Are Starlets The New Billboards ?
K-Pop star Jennie Kim at the Chanel S/S 2020 fashion show in Paris
Female entertainers and fashion houses merging to create a moment of optics is nothing new. From Madonna photographed by Mario Testino for Italian luxury staple Versace, there is definitely a line of symmetry that mirrors the appeal of superstardom and simple strategy marketing. Sneaker culture, 100+ year old jewelry houses, and fast fashion companies have all followed this trend of starlets being the most effective influencers.
Take Blackpink for example, all four members of the mega-house girl group all have lucrative contracts with some of the world’s most recognizable maisons; three of which are under LVMH. Rosé has been tapped as an ambassador for Saint Laurent, Jisoo serves as a Dior Beauty spokeswoman, Lisa under the helm of Celine and jewelry titan Bulgari, Jennie is the most active in her ambassador role for Chanel; sometimes only wearing the brand exclusively in live performances and music videos. Their stylist, Choi Kyung Won, has created a look that is prominently reflective of each member’s personal style, and an entire continent follows. So it would be smart for a major conglomerate to cash in on such heavy influence, landing a member of Blackpink as an envoy for products would be like striking oil on the fashion market. The brands even give the girls “airport looks”, pieces to wear for a casual photo op while being hounded by teens and paparazzi. To simply put it; the girls are literally walking billboards.
Nicki Minaj wearing her Fendi collaboration photographed by Steven Klein for ELLE Magazine, 2019.
Megan Thee Stallion for Coach
Cardi B for Reebok
Black women- especially female rappers- inspiring high fashion is a tale as old as time. Dating back to the days of Marc Jacobs illustrating Lil Kim as a Bratz doll for his collections or Salt N Pepa inspiring Karl Lagerfeld to send models down the runway in baggy jeans and devoured in gold chains, female rappers have served as everyone’s muse.
On her lead single, “Chun-Li”, for fourth studio LP, “Queen”, rapper and mogul Nicki Minaj proclaims herself not just as the queen of rap but also huge consumer of Italian furrier Fendi. Even donning a fur FF monogram bolero jacket with a matching thong on the single cover.
“Ayo I been on, b*tch you been con. Bently tints on, Fendi prints on.”
Her fans, took note and stormed the retailer to work with Nicki in some capacity; and she is the most famous female rapper in the world so they did what was smartest. Later that year, a collaboration was announced via a full page spread in Elle Magazine photographed by the iconic Steven Klein. Unveiling neon pink furs, bubblegum leathers bags, and chrome dresses along with shoes and other accessories. The pieces quickly went viral online, tallying quite an impressive response. In under a week, the entire capsule collection sold out online and grossed over $10 million dollars.
Another female rapper to get bite of commercial retail pie is Grammy winner and femcee ingenue , Cardi B. Cardi is definitely quite the sight, from her knee-slapping candor to her fresh off the runway style, the rapper sure knows how to make an impression that eventually made its way to the titan brand, Balenciaga.
Balenciaga surely has changed their customer dynamic in the last few years, under the vision of creative director, Demna Gvasalia. The streetwear designer surged a new energy into the maison bringing it out of the stuffy world of luxury into the inter-web and to a younger costumer. Rappers such as the Migos and Lil Uzi Vert took notice and assimilated the new look of the brand into their wardrobe and Balenciaga never looked back. Now known for pieces like the Titanic sized Triple S sneaker or their array of ironic graphic tees, handbags has always been their forte, lets not forget the City Bag. There was a new kind of consumer and they needed to reflect it was apparent with their campaigns and social media.
Donning the French brand via Instagram and even shouting them out on songs like “I Like It”; "I like those Balenciagas, the ones that look like socks!”. So when debuting their new Fall/Winter 2020 campaign, Cardi B was their go-to gal. Wearing a black silk dress and pointed stiletto boots, there was Cardi lying in a field of grass, the campaign (styled and shot by Cardi herself) made its billboard debut on the side of the legendary art museum The Louvre. The biggest testament to say “I have arrived”.
Cardi B for Balenciaga Fall/Winter 2020 campaign