“Being fresh is more important than having money” – Kanye West
Dogwoof's latest acquisition from Sundance, Sacha Jenkins' FRESH DRESSED, explores the rise of hip-hop and urban fashion which brought oversized pants and graffiti-drenched jackets from the New York discount markets to high fashion’s catwalks and shopping malls all around the world. Featuring interviews with hip hop artists and fashion moguls, from Pharrell Williams, Damon Dash, Karl Kani, Kanye West, Andre Leon Talley to Nas (last seen in Dogwoof's Nas:Time is Illmatic), the film tells the story of a culture that succeeded, through sheer originality and swagger, in taking over the mainstream.
Before the film's release, get yourself up to speed with FRESH DRESSED's key players, looks and expressions:
Fresh |’fresh|
adjective
A crisp, new-in-the-box fashion look
“Getting fresh starts with your feet first”
Dipped |’dipt|
adjective
Dressed really nice
“We were dipped, killin’...fresh dipped”
B-boy |’be-boi|
noun
He or she who is known for dancing enthusiastically to the drum break section of a song. Originated in the Bronx circa 1973. Key items: Lee jeans, Puma sneakers, Kangol hats and BVD tank tops.
“The majority of hip hop artists just dressed b-boy style”
Dapper Dan
Designer at the centre of 80s Harlem huster style who incorporated luxury brand logos like Louis Vuitton and Gucci into his clothes. “I didn’t do knock offs...I did knock ups!” – Dazed. According to Nas “
Dapper Dan was Tom Ford before Tom Ford.”Dapper Dan, in a suede bomber trimmed in leather Louis Vuitton print, with LL Cool J (wearing another FRESH DRESSED staple, the Kangol hat). Image via Dazed
Examples of Dapper Dan's custom creations using Fendi, Bally and MCM logos. Image via Dazed
Cross Colours
Pioneering fashion brand founded by Carl Jones in 1989, its slogan was “fashion without prejudice”. It established a market for urban fashion by mass-producing, for the first time, baggy jeans, baseball caps and slogan t-shirts for its customers. Cross Colours achieved near overnight success when the designs appeared on the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.
Cross Colours print advertisement. Image via WhenInTime
TLC wearing Cross Colours designs on the "Baby-Baby-Baby" single cover. Image via StyleBlazer
FUBU
Clothing company founded by Daymond John in Queens, NY. Stands for “For Us, By Us”. Hit the mainstream thanks to an infamous LL Cool J Gap advert in which he wore a FUBU baseball cap.
NSYNC wearing FUBU. Image via 8and9
Karl Kani
Clothing brand established in 1989 in Los Angeles, CA and named after its founder, Karl Kani. Karl Kani is known as the "Godfather of Urban fashion", and the brand was worn by artists like 2Pac, Nas, P Diddy, Lil Kim, and Snoop Dogg.
P Diddy in a Karl Kani advert. Image via Kanilivelife
Karl Kani clothes on the street. Image via FFFound