Robb Report
Soon demand was rising for his creations crafted with designer logos. These were not the usual, cheap knockoffs illicitly sold on street corners but what Dan calls “knock-ups.” Instead of copying the big fashion houses, Dan created new silhouettes. Puff-sleeve bomber jackets, fur coats and tracksuits were all embellished with Dan’s signature bold graphics—often showcasing logos from two houses on one garment. “I do not dictate fashion,” he says. “I translate culture.
Biggie’s lyrical emphasis on fashion filtered into the music of other artists from the era, from Tupac mentioning Versace in his 1996 Biggie-diss track “Hit Em Up” to Jay-Z flirting with fashionistas by reeling off such names as Prada and Gucci in 1998’s “Can I Get A… ” Biggie also influenced Lil’ Kim, who not only name-dropped labels in her lyrics but also made sure she was dripping in them for every photo shoot and video thanks to her then-stylist,, who mined the rapper’s closet—and her...
, Richard Mille and Audemars Piguet—all averaging five- to six-figure price tags—are the new name-drop standards. “Virgil got that Patek on my wrist goin’ nuts,” raps Drake in Future’s “Life Is Good” in 2020. Shortly there-after, he posted his newcovered in emeralds… to the point of blocking out the brand name—a post-purchase customization. The now-discontinued model, in its original state, retailed for $45,930 but goes for over triple that figure on the secondary market.
As images of white teens wearing velour tracksuits and sagging jeans proliferated, the luxury industry began to question its snub of hip-hop. “In the end money is always the impetus,” says Boardman. “It’s not that somebody wants to be nice or somebody wants to do the thing that is socially correct. I think they saw that there were mainstream consumers who had money but were also fans of hip-hop.
God the Robb Report is such trash now.