I do dress poorly, sometimes. And I'm slowly learning to be okay with that. Style is about experimentation and learning from those experiences. Not everything we put on will be our best, and if it was, what would we have learned? I have gone in and out of phases with my fashion, trying to fit in different niches to express myself. There have been endless occasions where I was tired, or corporate “strongly suggested“ I didn't overexpose my shoulders, or the pavement brutally reminded me that it didn't like heels, or I had to get down and dirty for manual labor, or often I simply thought an outfit looked good and changed my mind later. Most of us live these authentic and raw lives that constantly force us to bend and mold as needed.
“A hoe never gets cold,“ but I don't know. Maybe she gets overheated (have you ever tried layering during a NY summer)? Perhaps she also does get a little insecure now and then. Maybe she works two jobs that demand physical labor.
It's hard being a hoe in this economy.
June 21st, 2024, I stood in the Daily Paper New York Flagship store in front of celebrity stylist Kwasi Kessie and Grammy Nominated artist Masego in friend's clothes from a last-minute sleepover, sweaty and drained after running up and down NYC for an entire work day at the art gallery [Saphira & Ventura Gallery]. Sooner than the years prior, I found my breath and remembered I am more than I wear. The calming and down-to-earth energy radiated from Kwasi, Masego, and the crowd.The evening's event was a fashion dialogue panel, “The State of Streetwear,“ in collaboration with Kenner Shoes and Daily Paper. Kwasi Kessie and Masego served as panelists, while Courtney Kenefick, the Creative Director at Hypebeast, led as moderator.
My first Daily Paper event occurred in 2022 in Madrid, Spain. I'd seen the posters hanging around the city and thought, Hey! Black people who look dope! — at the time, this was a hard find in Centro Madrid. Looking forward to the event all week, I planned to attend and check out the [DailyPaper X Wekafore] exhibition with my roommate. But, to no surprise, by the end of the week, I was a burnt-out student with little energy left. My roommate convinced me that we should go anyway, for at least a few minutes. So, in my oversized pajamas and uncombed hair, we entered the bar/expo.
I was immediately transported to a new world, surrounded by beautiful model faces in well-executed outfits. It didn't take long in this new world; I felt small and undeserving of being in the room. I couldn't help but think, WAIT!!! over and over again as I cycled through the better outfits I had at home that would've been perfect and made me “worth“ talking to. However, as I looked around and let my body relax while focusing on the people around me, I saw I needed to grit my teeth and smile. A great energy in the room surpassed the clothes on my body. The guests in attendance were of incredible talent with genuine vibes. I started shaking hands and was greeted with warmth. I couldn't believe I was hanging around so many artists and creators, including two of three Daily Paper founders, Abderrahmane Trabsini and Jefferson Osei. The nerves were still there (I recall I accidentally told Trabsini I didn't know who Wizkid was [Wiz, I do know you and love you]), but I carried on and met some of the best people I still hold dear to me to this day.
Forward to the panel, Courtney initiated a discussion of the current state of streetwear and how it has changed over the years, where they believed it's headed today, and who the pioneers of streetwear are that can be looked up to timelessly. Courtney highlights how streetwear's 'definition' is no longer defined. Without a doubt, both panelists have quoted hip-hop as a driving force of streetwear from the beginning to now. Kwasi immediately mentioned Dapper Dan as one of the great growing pioneers, April Walker, creator of “Walker Wear“ and a hip-hop legacy, and Tony Showman, highlighting his connection to his roots in Harlem. Kwasi said he couldn't give a 'hot take' someone might be looking for because we have, in fact, built open and beautiful communities. Kwasi sates,
“The state of streetwear today is GLOBAL.“
Kenefick: “Masego, you have a very distinct style with both with music and fashion, its hard for people to get out of what they see on social media and into their own style, so how would you define your style, and how do you keep it true to yourself?“
Masego: “International, comfortable, and whimsical are my words for fashion. You need to see people; you need to go outside - go overseas if you can. I think Ghana has a great scene, and Lagos has beautiful prints. Brazil has an amazing history.“
“Clothes are a function of how you are living your life. I'm either going to the gym, a show, or date, so my clothes have to be that. You just have to keep it easy with what you're doing in the clothes“
Courtney joked, “So you have three separate closets for those three separate things?“
“Yes“ Masego said with a laugh.
