Swagger Like Us: Black Millennials’ Perceptions,Knowledge,and Influence of 1980s and 1990s Urban Fashion Brands

Abstract

In New York City in the late 1970s, the Black community created hip-hop, a significant cultural phenomenon, which has since spread around the world. Our research is centered on the revolutionary hip-hop fashion movement in Black history as it relates to Black millennials’ experiences of fashioning their bodies. We examine the perception of Black millennials who are attending or have attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) and their knowledge and perceptions of prominent Black-owned, urban fashion brands that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s. Additionally, we seek to understand how or if these brands influence Black millennial consumers and their stylistic choices today. We used a qualitative approach and conducted 14 in-depth, semistructured interviews. Based on analysis of the data, we identified four themes: awareness of urban styles; ambiguous perceptions; 1980s and 1990s urban style influence; and awareness of cultural appropriation. We offer implications to the apparel industry.

Keywords

urban fashion Black hip hop millennial HBCU critical race theory commodification

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