New exhibit at The Museum at FIT celebrates hip hop fashion as genre turns 50

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Thursday, February 9, 2023
New exhibit at The Museum at FIT celebrates hip hop fashion
New exhibit at The Museum at FIT celebrates hip hop fashionThis year, hip hop is celebrating 50 years! The Museum at FIT is celebrating the fashion of hip hop. Darla Miles has the story.

NEW YORK CITY -- Gold chains and everything bling are on display at "Fresh, Fly and Fabulous - Fifty Years of Hip-Hop" an exhibit at The Museum at FIT.

The display will feature clothing and accessories worn by the genre's biggest names including Missy Elliot, LL Cool J, Cardi B, and Grandmaster Flash.

The exhibit follows hip-hop style through the decades featuring iconic looks worn by frontrunners of the genre like the first collab with Run DMC and Addidas and the MCM bustier worn by Beyonce are part of the exhibit.

There's also examples of how hip-hop influenced fashion for everyday people.

"We have a case of hoop earrings," co-curator Elizabeth Way said. "For women, hoops were a symbol of their power."

Hip-hop style has evolved significantly since 1973, when Clive Campbell, known as DJ Kool Herc, used turntables to create breakbeats and rap over them, marking the birth of hip-hop.

"So many black and brown teens and marginalized communities wanted to be seen," co-curator Elena Romero said. "And one of the easiest ways to be seen is with what you wore."

What started as a fringe fashion has become a coveted style for luxury brands and trendsetters on the red carpet.

'I'm sure these kids in 1973 in the Bronx would be amaze at what hip hop has become," Way said.

The exhibit will be open from Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 12 to 8 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 to 5 p.m. until April 23.

Visit the museum's website for more information on the exhibit.

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