Sports and Hip Hop
Sports uniforms have periodically migrated into fashion, especially young men’s fashion, since the late nineteenth century.
Jeff Hamilton x Reebok NFL, man’s jacket, wool and leather, 1990s, USA, gift of Antonio Gray Jeff Hamilton x Reebok NFL, man’s jacket, wool and leather, 1990s, USA, gift of Antonio GrayThe Museum at FIT
Sports uniforms have periodically migrated into fashion, especially young men’s fashion, since the late nineteenth century. For hip hop aficionados, sports-inspired fashions are an obvious way to display athleticism, masculinity, and hometown pride in one garment.
Jeff Hamilton designed for Guess menswear and later founded his own brand, which became popular due to Michael Jordan’s devotion to its leather jackets. Hamilton pioneered high-end collaborations with sports.
He licensed logos from the National Football League during the late 1980s to design this letterman jacket that became a hot hip hop trend during the 1990s.
Hip hop aficionados draw fashion inspiration from a wide array of sports from basketball and football to hockey and polo.
Polo by Ralph Lauren, Bleecker Polo Challenge Cup polo shirt, cotton, 2009, USA, gift of Ralph Lauren CorporationThe Museum at FIT
The interest in polo is not surprising considering that hip hop favorite Ralph Lauren designs a large collection centered on the sport. Although the game of polo, involving horses and mallets, is obscure to most people, polo shirts are ubiquitous in men’s fashion.
Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style was on view at The Museum at FIT February - April 2023. It was curated by Elena Romero, assistant professor, Advertising and Marketing Communications, FIT, and Elizabeth Way, associate curator of costume, MFIT.
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