Kendrick Lamar is the latest hip-hop artist to link up with London-based Martine Rose for a menswear capsule collection.
The Compton-born rapper dedicated his entire Instagram profile to the collection, expressing gratitude to Rose while claiming that it was a bucket list moment to collaborate with the award-winning designer. The last time Lamar wiped clean his Instagram account to dedicate to a single brand, was when he performed along with the FAMU marching band at Louis Vuitton’s menswear show earlier this year.
Lamar posted a set of images which showed the mood board for the collection, complete with images of his and the collection’s inspiration. The series of images included depictions of Tupac, Eazy-E, and The Compton Cowboys, alongside his newly designed merchandise.
“Bucketlist to work with Martine Rose she camera shy but gangsta say hello to my young,” the artist wrote on Instagram. Included in the images is a shot of a giggling Rose making a peace signing into the camera.
The collection and designs are similar, if not identical, to the ones that Rose developed for Lamar’s Big Steppers Tour. Among the items displayed on the mood board is a Jacket embroidered with “Oklama” – Lamar’s moniker, as well as leather pants complete with buckles running down the sides, an oversized black hoodie featuring Rose’s signature, and leather vests with whiff closures. If we are honest, it is the perfect collection for the sequel of Straight Outta Compton.
Martine Rose has been making headlines in recent weeks. The designer was announced as the next guest designer at Pitti Uomo. Rose will debut her collection at the trade shows January edition, marking a monumental moment in her career as she exhibits outside of London for the first time.
Rose’s debut at Pitti Uomo will be interesting to watch. The designer is known for her ragtag style, skew-whiff tracksuits, winklepickers, and shrunken tailoring, while Pitti Uomo is famous for its tapered suits and shiny shoes. Whatever Rose brings to Pitti Uomo, we are sure that it’s going to ruffle a couple of well-groomed feathers.
