, and Roy Lichtenstein. This exhibition modeled the potential for elite contexts to open up to a wide commercial audience through cross-disciplinary engagement, which Smith would soon adopt for his own work.

Who is the godfather of streetwear?

Hiroshi Fujiwara, born in 1964 in Ise, Japan, is a legend in contemporary fashion and streetwear culture. Born in 1964, Fujiwara moved to Tokyo at 18 and was fascinated by culture, music, and Western style. He fell in love with the punk-rock scene in London and met Malcom McLaren, manager of Sex Pistols and husband of Vivienne Westwood, who suggested he go to New York. Fujiwara’s trips to the Big Apple in the early 80s allowed him to get in touch with hip hop culture, which he became a great fan of.

He became one of the first Japanese hip hop producers and DJs, contributing significantly to the diffusion of the genre and the culture related to hip hop. His legacy continues to influence contemporary fashion and streetwear culture.

What makes streetwear streetwear?

Streetwear is a blend of sportswear, skate culture, and music, characterized by comfortable silhouettes, graphic T-shirts, hoodies, sneakers, and accessories like caps. It is a vibrant expression of contemporary culture, primarily embraced by youth under 30, who inhabit urban landscapes and unite under various subcultures like skateboarders or hip-hop aficionados. Despite its diverse influence, streetwear is not just a fashion label; it transcends definition, drawing inspiration from various influences such as skate and surf culture, hip-hop beats, sports dynamism, haute couture sophistication, and K-Pop’s global impact.

The kaleidoscopic tapestry of streetwear’s influence is a testament to the diversity of its disciples, spanning across income brackets and socioeconomic strata. However, streetwear is not just a nonchalant style; it is a narrative rich with depth and purpose, a cultural manifesto where the fusion of fashion and identity paints a picture far beyond the superficial. It is an ever-evolving language of self-expression, blending fashion and identity to create a unique and vibrant style.

Who is the grandfather of streetwear?

Hiroshi Fujiwara, known as the godfather of streetwear, was a key figure in shaping the culture of high-fashion in Japan. He connected the dots between Tokyo and the West in the 90s, bridging streetwear and high-fashion. Fujiwara is the founder of fragment design, retaW, and POOL aoyama concept store. He is part of Nike HTM, a long-term collaboration with Mark Parker, Tinker Hatfield, and Fujiwara.

He has collaborated with various brands, including Louis Vuitton, Nike, Burton, Moncler, Levi’s, Stussy, BVLGARI, Supreme, Starbucks, Converse, Apple, TAG Heuer Carrera, and Pokemon. Fujiwara also designed a guitar for Eric Clapton and collaborated with Yanmar for a X47 Cruiser luxury yacht. He has released 10 albums under his own name.

What is the history of streetwear fashion?

Streetwear, a multi-billion dollar industry, originated in the ’90s in New York, Los Angeles, and Japan, with designers like James Jebbia, Shawn Stussy, Nigo, and Hiroshi Fujiwara leading the movement across the Pacific. Streetwear is a cultural ph
enomenon, with graphic tees, loose-fitting jeans, and statement sneakers created by consumers like rappers, skaters, and rebels. Traditional brands often did not dress these individuals, leading the community to create their own clothing and define what fashion meant to them.

Streetwear has risen in mainstream fashion over the past few decades, driven by consumers seeking exclusivity in streetwear clothing. Exclusivity in the form of capsule collections, limited editions, and artistic collaborations are defining signatures of streetwear. Luxury brands now use limited editions as a sales tactic to promote the feeling of exclusivity for consumers.

In summary, streetwear is a cultural phenomenon that has evolved over time, with designers like Jebbia, Stussy, Nigo, and Fujiwara pioneering the movement in the US and the Pacific. The rise of streetwear in mainstream fashion is driven by a close-knit group of musicians, skaters, artists, and social media influencers who create clothing and curate looks for themselves as an act of self-expression, culture, and community knowledge.

Who made streetwear popular?

