The four original elements of hip hop, DJ, emceeing, graffiti and B-boying now have a fifth: fashion. Coming a long way from the underground subculture of South Bronx’s black and latino youth in the late 1970’s, hip hop and it’s unique style has now become a vanguard of popular culture and transcultural expression. Embodying everything that is hip hop, Baz Luhrmann’s highly anticipated and extremely expensive (a whopping $120 million to be exact), Netflix original series The Get Down chronicles the birth of hip hop in a musical menagerie of vivid colour, fabulous fashion and famous faces.
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Whist hip hop style is hard to define in a few words, mixing high and low attitudes to fashion, personal anecdotes and preferences, the show perfectly captures hip hop’s nascent days. Special attention and critical acclaim is credited to the costumes that get down to the heart the of hip hop’s fashion scene that was emerging as its own distinct style in the 70’s alongside glamorous disco attire. Costume designer Jeriana San Juan can be credited for the casts’ awesome sartorial choices stating that “I think the perspective of the show is really meant to make you feel fully immersed in the time period and meant to make it also feel very fresh, new, vibrant, and crisp- as if you’re one of the kids there in 1977.”
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Whist attention to the smallest detail is uncanny, with Gucci and Diane Von Furstenberg opening their archives for the show’s designers to gather inspiration, the characters’ outfits don’t feel dated; there is still a fresh and vibrant feel to every look, character and beat. As San Juan says: “Everything is through a heightened perspective, in the same way anyone thinks of their own childhood- things are always bigger and more colourful than you remember”; the costumes create a magical nostalgia for an era I certainly haven’t lived and a place many have never been.
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Looking at hip hop artists in today’s media its clear that what you wear has become almost as important as what you preach, hip hop and fashion from the start have always been synonymous. Rappers sing about what they know, who they are and what they represent. Their music aims to convey a message and a story; their sartorial choices are a piece of this story. More than ever, fashion is being mentioned in rappers material and hip hop artists are even branching out to create the own clothing lines. Look at Kanye West for example, his Yeezy collections showcase at fashion week!
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Although the The Get Down is is set in a hyperreal world, it is a story of real people (iconic hip hop artists such as Grandmaster Flash feature as characters) who have pioneered the interest in streetwear we have today. Take a walk down the street and without a doubt you will see hip hop’s influence; cute halter-neck tops, subtle flares, Puma trainers and satin jackets (watch out for the fabulous ones worn by the cast). Watching The Get Down is simply inspiration for your next shopping trip, it must be done!
You can see more the casts’ costumes on Instagram @thegetdowncostumes