August was a huge month for sneakerheads and hip-hop fans alike.
Kanye West’s Yeezy Boost 350 black, his second model of shoes developed with Adidas Originals, dropped Aug. 22. A week later, Tyler, the Creator’s third round of Golf Wang Vans hit select stores.
Both releases brought up the ongoing controversy between fashion lovers and hip-hop moguls on whether rappers should be welcomed to the fashion industry.
West is vocal about the criticism of his designs, citing over-exposure and racism for his exclusion.
After criticism from New York Fashion Week’s creator Fern Mallis, West tweeted, “Fame is often looked down upon in the design world, so it’s actually been something I had to overcome.”
He once told Jimmy Kimmel, “Currently in fashion, there’s no black guy at the end of the runway.” Both statements are echoed in some of his notorious rants that usually happen in front of grand audiences at music festivals or award shows.
Despite what West believes is holding him back as a respectable designer, collaborations between hip-hop and fashion prove successful for both parties.
Publicity is key for designers to successfully brand themselves, and the fanbases these musicians maintain could make or break that brand’s affect on people.
Just like rappers name drop Versace and Gucci to portray a high-status image, designers look for celebrities of the same magnitude in the front row of fashion shows for the same reason. It’s a give-and-take public relations affair.
Supporters of rap music are often committed to their favorite artists.
“[Tyler’s fans] are down for him for life,” Rukus Board Shop owner and founder Ronnie Saurage said.
Once an artist creates a solid fanbase, nothing will drive them away — not even Tyler’s profane lyrics from Goblin or “threatening” behavior from his arrest for “inciting a riot” in Austin, Texas, that got him banned from the U.K. and New Zealand or West’s obnoxious ego.
Of course, there’s always the over-the-top fans.
“I had a girl almost just buy [the Vans] just to have them [because she couldn’t fit in them],” Saurage said.
He also said a girl once cried in his store because they sold out of Tyler’s previous shoe collection.
That’s right, these collaborative design efforts sell out quickly, depending on the artist. You can easily find Pharrell’s Adidas Supershell Superstar shoes, released Aug. 7, but the new Yeezys sold out in less than an hour.
It’s easy money and publicity for brands to back collaborations. Hunter Hulin, a textiles, apparel and merchandising junior who works at Rukus Board Shop and designed his own Nikes said he agrees.
“Anything [West] makes is going to be too hyped up. Anything that he puts his name on is going to sell out immediately. I like the shoe. I think it’s a cool, sleek, stylish design,” Hulin said.
Regarding the Golf Wang Vans, Saurage said, “They sell out. It’s like in one day you’ll sell almost 50 pairs of shoes. They only make so many, and it’s so limited.”
Hulin said he agrees.
“I’m a huge fan of Tyler, The Creator, so I pretty much have all of them from all three packs.Whatever he comes out with, I’m probably going to buy. You know, it’s like you’re kind of a victim of the market,” he said.
But Tyler could care less about his sneaker or sales.
In an interview with Billboard, Tyler’s manager Christian Clancy said, “Tyler had grown up drawing doughnuts on his pants and dressing his own way. These guys are just making clothes for themselves, and then it’s a no-brainer for me as a manager to say, ‘OK, this is an obvious business.’”
Any Tyler fan knows Tyler essentially branded himself from day one. Almost every album cover, every photoshoot, every clothing or shoe design is from his notebook.
In true Tyler form, he said to Billboard, “I f—ing hate fashion and everything about it. I just like making stuff, and it happens to be in f—ing cotton and, like, materials. But that s— [of the fashion world] is disgusting.”
Hulin said he thinks Tyler’s designs are more respectable.
“I like what Tyler is doing better because it’s obvious that he’s not doing it for anyone but himself,” Hulin said. “He’s not doing it for money, or for fame, or for more publicity — he’s strictly doing it for himself because he enjoys doing it, and he wants something to wear.”
However, West convinces people he is designing for the greater good of society. He told The New York Times, “I want to destroy [exclusivity]. The very thing that supposedly made me special — the jacket that no one could get, the direct communications with the designers — I want to give that to the world.”
Tyler’s careless style gains respect from his audience, but Yeezy fans approve of his passionate message, which is often hyperbolically compared to the civil rights movement.
While these audiences are a PR department’s dream, it’s important to also consider the art itself that hip-hop provides the fashion industry.
“It’s all art, music, fashion,” Hannah Gadbois, president of Fashion Association at LSU and textiles, apparel and merchandising senior said. “It all kind of coincides with each other, so I think rather than seeing it as a negative, you have to look at it like, ‘Hey, they’re doing what they love, and they’re adding onto it, so good for them.’”
Creative minds rarely operate in one medium. Like an athlete can excel in more than one sport, a hip-hop artist can translate their vision to fashion.
Not only that, but these rappers could influence aesthetics. Tyler’s known for his bright, colorful style. While other brands are also known for their psychedelic style, at a Tyler concert, the entire crowd mimics his style. His influence on color blocking is shown within his target audience.
West, known for his sleek, monochromatic style, has the same effect on the fashion industry. Perhaps it’s his influence on the Kardashian and Jenner families, or his effect on designers in his clique such as Olivier Rousteing for Balmain, but his simplistic look is prominent in current trends.
West attempts to pioneer the hierarchy of fashion, too. While some of his previous collections were expensive, he told The New York Times he wants quality fashion with fine materials available to the masses at accessible prices.
And while he works with high fashion brands like Balmain, his Yeezy Boost collaboration with Adidas is at a comparable price point to other sneakers like Air Jordans.
Rappers who are multidimensional in their craft deserve respect.
Sold out racks and websites prove their audience approves and engages. Their influence on trends is obvious. Fashion designing gives the musicians another creative outlet that can drive innovation.
Though some fashion moguls condemn their attempts at fashion designing, the numerous brands and fans that support them, as well as the underlying logic, outweigh the negativity.
Sarah LeBoeuf is a 20-year-old mass communication junior from Alexandria, Louisiana. You can reach her on Twitter @sleboeuf23.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Zoe Geauthreaux

Rukus Board Shop carries 'Golf/Vans Old Skool Pro' sneakers in multiple colors on Monday, Aug. 31, 2015, for customers to purchase. This limited edition collection resulted from a third collaboration between rapper Tyler the Creator and shoe manufacturer Vans.