In America, about 45 Million people currently live below the poverty line. This is approximately 14.5% of Americans.
According to the 2014 Census, 27% of all African-American families are impoverished.
The location in which these Black families live in and the experiences they face on a daily basis are known as “The Streets.”
Streetwear, also known as Street Fashion, is a noun defined as casual clothing of a style worn especially by members of various urban youth subcultures, while the word Urban is an adjective defined as in, relating to, or characteristic of a city or town, or denoting or relating to popular dance music of black origin. 
Truthfully, most would say it denotes or relates to popular culture of black origin (especially those of black background). As of late, most urban interests have become trends that have exponentially increased in the interests of other communities and cultures. While some may argue that
this is cultural appr
opriation, others would insist it is purely inspiration and admiration.
SEMINAR THESIS:
Though what is identified as “The Streets” has usually been ignored by most of the world, through many art forms it also inspires. The most recent collaborations non-exclusive to urban-inspired streetwear and culturally-infused consumables, make a mockery of an actual culture, transforming the true lives of many families into mere luxury items that they can’t even afford. This is disrespectful to the actual culture and prominent across many of this generation’s interests. Using the method of extensive research and field work, this essay will explore the collaboration between “The Streets,” and the Runway, and how it effects each side of this controversial and explosive trendy fashion-faux-pas.
PROJECT GOAL: To express the untold story of the other side of the Runway; inform fashion consumers on the origins of current fashion trends in today’s society and how the populace of the areas where the trends originated live.
From the data I have researched, I have selected information such as the income of the households in urban communities in comparison to the income of the people employed by the companies that take inspiration from these communities to aid me in proving my thesis. I have also looked at the price points of different luxury retail items from collections created by these brands in relation to the aforementioned incomes, which will depict just how expensive these clothes are. Aside from that, I also draw upon multiple streetwear graphs and information to help you all comprehend my project.
INSPIRATION: I took inspiration directly from the SUPREME site for this infographic; it is minimalistic and simple, just as the brand’s design. It features six of the rarest box logos, all red, with the bottom one being the most diverse and representing the 1 out of the 6 “Hypebeasts” that actually knows the origin of the brand.
PRIMARY SKETCHES:
Initially, I
wanted to make very informational graphic images but it became too hard to get the images in the graphs to actually make sense in pertinence to the topic of my Seminar project and Studio project. Ultimately, I settled on creating a demographic that wouldn’t be too hard for the viewer to swallow but also wasn’t saying too little.
RESEARCH: I heavily researched the brand, discovering the upbringings of SUPREME all the way to the most recent archived material. SUPREME, though minimal, is rich in culture and the love for skating. The brand, to this day, finds itself blowing up amongst skaters and walking pedestrians alike – it’s gained a lot of traction especially with the most recent Louis Vuitton collaboration. Most saw this as ironic, seeing the fact that the designer was actually legally involved with the skate brand for the unsolicited usage of their classic tartan print.
My second draft/prototype was a take on how I wanted some of the pieces to look:
I also created heavily detailed versions of my original looks:
My final for this project ended up being a collection of 16 pieces, all remaining true to the idea of high fashion vs. streetwear and the collaboration between the two differentiating styles. From this line I was able to produce a pair of sneakers; the very sneakers each model is wearing, a customized pair of Nike’s Air Force 1 shoe. This sneaker is a streetwear staple, and paired with all of the other streetwear elements of this clothing line, I was able to give an overall sense of streetwear silhouettes and heavy high fashion influence. A multitude of people have already approached me about my designs, grasping the concept behind them without me even having to explain and inquiring about whether these pieces will become available in physical form anytime soon. I would like to produce this line in real life but for now because of time and money constraints, it will live in my portfolio.
SOURCES:
- http://blackdemographics.com/households/poverty/
- http://www.complex.com/style/2013/04/the-30-best-fashion-collabarations-of-all-time/y-3
- https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Louis-Vuitton-North-America-Salaries-E14447.htm
- http://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/11/03/best-supreme-box-logo-t-shirts/
- http://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/11/03/best-supreme-box-logo-t-shirts/
- http://www.highsnobiety.com/2016/03/15/supreme-clothing-collaborations/
- http://www.complex.com/style/2015/10/best-american-streetwear-brands-right-now/
- https://www.census.gov/prod/1/statbrief/sb93_2.pdf