Tyler, the Creator (Photo Victor Boyko/Getty Images)
By Malachi Briscoe, Guest Columnist
Editor’s Note: The Gettysburgian hosts guest columnists from the Fashion Initiative organization at Gettysburg College. The opinions published in this section are those of the individual writers and are in no way representative of the views of The Gettysburgian staff, The Gettysburgian or Gettysburg College.
Tyler, the Creator has established himself not only as a trailblazing force in the music industry but also as a visionary in the world of fashion, continually pushing boundaries and redefining style norms. In his most recent work with Louis Vuitton and American music artist and producer Pharrell Williams, he cultivated an amazing collection full of cardigans, suits, workwear and vibrant pastel colors. The two took the opportunity to completely rework the Louis Vuitton monogram, adding their own flavor to it.
“My main focus was making things I would wear all the time, I dress the same in a meeting as I do a performance or grocery store trip, so hand drawing the monogram felt like the perfect balance to me,” Tyler said in an interview with Samuel Hine.
Tyler has long pushed boundaries in fashion by dressing outside of the norm. His statement above speaks to his goal regarding fashion, which is being comfortable in whatever you wear. Many note his different personalities that come with each album. In my opinion, his most recent album, “Call Me If You Get Lost,” has had the biggest effect on fashion to date. He’s turned key outfits in this album into staple pieces: loafers, cardigans, dress pants, knitted sweaters, pastel colors, etc. These emanate a soft preppy boy essence. With the rise for appeal to genderless clothing, his outfits have been an inspiration to many, including myself. Not only do we see Tyler’s influence in his collaboration with Louis Vuitton, but within his own brand, Golf Wang, as well.
As described in a Vogue article by Chioma Nnadi: “Now eight years old, his Golf Wang fashion and lifestyle brand has gained a cult following by flouting all the conventional rules of streetwear and engendering a notion of masculine beauty that is at once tender and tough. With a string of successful collaborations—Converse, Lacoste, Jeni’s ice cream, the list goes on—it seems that the rest of the world is finally catching on.”
Tyler has encouraged many to experiment with atypical clothing and feel comfortable trying things they usually would not. It brings a femininity to men’s fashion. I think the pastel colors and his painted nails speak to this, since painted nails and baby blue and pink clothes are not considered as masculine in our society. Seeing one of my favorite artists’ pride regarding his individualistic fashion sense and confident promotion of said fashion has motivated me to experiment with my own style and try things I normally would not. Wearing loafers was something my younger self would have never envisioned, but my style has elevated significantly. Tyler’s lasting impact on hip hop and fashion will continue as he proceeds to break more barriers and to inspire experimentation and comfort in individualistic styles.
