Kid Cudi’s Tribute To Kurt Cobain
Scott Mescudi, otherwise known as Kid Cudi, was last seen on Saturday Night Live (SNL) (April 10th) performing two songs from his new album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen. In a tribute to Kurt Cobain, Cudi wore a mid-length, floral Off-White dress and matching necklace. Although the album and his performance has been much commended, Cudi’s choice of (feminine) attire has drawn much attention. His reference to Cobain did not go unnoticed, with many knowing that this week marked 27 years since the singer-songwriter committed suicide in 1994. Fans acknowledged the Off-White look as not only a statement of Cudi’s connection with Virgil Abloh and the brand, but also a nod to Cobain’s floral dresses, which he wore during Nirvana gigs, awards shows, and most infamously on the cover of The Face in 1993. Many applauded this choice, and fans everywhere took to Twitter with rave reviews: “I’ve always been a Kid Cudi fan but omg this dress is so cute and I’m a fan all over again!”, “the goat @KidCudi killing it on SNL, one of the best ever to do it in a dress.”
Streetwear experienced a boom in popularity during the ‘90s and early ‘00s, first growing out of New York’s hip-hop fashion scene and California’s surf/skate culture, to eventually encompass elements of sportswear, punk and Japanese street fashion. But streetwear was not a new phenomenon; it originated in the ‘70s, predominantly around skateboard communities in New York, expressing an attitude of casual comfort. Shawn Stussy, later recognised as one of the founders of the streetwear fashion genre, started out making t-shirts as well as surfboards, but what we see today is not original streetwear but a contemporary, more luxurious version. Supreme, the brand which put streetwear dramatically on the international map, starting merging youth culture and street design, causing luxury fashion companies (which have always been inspired by youth culture and its demographic appeal) to duplicate the garments coming out of the scene. With these communities merging and dress codes relaxing, celebrities, musicians and influencers began to be seen wearing high-end streetwear.
Because of this and its hip-hop heritage, luxury streetwear has often been linked with rappers in the music industry - Kid Cudi is just one example. With Reddit forums on ‘Kid Cudi Street Wear Inspiration Album’ to ‘Kid Cudi’s Greatest Outfits’ on Pinterest, he is known for his contribution to the scene. Streetwear has also been recognised heavily for its masculinity as a genre, and so a rap artist breaking with these stereotypes to wear a dress on SNL will go a long way in motivating a transition from binary fashion to greater fluidity of choice. When influential people do so in the public eye, they help to deconstruct the classification of groups and what is considered acceptable for each, making a powerful statement: “I’m not making a community choice and all the stigmatisation it comes with it, I’m doing it just for fashion. This is a pro-fashion choice, not one that needs analysing and detailing. I’m outside of the box.”
90’s Street-wear in New York, by Giovanni Aponte
Regardless of what kind of statement Kid Cudi was trying to make in his tribute to Cobain, it is important to recognise the power and influence of his choice, especially in the wake of other male musicians, such as Lil Nas X, doing the same. Hopefully this will continue, for people of all kinds to make pro-choice statements and help destigmatise the idea of men wearing traditionally feminine clothing.