How Hip-Hop Became Obsessed With Fashion Nova

  • How Hip-Hop Became Obsessed With Fashion Nova
    POSTED


    Cardi B is seen as Fashion Nova Presents: Party With Cardi at Hollywood Palladium on May 8, 2019 in Los Angeles, California
    Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Fashion Nova

    At the beginning of April, Cardi B announced she would be teaming up with Fashion Nova to give away $1000 every hour of the day to people struggling amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, though this wasn't the first time the New York rapper had worked with the fast-fashion brand. 

    When her breakthrough record, Bodak Yellow, dropped in 2017 it was all about iconic red-bottom Louboutin heels but the truth about Cardi was that she liked to keep it real. Growing up in the South Bronx, her life was far from easy. Following the discovery of her contagious and candid social media presence and a stint on reality TV, it wasn't long before Cardi became a global superstar. Today her platform isn't just used to promote her music but includes meditations on social justice, politics and a notable appreciation for Fashion Nova.

    "I could buy designer, but this Fashion Nova fit."

    Despite her newfound access to haute couture, the rapper continued to opt for affordable looks from Fashion Nova. Though that fact becomes less surprising when you learn that the relationship between the e-commerce site and the rapper goes all the way back to 2014. 

    "We were doing well before Cardi, but she definitely gave us some legitimacy," Fashion Nova's founder and CEO, Richard Saghian told WWD. "She is one of our favourite partners because when she talks about Fashion Nova, she speaks from the heart."

    Launched in 2013, Fashion Nova has created unprecedented hype for a budget fast-fashion brand. It began with its then futuristic harness of influencers, who would post photos of themselves in the label's signature hourglass-friendly clothing, from apple-bottom jeans to bodycon dresses. Like most fast-fashion brands, Fashion Nova's continued output of products that resembled the latest trends - with unrivalled speed - made it a budget-friendly way to look like anyone from Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose to Kylie Jenner and of course, Cardi B.

    All those celebrities - minus Kim - have even posted about Fashion Nova on their Instagram. "Obsessed with my new @fashionnova jeans," reads the caption on one of Kylie's Instagram posts from 2017. The post has more than two million likes. 

    "We work with 3,000 to 5,000 influencers," Saghian told VICE. "It's kind of like this ripple effect. The more people shout us out, the more their fans shout us out. Kind of like a viral YouTube video. We're a viral store."

    read more: Why Is Hip-Hop So Obsessed With Gucci?

    Cardi's relationship with Fashion Nova eventually expanded from shoutouts on songs and social media posts to the company's first celebrity collaboration. The first line consisted of 80 pieces across all size ranges, with an average price point of $40. Cardi B said her goal was to create clothing that would blur the lines between expensive and inexpensive, with a focus on quality fabric and fit. The collection sold out in minutes.  

    By utilising the influence of celebrities like Kylie, sensations like Baddie Winkle and hip hop royalty like Cardi, the brand has given fans the chance to dress like their favourite stars without breaking the bank — an idea that is incredibly un-hip-hop but works.

    Modern hip-hop thrives on braggadocio, rags to riches stories and boasting designer threads. While Cardi's association with Fashion Nova is an expensive one, admitting that she's paid $20,000 a month to wear and promote the brand, her low-end and high-end ethos is unique. In one popular video, she flaunts a $100,000 watch while wearing a $60 outfit from Fashion Nova. "I'm going to be on a budget till the day I die!" she says. 

    While there aren't many public dealings between the brand and rappers we can point to, the many mentions of the brand by hip-hop's biggest stars have piqued fans curiosity — are what seem like organic mentions of Fashion Nova in songs actually paid shoutouts? While the brand nor artists - besides Cardi - have been forthcoming on this, there is evidence to the contrary. Everyone from Remy Ma, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross to French Montana, Lil Uzi Vert and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has dropped lines about the fashion label in their music. Even rappers like Bow Wow, Soulja Boy and Love And Hip Hop reality star Safaree has been seen wearing pieces from the brand's men's line.

    But it wasn't until recently when a lawsuit between Tekashi 6ix9ine and Fashion Nova came to light that we finally had an answer. According to TMZ, 6ix9ine was paid an advance of $225,000 in October 2018 to promote the brand on his social media pages and his new album. 

    The album was released a month later, and the track MAMA featuring Nicki Minaj and Kanye West was supposed to fulfil his contractual name-dropping duties. "Splish splash apple bottoms make that ass phat," 6ix9ine raps on the song however TMZ reports that the line was supposed to be, "splish splash Fashion Nova make that ass phat."  

    He was also supposed to include the brand in his accompanying music video, which was later derailed by a shooting. Rumours suggested that 6ix9ine reneged on the line to appease Nicki, who likely disputed the mention of the fast-fashion label due to her long-running feud with Cardi. This has not been confirmed. Now Fashion Nova is suing him for $2.25 million. 

    According to Genius, there are over 500 songs in its database that include the lyrics, "Fashion Nova." This makes the fashion brand's notoriety look simple, though few other brands besides fashion houses like Gucci, Prada and Balenciaga have achieved such synergy with hip-hop. Its promotional output, however orchestrated they may be, have trickled down and become synonymous with the genre, leading to organic mentions by rappers and songwriters.

    An affordable price point might not seem very hip-hop, but Fashion Nova took everything we thought we knew about the culture and blew it up. Who knew $40 jeans could be so powerful?

