Marc Jacobs' ode to hip hop origins

Fresh off the brouhaha over his use of faux locs on a primarily white cast of models in his last collection (which didn’t bother me), and his tone deaf response to criticism by referencing black women straightening their hair (which did bother me…a lot), Marc Jacobs showed his fall 2017 collection at the finale of New York Fashion Week, calling it an ode to hip hop…

Le sigh...

I thought to myself, here we go again…but I decided to give the collection, he titled "Respect," a look.  I could see hints of the mid-70s and early 80s era of hip hop, the fur collared coats, kangol-esque caps, sunglasses that resembled Gazelles, and of course the gold chains and oversized hoop earrings.

Jacobs said he was inspired by a Netflix documentary, “The Evolution of Hip Hop,” which traces the beginnings and growth of hip hop from the 1970s through the 1990s.  It was a time when Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Run DMC, DJ Kool Herc, etc. were emerging as well as a new style that would influence generations to come.  It was an aesthetic that came easy to young black and Latino kids on the streets of New York.  It somehow felt too forced, too polished on Jacobs’ runway.

He added that he also drew inspiration from the “liveliness of the streets of New York.”

That street style quality is one thing that I like about the collection.  The coats, the textures and knits used, even the accessories alluded to that urban feel. 

Many pieces in the collection had the feel of a 1970s Blaxploitation film – think Shaft, Cleopatra Jones, Car Wash, Super Fly, etc.

According to vogue.com, Jacobs said, “As a born and bred New Yorker, it was during my time at the High School of Art and Design when I began to see and feel the influence of hip-hop on other music as well as art and style. This collection is my representation of the well-studied dressing up of casual sportswear. It is an acknowledgement and gesture of my respect for the polish and consideration applied to fashion from a generation that will forever be the foundation of youth culture street style.”

The references are all there.  His use of velvet, velour, denim, and corduroy are reminiscent of the era and those early founders, as are the oversized skullies, bell bottom track pants, corduroy jackets, and platform brogues.

But there was an almost cartoonish quality of the collection with the oversized skull caps, high crown caps, and over accessorizing.  Like one Dazed reviewer, I thought instantly of classic Saturday morning cartoons “Fat Albert” and the “Jackson Five.” 

It seemed a bit of a parody of the culture, which instantly made me roll my eyes. I thought more Jamiroquai than hip hop when I viewed the collection.

With Jacobs, I did understand where he was coming from, as my parents, aunts and uncles, and big sister are all of the referenced era, as I eventually inherited the culture he is drawing upon.  I got the 70s references, the traces of the hip hop culture and for some reason, I got that he may have been apologizing or at least acknowledging the earlier social media scuffle surrounding his words about black women.  I respect that.

I also give kudos to Jacobs for adding more melanin to his cast.  Twenty brown girls of all shades walked in a collection of 43 looks.  Perhaps it was a response to the criticism of his spring 2017 show, but it felt good to see a collection centered on hip hop that actually featured models of color.

The collection can be viewed at vogue.com.