Streetwear gained popularity in the early 2000s due to skaters’ influence on pop culture, with brands like Supreme and Stussy dominating the scene in America and Europe. The “bling” culture emerged, with luxury brands like Burberry, Gucci, and Fendi appearing in hip-hop videos and films. The Nike Air Force 1 was the most popular shoe of the time, immortalized in Nelly’s song. Fashion clothing manufacturers followed suit, co-opting the idea of limited-edition capsule collections, known as “drops”, using social media and product scarcity as marketing tools. Today, streetwear incorporates elements of Japanese street fashion, sportswear, and pop-culture, becoming a global symbol of comfortable, aesthetic fashion.

Is Louis Vuitton a streetwear?

Luxury brands, once associated with exclusivity and craftsmanship, have evolved to become more accessible and accessible due to the growing popularity of internet shopping and mass media attention. Many luxury brands have embraced cultural trends and collaborated with artists, designers, and influencers to reach new audiences and stay relevant in a rapidly changing marketplace. Louis Vuitton, for example, has successfully linked its products with streetwear culture, a trend that has gained significant traction in recent years.

This paper explores Louis Vuitton’s initiative to link its products with streetwear culture and its success. This approach has helped the brand attract more young people, the group with the strongest consumption ability.

Who is the mother of streetwear?

OG Ma, also known as Lam Xie, is a Chinese-American fashion enthusiast and businesswoman known as the “mother of streetwear”. She runs the Unique Hype Collection store in Manhattan, selling streetwear apparel. Xie, who grew up in China, moved to New York City in 1992 with her sons and worked as a babysitter. She received a business degree in the US and started the business when her son Peter started collecting and selling Supreme clothing. Their shop was profiled in the New Yorker in 2013 and is often visited by celebrities.

Is Gucci a streetwear brand?

Gucci, a struggling streetwear brand, has experienced a significant drop in sales, with the Asia-Pacific region being the most affected. The company’s share price fell the most in three decades. To address the situation, Gucci hired a new fashion head in China and Hong Kong, parted ways with Michele, and hired De Sarno, a lesser-known designer from Valentino. The brand also replaced Marco Bizzarri, who had headed Gucci for eight years, with Jean-Francois Palus, a longtime Pinault lieutenant.

Who started luxury streetwear?

In the late 1980s, surfboard designer Shawn Stussy began selling printed T-shirts featuring his trademark signature, initially selling from his car. As popularity increased, Stussy moved into exclusive sales to create product scarcity, establishing streetwear’s focus on T-shirts and exclusivity. In the early 1990s, record labels associated with hip-hop acts began selling branded merchandise embroidered onto letterman and workwear jackets made by companies like Carhartt.

Influences included skateboarding and gangsta rap. Professional American sports franchises, such as the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Raiders, and Chicago Bulls, had a significant impact on the scene. Brand launches by record company CEOs followed, with Russell Simmons of Def Jam launching his Phat Farm label, Sean Combs of Bad Boy with Sean John, and Jay-Z and Damon Dash of Roc-a-Fella Records launching Rocawear. Jil Sander was the earliest luxury fashion brand to collaborate with sportswear firm Adidas in 1998.

Since then, established luxury brands have made inroads into the market, with Burberry, Gucci, and Fendi appearing in films and hip-hop videos. Singer Pharrell Williams partnered with fashion designer Nigo to create Billionaire Boys Club, credited with mixing Japanese street fashion and streetwear. Fashion clothing manufacturers began to follow streetwear companies, co-opting the idea of limited edition capsule collections, known as “drops”, using social media and product scarcity as marketing tools.

Who found streetwear?

In the 1980s, streetwear emerged with brands like Shawn Stüssy’s Stüssy label, which sold custom surfboards and later expanded to apparel. This branding resonated with surfers and skaters, paving the way for a global movement. Meanwhile, the hip-hop scene in New York City was growing, with artists and followers creating a style characterized by baggy jeans, oversized shirts, and bold accessories. Brands like Adidas and Nike found new audiences among the youth who embraced hip-hop culture.

The iconic Run-D. M. C. endorsement of Adidas sneakers in the mid-1980s illustrates how music and fashion became intertwined in streetwear’s genesis. In the 1990s, streetwear expanded with brands like Supreme in New York and A Bathing Ape (BAPE) in Japan. Supreme, founded by James Jebbia in 1994, gained a reputation for limited-edition drops and collaborations with artists. BAPE, founded by Nigo in 1993, merged Western influences with unique designs.