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Cardi B is seen as Fashion Nova Presents: Party With Cardi at Hollywood Palladium on May 8, 2019 in Los Angeles, California
Photo by Presley Ann/Getty Images for Fashion Nova

At the beginning of April, Cardi B announced she would be teaming up with Fashion Nova to give away $1000 every hour of the day to people struggling amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, though this wasn't the first time the New York rapper had worked with the fast-fashion brand. 

When her breakthrough record, Bodak Yellow, dropped in 2017 it was all about iconic red-bottom Louboutin heels but the truth about Cardi was that she liked to keep it real. Growing up in the South Bronx, her life was far from easy. Following the discovery of her contagious and candid social media presence and a stint on reality TV, it wasn't long before Cardi became a global superstar. Today her platform isn't just used to promote her music but includes meditations on social justice, politics and a notable appreciation for Fashion Nova.

"I could buy designer, but this Fashion Nova fit."

Despite her newfound access to haute couture, the rapper continued to opt for affordable looks from Fashion Nova. Though that fact becomes less surprising when you learn that the relationship between the e-commerce site and the rapper goes all the way back to 2014. 

"We were doing well before Cardi, but she definitely gave us some legitimacy," Fashion Nova's founder and CEO, Richard Saghian told WWD. "She is one of our favourite partners because when she talks about Fashion Nova, she speaks from the heart."

Launched in 2013, Fashion Nova has created unprecedented hype for a budget fast-fashion brand. It began with its then futuristic harness of influencers, who would post photos of themselves in the label's signature hourglass-friendly clothing, from apple-bottom jeans to bodycon dresses. Like most fast-fashion brands, Fashion Nova's continued output of products that resembled the latest trends - with unrivalled speed - made it a budget-friendly way to look like anyone from Kim Kardashian and Amber Rose to Kylie Jenner and of course, Cardi B.

All those celebrities - minus Kim - have even posted about Fashion Nova on their Instagram. "Obsessed with my new @fashionnova jeans," reads the caption on one of Kylie's Instagram posts from 2017. The post has more than two million likes. 

"We work with 3,000 to 5,000 influencers," Saghian told VICE. "It's kind of like this ripple effect. The more people shout us out, the more their fans shout us out. Kind of like a viral YouTube video. We're a viral store."

read more: Why Is Hip-Hop So Obsessed With Gucci?

Cardi's relationship with Fashion Nova eventually expanded from shoutouts on songs and social media posts to the company's first celebrity collaboration. The first line consisted of 80 pieces across all size ranges, with an average price point of $40. Cardi B said her goal was to create clothing that would blur the lines between expensive and inexpensive, with a focus on quality fabric and fit. The collection sold out in minutes.  

By utilising the influence of celebrities like Kylie, sensations like Baddie Winkle and hip hop royalty like Cardi, the brand has given fans the chance to dress like their favourite stars without breaking the bank — an idea that is incredibly un-hip-hop but works.

Modern hip-hop thrives on braggadocio, rags to riches stories and boasting designer threads. While Cardi's association with Fashion Nova is an expensive one, admitting that she's paid $20,000 a month to wear and promote the brand, her low-end and high-end ethos is unique. In one popular video, she flaunts a $100,000 watch while wearing a $60 outfit from Fashion Nova. "I'm going to be on a budget till the day I die!" she says. 

While there aren't many public dealings between the brand and rappers we can point to, the many mentions of the brand by hip-hop's biggest stars have piqued fans curiosity — are what seem like organic mentions of Fashion Nova in songs actually paid shoutouts? While the brand nor artists - besides Cardi - have been forthcoming on this, there is evidence to the contrary. Everyone from Remy Ma, 2 Chainz and Rick Ross to French Montana, Lil Uzi Vert and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie has dropped lines about the fashion label in their music. Even rappers like Bow Wow, Soulja Boy and Love And Hip Hop reality star Safaree has been seen wearing pieces from the brand's men's line.

But it wasn't until recently when a lawsuit between Tekashi 6ix9ine and Fashion Nova came to light that we finally had an answer. According to TMZ, 6ix9ine was paid an advance of $225,000 in October 2018 to promote the brand on his social media pages and his new album. 

The album was released a month later, and the track MAMA featuring Nicki Minaj and Kanye West was supposed to fulfil his contractual name-dropping duties. "Splish splash apple bottoms make that ass phat," 6ix9ine raps on the song however TMZ reports that the line was supposed to be, "splish splash Fashion Nova make that ass phat."  

He was also supposed to include the brand in his accompanying music video, which was later derailed by a shooting. Rumours suggested that 6ix9ine reneged on the line to appease Nicki, who likely disputed the mention of the fast-fashion label due to her long-running feud with Cardi. This has not been confirmed. Now Fashion Nova is suing him for $2.25 million. 

According to Genius, there are over 500 songs in its database that include the lyrics, "Fashion Nova." This makes the fashion brand's notoriety look simple, though few other brands besides fashion houses like Gucci, Prada and Balenciaga have achieved such synergy with hip-hop. Its promotional output, however orchestrated they may be, have trickled down and become synonymous with the genre, leading to organic mentions by rappers and songwriters.

An affordable price point might not seem very hip-hop, but Fashion Nova took everything we thought we knew about the culture and blew it up. Who knew $40 jeans could be so powerful?

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