5. A$ap Bari
A$AP Bari is one of the people that started A$AP Mob, along with childhood friend A$AP Yams. Born and raised in Harlem, he’s been spotted at fashion events from as early as 2009, when a picture of him was snapped at an Oak party. Since then, he’s allegedly the one who put A$AP Rocky onto high-fashion designers like Alexander Wang, Raf Simons, and Rick Owens. Judging from his own style and his tumblr, A Toast To The God, it’s pretty evident that his own tastes have helped influence the style of the entire A$AP Mob, going as far as designing the mob’scustom Nike Destroyer jacket with A$AP Dom.
A$AP Rocky and the A$AP Mob brought more than just a new sound to the NYC hip-hop scene when he launched a jet-fuel powered career in 2011 with the hit “Peso.” Now 24, from the day the Harlem-bred rapper set his Margiela-clad feet in the game, he’s pushed hip-hop and street fashion in a whole new direction.
Credit Rocky for introducing streetwear heads to their new favorite brand (Pigalle), bringing a fashion industry veteran into a new spotlight (Jeremy Scott), and helping another young designer build on his crossover appeal (Alexander Wang). Jay-Z is the New Yorker that got us here, now A$AP Rocky is leading the way.
3. Abari
Abdul first really fell into the fashion world while he was in the army — where he was a respected drill sergeant. After going to F.I.T. on the G.I. Bill and majoring in menswear, he interned with Coogi and assisted then-up-and-coming designer Patrik Ervell before securing his first job as an assistant designer at Engineered Garments. When Nepenthes NY decided to open their city outpost, Daiki Suzuki couldn’t think of anyone cooler, nicer, or more stylish to represent the company at its flagship store, and eagerly handed the keys over to Abdul. Easily noticeable thanks to his Basquiat-like topknot, he effortlessly mixes together Nepenthes’ Americana-influenced clothing with fashion forward brands like Damir Doma, Maison Martin Margiela, and The Soloist. You’ve probably seen his face as an Engineered Garments lookbook model, or at Park & Bond’s Nepenthes e-shop.
