Designer Umit Benan was inspired by baseball legend Jackie Robinson for his Fall/Winter 2014 that was just presented in Paris. Robinson broke the segregated Major League race barrier in the 1940s and Mr. Benan's presentation is a visual ode to that decades style and also a statement agains racism in the fashion world. Along with great current interpretations of the baseball jacket and sportswear, the presentation also featured all African-American male models of different generations.
On a Harlem note, this baseball style can already be seen on the trendy young men walking down 125th Street and has been around for the past year. Landmark wise, the old Colonial Park on 145th Street was renamed after Jackie Robinson in 1978 and statue of the baseball great can be found within the recreation building by Bradhurst Avenue. A video of this show can be found on the Details site:
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I think this is great, but I'm not sure saying the trendy young men of 125th st. is doing it any service... the street most littered with discount and mainstream goods that have very little to do with Harlem. It would be like saying the NYU kids look to the shops around Union Sq. for their style...when this is also not the case.
ReplyDelete+1 for Umit B. and Harlem History
- 1 for saying Harlem's most traveled street is also it's most genuine.
Chains like H & M and American Apparel are all affordable and have had the baseball jacket in different variations for the past year. What is great about the chain world is that we see young men wear clothing directly from the runway at affordable prices. A collection jacket from Paris could run around $2,000 easily and it is not such a bad thing that these styles are made more affordable so folks at various demographics can look good without spending a lot. Yes not everyone dresses well uptown but we focus on those who do.
ReplyDeleteUhh Anonymous as a bona fide Harlemite I can tell you that the statement...the trendy men of 125th St. is doing it any service... is certainly valid. Those shops along 125th Street from East to West have always provided an affordable outlet for Harlemites who want to look good for less. As a people, Harlemites have always been able to go to those small shops and put together a great Sunday outfit or Back-to-School outfit. How many parents of Harlem have taken their meager salaries and savings and purchased stellar Communion outfits, Confirmation outfits and lets not forget Easter Outfits. I can tell you that those shops were the de riguer "go to" place for your Easter Outfit and nobody could tell the difference between a suit or dress with matching hat purchased at 125th street against one purchased downtown.
ReplyDeleteWhen you makes such inconsiderate comments you do injustice to people who have done all they could to "...make a way out of no way."