“Very organized“ [Courtney]
“Very rich“ [Masego]
I thought about this momentarily and couldn't help but picture the famous Hannah Montana closet with everything I could ever want at my reach. I thought childishly, Wow, I'd literally never dress badly. But here's where I was reminded of this notion again, I probably would find a way to dress that bad. An endless closet where I could try so many new things meant I was bound to make a mistake or find circumstances where I'd be picking up my worn-out sneakers over the new cute heels.
Kenefick: “How would you describe your own personal style?“
I had taken several potential discussion notes on my subway ride to the panel, but after this commentary, I knew I was clear about what I wanted to ask. In my okay-but-not-best outfit, I raised my hand and asked Kwasi what “dressing 'bad' meant to him, if it meant anything at all.“
Campbell: “ Without fishing for pessimism, considering the need for experimentation and as an ever-evolving creative/stylist- what does dressing badly mean to you- if anything? Do you still have those days?“
Kessie: “Everyone is bound to make mistakes and inevitably have a bad day where you are not feeling your fit and you don't feel comfortable but you have to carry yourself with confidence type shit.“
Kessie touched on what I hoped: how can we still communicate our best selves when we're not feeling our best? I asked if I could follow up;
Campbell: “This question is a bit more directed toward Masego, as someone very visible in social media and by the general public eye always being photographed, how do you manage those days when out of creativity and experimentation, you inevitably dress 'bad'?“
Masego: “I think if the foundation of you is there [and] if you're consistently wearing good fits, then the bad fits are just like a joke for that moment. If you look up when Ne-Yo was doing that one pose with his legs toward the back of his head—like damn, but he's worn some cool fits too, so it's like, it's whatever.“
The reality is, you can't always tell yourself, “nobody saw that“ or “no one will remember,“ because sometimes people do. If you get enough attention, they might even make a meme about it.
All you can do is laugh it off. The age-old “if you can't beat them, join them“ serves us well in such moments. Masego addressed the fact that we all do goofy shit*, yet you will be known for more than that when who you are shows through the silly moments.
*See Ne-Yo again if you need a reminder.
Fashion is an ever-evolving creative sphere. Trends go in and out constantly, with much faster turnover due to social media and over-consumption in recent years. You can make anything look cool as much as you can make it look bad. Try picturing that Ne-Yo photo, but imagine he had Maison Margiela Tabis on. Tabis are a leading shoe in high fashion now, and the commentary would have only been worse. The people of 2007, if I had to take a wild guess, would've revered tabis as outlandish cow hoof shoes on a man who already looked ridiculous and terribly gay
(see archived 2007 blog comments). You can sit and ponder all you'd like how an image like that could've potentially changed the entire trajectory of the Tabis, but you can't change what's already been done. Tabis are in, and, for the most part, this photo of Ne-Yo is out. Time moves on, and fashion progresses.
Dressing badly is a part of life. Having an off day means you're a living human being. Even if fashion is your guiding light in this world, you might still have days where nothing matches precisely as you'd like, or you can't find that shirt you were looking forward to wearing, and that is just fine. These errors don't change who we are. It is more important to take yourself outside; to the streets. Streetwear is rooted in self-expression and enlightenment. It was made to move in and make moves, always putting your best-dressed foot forward. . . but don't be afraid to let it be a little bad sometimes.
SPECIAL THANKS
Trey Ramsey | Masego | Kwasi Kessie | Courtney Kenefick | Daily Paper | Kenner
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