Black in style: Harlem’s Fashion Row honors hip-hop and ‘Drake ain’t cheap’

Formerly known as theGrio Style Guide, this week in Black style, Tiffany Haddish teams up with Ali Express, Naomi Campbell heads to Brazil, and a Drake fan bags a Birkin.

Drake has pulled off yet another “rich flex.” 

On Wednesday, during a Los Angeles stop on his “It’s All A Blur” tour at The Forum, the “Rich Flex” rapper gifted a concertgoer a pink Hermès Birkin bag. A now-viral video on TikTok shows Drake on stage scanning the screaming crowd for a potential recipient before handing it off to one lucky woman. 

“Drake ain’t cheap,” the rapper boasted from the stage. 

Drake may not be cheap, but he is thoughtful. In the video, he personally requests the lucky recipient be escorted to her car by security at the show’s close to ensure she and her new extremely valuable piece of concert merch make it home safely. And for good reason: Birkin bags are typically valued from $8,000 to $30,000. A Birkin personally gifted by Drake mid-show at The Forum could be worth much more. 

Drake’s love of Birkins is well-documented; in 2017, he told The Hollywood Reporter he was amassing a personal collection of the costly bags to gift to his future wife. In 2019, he revealed to Architectural Digest that he houses his investments in a two-story closet adorned with amethyst hardware, rock crystal, and seating upholstered in diamond-tufted shearling with polished nickel studs. 

No word on whether the Birkin gifted at his concert was from Drake’s collection. But after his recent purchase of hip-hop’s most valuable artifact — Tupac’s personally designed crown ring, valued at $1 million — perhaps Drake was simply moved to create another.

Harlem’s Fashion Row is honoring hip-hop’s 50th with “Remix”

Harlem’s Fashion Row (HFR) is gearing up to honor the 50th anniversary of hip-hop at its 16th annual Fashion Show and Style Awards.

According to Women’s Wear Daily, the fashion agency will host the upcoming awards show on September 5 at the Apollo Theater, with AT&T and Disney as sponsors. This year’s theme, “Remix,” pays homage to hip-hop. The evening’s events will include a cocktail hour, a showcase of fashions from designers Nicole Benefield, Aaron Potts, and Megan Renee, and an awards ceremony. 

Vogue Global Contributing Editor Gabriella Karefa-Johnson will receive this year’s Editor of the Year award. Los Angeles-based styling duo Wayman Bannerman and Micah McDonald, known for their red carpet work as Wayman + Micah, will receive HFR’s Stylists of the Year awards; and Stella Jean, an Italian fashion designer of Haitian descent, will take home the award for Designer of the Year.

HFR founder Brandice Daniel said, “Hip-hop has made an impact on fashion that cannot be ignored. The designers and artists who pioneered the iconic looks that changed fashion in music deserve to be heralded. Our 16th-anniversary celebration is our way of highlighting their contribution.”

AliExpress x Tiffany Haddish Summer Pop-Up

International online retailer AliExpress is stepping out of the virtual aisles for the first time to offer shoppers an in-person experience in the U.S. In collaboration with actress and comedian Tiffany Haddish, AliExpress will host a series of pop-up shops across Los Angeles featuring a personally-curated collection by the “Girls Trip” star. 

“AliExpress is all about delivering excitement and wonder on a budget, and you know I’ve got a soft spot for fabulous finds at a great price,” said Haddish in a press release. “It’s like a treasure hunt every time you visit the site. I’m so excited to have curated all my favorite fly fashion, gadgets, and goodies into an exclusive collection that can be seen in person at the Pop-Up Tour as well as online, all with the same fantastic deals.”

