Hip hop fashion is a style of clothing that came to be in the 1980‘s when many early hip hop artists would select a specific brand or style of clothing to wear to help them create an identity. Fans of their music began emulating the style by wearing the same brands as their favorite performers. It wasn’t long before many people got wise to this concept and began developing clothing lines specifically for these artists that would be available for purchase by listeners, creating a huge industry that has transcended not just the fans, but in many cases becoming popular styles for everyone to embrace.
One such brand was founded by an artist himself, going by the stage name of Jay – Z. In 1999, the Jay -Z and partner Damon Dash (two of the founders of Roc-A-Fella Records) banded together to craft a unique and trendy style of clothing. The brand exploded and greatly exceeded sales demands in every single way. Taking in over $700 million in sales Rocawear came to be one of the hottest brands in hip hop history.
The company produces a vast line of apparel including shirts, jeans, slacks, jackets, shorts, socks, and a numerous accessories such as hats and sunglasses. In addition they also have product lines for kids and babies as well as a full selection of clothes for the big and tall. In 2007 Iconix Brand Group purchased the rights to the Rocawear brand but details of the deal reveal that founder Jay-Z will continue with his efforts in marketing and product development, and in addition recently pop artist Ciara has become the newest promoter of the brand.
The Rocawear brand name is known not just in the United States but is recognized as an international brand with operations in many large international hub cities.