2023-06-03 11:42:46
Despite a heightened appetite for French rap towards high-end houses, the latter blow hot and cold when it comes to establishing lasting connections. After several years of “je t’aime moi non plus”, where is the relationship between luxury and French rap?
True incarnations of the image of rappers, fashion and accessories are now an integral part of the artistic direction of projects. But while luxury has long been married to American rappers, her union with French artists still seems to be stuck at the engagement stage.
Although brands are more and more inclined to work with rappers, few collaborations and muse appointments take place despite the popularity of rap in the French musical landscape. Decipherable, with actors in the field, of a complex relationship in full evolution.
The American influence remixed with French sauce
A$AP Rocky and Travis Scott, muses at Dior and Saint Laurent respectively, co-creation of watches between Jay-Z and Hublot, foundation of a jewelry and accessories label Homer by Frank Ocean… Widely solicited by brands, rappers transatlantic have acquired over time a luxury and fashion legitimacy that is difficult to question.
“The United States had offbeat rappers, in artistic terms, before France” recalls Marouane Sair, journalist at Rapunchline, “with greater visibility and audiences”. If this head start and the correlated commercial spin-offs explain this stronger proximity with luxury brands, we must also take into consideration a different state of mind between American and French-speaking rappers.
“When an artist breaks through in the United States, he invests a lot in his appearance and his lifestyle,” says Dadainkk, a famous stylist who has worked with big names in rap like Gradur, Alonzo, Gazo, Kalash or even PLK.
As in other areas of activity where Americanization is felt, French rappers have been inspired by this way of apprehending its image. “At one time, a lot of rappers asked me to dress them like Lil Baby or Pop Smoke”, illustrates Dadainkk, proof that mentalities have developed well on our side of the Atlantic.
Luxury, a dream and a realization for rappers
The anchor of this new relationship to luxury is “around the years 2015/2016”, according to Marouane Sair. A time when French rap experienced “new movements and musical codes” and was, moreover, democratized among the general public and potential buyers of high-end brands.
Rappers have thus turned more to fashion and accessories to stand out. By going beyond their role as a singer, the most streamed protagonists in France can accentuate the characteristics of their character and tell their story in a more visual and modern way.
In addition to this notion of image, luxury reflects the success and the social ladder taken by artists, who have often evolved in underprivileged environments, through their success in music. Rappers wear high-end, proudly display it in music videos, and sing the brands loud and clear.
Some flagship titles thus unequivocally value the houses, such as All in Gucci de Ninho et Celine de Gazo, while Gaulois talks regarding shopping at “Dolce, Prada” (Maria), Kaaris “drops the Versace bathrobe” (Everything is ready feat Sid the 3 elements), Alonzo wears “Cartier glasses in the Golf” (Drug dealer), and SCH a “des Rolex” (Red Sky).
Impossible to quote the full extent of this highlighting of luxury but, according to a ranking established by BFMTV, Gucci, Rolex, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Versace, Dior and Prada are among the brands most mentioned by French rappers between January 2019 and March 2023.
Luxury brands are still hesitant
Rappers therefore love luxury both for its representation and for the artistic achievement it provides. But despite this undeniable attraction and the notoriety of French rap, the houses are still somewhat reluctant to collaborate directly on projects. “I work with showrooms and press offices that reference several labels, but contact with the brands themselves is rarer,” says stylist Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca, who has dressed Ninho, Captaine Roshi, Maes and Don Milli.
“Paris is the capital of fashion but the houses are struggling to fully collaborate with French rappers”, abounds Dadainkk.
Between persistent stereotypes and sometimes controversial images, fashion houses still seem to think twice before associating directly with artists. Contacted by Iconic Business, Louis Vuitton, Dior and Givenchy have also declined our requests for interviews around this relationship with French rap.
Slowly but surely, collaborations are needed
Despite these persistent brakes, Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca and Dadainkk note, however, that things are moving in the right direction. In recent years, several large-scale collaborations have cemented the proximity between luxury and French-speaking rappers.
We were able to see Georgio muse of a Givenchy Parfums campaign and S.Pri Noir model for Kenzo, before being the face of Cartier, Hugo Boss and Dior Parfums. Belgian rapper Shay has linked up with Burberry, while Lous and the Yakuza and Koba LaD have walked for Louis Vuitton and Casablanca respectively. Recently, Orelsan distinguished itself by becoming one of the ambassadors for the global campaign for the Gris Dior fragrance.
For rapper Don Milli, “rap is an art just like fashion, you have to bring these two worlds together to respect your character and work on your image”. Passionate regarding clothes, the artist strives to offer accomplished styles with stylist Anne-Sophie Da Fonseca, as evidenced by her full black leather silhouette and monochrome beige pieces signed Lanvin and Dior in her clip. The price of a life.
The recent Les Flammes ceremony, rewarding French-speaking hip-hop and rap artists, was also the symbol of this sartorial mastery. On the red carpet and on stage, the elite of the milieu presented themselves in outfits from major brands and more confidential designers, such as Koba LaD in a Dior denim ensemble or Kerchak adorned with a balaclava personalized by Givenchy.
Same story for the rap competition New school on Netflix where SCH, Shay (often mentioned for their expertly considered looks) and Niska showed off iconic outfits throughout both seasons.
So many elements that make the junction between fashion show and rap game and which might lead to future partnerships and potential appointments of muses. It is easy to imagine a future where the two artistic worlds exchange, respond to each other and contribute to each other to promote artistic creation in new spheres.
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