Kicking off at The Grove in Los Angeles, the pop-up shop will include the celebrity collection, interactive installations, a meet-and-greet with Haddish, and opportunities to win prizes. Catch AliExpress’ “immersive shopping experience packed with interactive elements and unique, on-trend products” at the following locations: 

• August 19th – 20th (Sat 10 am–10 pm, Sun 11 am–8 pm): The Grove West Hollywood, 189 The Grove Drive, Los Angeles
• August 22nd – 23rd (Tue & Wed 10 am–10 pm): Santa Monica Pier, 200 Santa Monica Pier Santa Monica
• August 25th – 27th (Fri & Sat 10 am–9 pm, Sun 11 am–7 pm): Glendale Galleria, 100 West Broadway Suite 100, Glendale

Billionaire Boys Club x Moncler

This week, Pharrell Williams’ luxury streetwear brand Billionaire Boys Club joined forces with Moncler for a special-edition collection. Coinciding with Billionaire Boys Club’s 20th anniversary, the collection creatively merges the Italian luxury fashion house’s aesthetic with modern streetwear. The collection features a range of lightweight and heavyweight outerwear combining Moncler’s lettering with Billionaire Boys Club’s signature astronaut and “diamond & dollar” prints. The brands called on Pusha-T and No Malice from the rap duo Clipse for an icy campaign shoot to showcase the collaboration. Shop Billionaire Boys Club x Moncler on bbcicecream.com.

Tyler Mitchell photographs and fronts Ferragamo‘s fall campaign

Photographer Tyler Mitchell is in front of the camera for Ferragamo’s fall campaign. 

According to Fashionista, the Luxury Italian brand partnered with Florence-based Uffizi Gallery on a Renaissance-themed shoot photographed by Mitchell, who also stars in the campaign. The campaign features iconic 15th- and 16th-century Italian artwork as the backdrop for ready-to-wear styles, shoes, and bags from the Fall 2023 line. A few of the shots even include scenes of Mitchell at work.

Naomi Campbell to headline Liberatum’s festival in Brazil 

Global multimedia company Liberatum is set to host an event in Brazil celebrating Black changemakers and visionaries, with Naomi Campbell as headliner.

According to WWD, the three-day multicultural festival is scheduled to take place from November 3 through November 5 and will feature a humanitarian concert, special programming, fashion installations, film, architecture, and fashion photography. Roughly 40,000 attendees are expected. 

In addition to Campbell, artist Kehinde Wiley, director Lee Daniels, Debbie Harry, Brazilian actress Taís Araújo, and Brazilian actor and filmmaker Lázaro Ramos are also expected at Liberatum Brazil. More details to come soon.

Ann Lowe among women designers to be honored by The Met

One of the fashion industry’s first major Black woman designers and one of its freshest Black labels will be honored together in an upcoming exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

According to WWD, the Met will honor some of the fashion industry’s most integral women designers when the upcoming exhibition “Women Dressing Women” is unveiled on Dec. 7 at the Costume Institute. One of those designers is Ann Lowe, who designed the wedding gown for Jacqueline Bouvier’s marriage to John F. Kennedy and is now regarded as the first major Black designer in America. Contemporary Black designers Pia Davis and Autumn Randolph of No Sesso will also be featured alongside other female pioneers like Gabrielle Chanel. 

“Women Dressing Women” focuses on women in design who define 20th-century fashion and will feature 80 pieces from the museum’s permanent collection. Per WWD, the exhibition will be arranged into four sections — anonymity, visibility, agency, and absence/omission. Exhibition visitors will have the chance to learn more about the lives, mentorships, and connections between some of these history-making fashion figures. The exhibition also looks closely at those somewhat “anonymous” or lesser-known designers and dressmakers, such as Lowe, who have laid the foundation for some of today’s biggest names.

Celebrity designer Stevie Edwards dies at the age of 58

Fashion designer Stevie Edwards, who designed for celebrities Tiffany Haddish and Diana Ross, died at age 58 on Sunday in Chicago. According to WWD, one of Edwards’ sisters, Aretha, reported that the designer succumbed to cancer at a Warren Barr rehabilitation center. Funeral arrangements are reportedly still being made.

Last month, the designer shared via Instagram that he planned to take a six- to eight-month break from designing, “depending on the healing process.” 

“I was embarrassed to share at first, but I will fight this dreadful disease,” he wrote, further explaining that he was returning to his native Chicago from Los Angeles to seek treatment. Before his diagnosis, Edwards was reportedly at the height of a 30-year-plus career in fashion.   

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