Radio Series Hip Hop Beyond RAP - HIP HOP ELEMENT 7 STREET FASHION
STREET FASHION is defined as : (The study and application of urban trends and styles). Commonly refers to the clothing trends of the inner-city. However, Street Fashion deals with all trends and styles of Hip Hop's culture—what's in and what's out regardless of the expression. Its practitioners are known as Hiphoppas.
Self-expression through Street Fashion is an important way to present Hip Hop's unique identity to the world. Street Fashion represents the prominence of all Hip Hop cultural codes, forms and customs.
Not only is fashion a very ancient form of communication, but our expressed consciousness was (and still is) also represented in the way in which we adorned, colored and dressed ourselves.
Hip Hop street fashion has transformed the whole fashion industry. Generating billions in revenue and setting all the trends for the Worlds youth. When you look at it No other form of music has had so many young artists with fashion distribution deals for their own fashion labels.
Hip Hop artists have done a better job at transforming the fashion industry than many of their counterparts that have graduated with college degrees. Instead of celebrating this fact society has missed the real positive impact of this most succesful generation and are stuck and stigmatized in the illusion that Hip Hop as a whole is a negative influence. ref (www.templeofhiphop.org)
TONY SHELLMAN- Hip-Hop Fashion Designer/Entrepreneur
As he looks back, this successful entrepreneur realizes the greatest fortune of his life came out of very unfortunate circumstances. As an infant, Tony was left in the care of Catholic Charities because his parents felt they could not adequately provide for a second child. On Christmas Eve 1968, he went home with Lenzie and Betty Shellman, who would later adopt him. Tony recalls:
"I guess it turned out to be my lucky break. I knew I was adopted, but it didn't matter because I was with a loving family in a safe place I could always call home. Not every child in foster care gets that happy ending."
With caring support from his adoptive family, the charismatic boy enjoyed a full and active childhood. Later, he pursued a modeling career and ultimately moved to New York to study fashion at the renowned Parson's School of Design. From there, Tony worked long hours making his way up from the showroom to the boardroom. His vision and drive propelled him to the upper echelons of urban fashion as the co-founder of the popular Mecca and ENYCE clothing lines.
Today, this masterful marketing executive is regarded as an influential hip-hop trendsetter and fashion innovator. Tony has a flair for developing lifestyle brands that engender a loyal following. In 2004, Black Enterprise magazine chronicled Tony's motivational story as one of their profiles in courage. In 2005, Liz Claiborne, Inc. purchased ENYCE for $114 million. Recently, Tony launched the highly anticipated Parish Clothing, which is expected in stores in early 2007.
Amid all the glamour and professional accolades, Tony still considers his family to be his greatest treasure. He says:
"I'm not sure where I would be today without their encouragement. I beat the odds, but there are thousands of young people in foster care right now who don't have that kind of support."
Several studies show that as young adults, former foster youth are more likely than their peers to face unemployment, homelessness and other adverse situations. As a spokesperson for National Foster Care Month and Casey Family Programs, Tony is a tireless advocate for these vulnerable youth. He is especially focused on providing career mentoring, job skills training and employment opportunities for older youth in foster care. www.parish-nation.com/pn
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3:31Ford Fiesta Style Event: Tony Shellman Interviewby TheUrbanGent265 views
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