Over the past year, Kanye West has not only been pushing the boundaries of music, he’s been pushing the supposed boundaries of gender and fashion as he’s appeared at several performances wearing a black leather Givenchy kilt that many thought to be a skirt. And since a kilt and a skirt are pretty much the same thing, West has received everything from high praise to scathing commentary about his fashion choice. But if you think the kilt trend is going to end with West, think again.
Men wearing kilts is nothing new when it comes to the world of high fashion. In 1984, designers like Jean Paul Gaultier dressed their models in kilts, a first for the European fashion shows, and a landmark moment was born that has since been dubbed a phenomenon. Since then, designers like Raf Simons, Rick Owens, Rad Hourani and Riccardo Tisci have all joined Gaultier in dressing men in kilts in recent fashion seasons.
Now, as Complex has pointed out, hip-hop stars like West, who is a close friend of Tisci, are starting to catch on. In February, New York rapper Theophilus London was spotted at the Levi’s Fall 2012 Global collection presentation wearing a Rick Owens kilt. And Harlem rapper A$AP Rocky recently wore a Rick Owens drawstring kilt, as well as a Hood by Air camo kilt in his “Long Live A$AP” video.
It’s unclear whether hip-hop’s burgeoning approval of kilts will finally make the trend stick in men’s fashion, but clearly the men in hip-hop, who were once bound to a hyper-masculine look that included all things ill-fitting and baggy, are now expanding their minds and closets to include a gender-bending style that may change the way we see men’s fashion (and gender roles) forever.
And if you’re curious to know our opinion, we say rock out with your kilts out. If you want to see more of this new kilt trend, check out some other hip-hop stars in kilts below. – nicholas robinson
