At a time when there is so much to say about everything, it's no wonder slogans have carried over into spring/summer 2017.
Five days into show-week, they've appeared everywhere from Prabal Gurung's ethereal silk dresses to Jeremy Scott's camp tees. Hood By Air, fresh off of its VMA win in which Rihanna performed with HBA emblazoned in red across her chest, showed some of the more unforgettable so far this season.
One of Creative Director Shayne Oliver's more impressive powers is his Warholian ability to bring together disparate scenes. Where else could you have hip-hop artists like Rick Ross and Juicy J (men whose reputation rely on a certain d*ck swinging bravado) in a room with a tribe of gender fluid, label-defying self-proclaimed ghetto goths, celebrities (Naomi Campbell and Whoopi Goldberg were there) and fashion editors, all of them together cheering on one man — a person who has roots in the worlds of art, the vogue ball scene, and nightlife culture.
Add to all of this the fact that HBA's spring/summer 17 show was sponsored by PornHub (a business move that brings to mind Jonathan Anderson's partnership with Grindr several seasons back), and you effectively have a room heaving with a motley crew of people. This makes Oliver's use of slogans one of the most masterful examples in the streetwear space in my book.
That's because the meaning of said message changes so dramatically depending on who's wearing it.
'Never trust a church girl,' a slogan that appeared on the back of a blue rain coat, means one thing on someone like Rihanna and something entirely different on a butch lesbian teen. The same goes for his other phrases of choice including 'Wench,' 'Hustler,' and 'Do you know where your children are?' This is media going viral IRL the old-fashioned way, one person at a time.
