Fashion focus: A$AP Rocky

For my third and final article centred on The Fashion Awards 2024, following a focus on the ‘Model of The Year Award’ and other designer-focused awards, I would like to close this topic with a discussion on the winner of the ‘Culture Innovator Award’ – A$AP Rocky. Let’s shine a light on his career, his work in 2024, and some of his best looks.

A$AP Rocky is unafraid to take risks, which has allowed him to set and subvert menswear trends for over a decade

A$AP Rocky, also known as Rakim Athelaston Mayers, is an American-Barbadian rapper, and the founder of AWGE. In 2007, Mayers joined the A$AP Mob – a hip-hop collective of rappers, producers, directors, and designers with an interest in music, fashion, style, and art. He then debuted his first single ‘Purple Swag’ in 2011. In the same year, he released his critically acclaimed mixtape LIVE. LOVE. A$AP which gained traction in the hip-hop community, debuting at #1 on the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart. His following album AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP, in 2015, attained the same milestone, and his third album TESTIN debuted at #4. Beyond his musical success, A$AP Rocky has received praise in the fashion world and is referred to as the ‘world’s most stylish man’. He is the self-proclaimed ‘godfather of what we… call art and fashion.’

‘The Cultural Innovator Award’, as stated by TFA, celebrates an individual who ‘has created viral fashion moments which have had a profound impact on the fashion industry and wider culture.’ A$AP Rocky is unafraid to take risks, which has allowed him to set and subvert menswear trends for over a decade. This has resulted in A$AP Rocky having a paramount effect on fashion and culture. In 2024, it was announced that A$AP Rocky will be one of the co-chairs for the 2025 Met Gala, with the theme ‘Superfine: Tailoring Black Style’. It’s also been revealed that he will feature in the forthcoming crime thriller Highest 2 Lowest, and his 4th Studio Album, Don’t Be Dumb, has been teased for release in early 2025. A significant moment of innovation in 2024 for A$AP Rocky, was his design of one of the retro-futuristic neighbourhoods in the Moncler’s ‘The City of Genius’ in Shanghai. This avant-garde show presented the Moncler x A$AP Rocky collection in a segment of an otherworldly show.

More importantly, in 2024, A$AP Rocky debuted at Paris Fashion Week with AWGE’s runway collection – ‘American Sabotage’. Set in an 18th century mansion, he defined his collection through what he considers “ghetto expressionism”. The collection was also described by Mayers as “trying to encapsulate… everything I’ve experienced about the social issues and the social climate of America”. In addition, the collection included up-cycling and repurposing. A$AP Rocky has been ringside for fashion shows for the majority of his career, so his collection of 30 looks was well executed. The runway was backed by three unreleased tracks from A$AP Rocky, and the garments were consistent with his signature style – featuring multi-layering, oversized silhouettes, and volume. This venture secured his firm position at the intersection of culture and innovation.

His outfit for the 2020 Gucci Cruise, another favourite, was impactful through defiant pattern-clashing

In previous years, partnerships with Dior, Ferragamo, and Calvin Klein have established him as a high-fashion model – a model who often finds himself captured by street-style photographers. Besides risk-taking, A$AP Rocky has demonstrated a strong understanding of coordination, as Mayer, alongside his partner Rihanna – Barbadian singer, businesswoman, and actress – have cemented themselves as best-dressed individuals through their complementary styles. They both possess a strong attention to detail and the ability to incorporate details of each other’s looks into their own. One of the strongest couple looks was at the premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever with Rihanna in a sculptural Rick Owens gown and A$AP Rocky in large denim jackets and two-toned pants, with both looks coordinating with a grey colour and both featuring a small train.

To conclude, let’s highlight some of A$AP Rocky’s strongest and most notable outfits. One of my favourites would be his December 2022 double-denim look, styled with a simple leather bomber jacket and a pair of oversized shades. His outfit for the 2020 Gucci Cruise, another favourite, was impactful through its defiant clashing patterns. Lastly, he had a strong look for the 2021 Met Gala wearing a custom ERL Quilt, working in contrast with Rihanna’s Balenciaga dress – a look I hope he can exceed at the 2025 Met Gala on May 5.