Hype Fashion: Why You Couldn’t Get Your Hands on The Off-White x Jordan 4 “Sail”
On Saturday the highly anticipated “Off-White” x Jordan 4 “Sail” was released in a drop that sold out in just minutes. The retail price for the shoes was a reasonable $200. Resell culture, however, has proven to make reasonably priced items resell at astronomically high prices. That same shoe that retailed at $200, is now reselling on StockX for as much as $2,545.
Consumers took to Twitter on Saturday to express their outrage over not securing Virgil Abloh’s take on Michael Jordan’s 5th signature shoe. I must admit, I was one of the unlucky people who woke up hours earlier than I typically would, only to put the shoes in my cart at 10 am EST exactly, use the express route of Apple Pay, and still not secure a pair. This is the reality for many fashion lovers. In a lot of ways, the need to secure hyped fashion items, has temporarily limited fashion culture.
The 90’s and 2000’s: Nostalgia
I remember when I fell in love with fashion. Watching my favorite movie growing up, “You Got Served”, I studied main characters Omarion, Marques Houston, and J-Boog, silently admiring how fly they were. Before then, I wore what my parents taught me, never questioning how expressive fashion had the potential to be.
From the fashion influences represented in this film, I started to see my fashion choices as an extension of my identity. Growing up, I was fortunate enough to see artists pave the way for fashion. Whether it was Pharrell and Billionaire Boys Club, Kanye West and his oversized bright-colored Polos with the infamous popped collar and shutter shades, or Cam’ron and his still talked about pink fur fashion statements, fashion was diverse.
I would be remiss if did not also highlight the tom-boy look impeccably executed by legendary singer Aaliyah, the Juicy Couture movement that had celebrities showing up in their best velour tracksuits, or the iconic coordinated outfits hot girl groups like Destiny’s Child, TLC and The Cheetah girls, would wear. In the 90’s and early 2000’s people were committed to being creative and finding their own way to conceptualize what “looked good”. Of course, like any era, there were hot ticket items and general trends that you can pin-point to that specific time frame. But, the defining commitment by those truly into fashion, was to individualism. Fashion then, was an opportunity to express yourself without saying a word.
“Hype Beast” Culture: The Destruction of a Movement?
The 90’s and 2000’s are often looked at as nostalgic moments. We look back on these decades as times where culture was a movement of different perspectives of the world. Looking back, I remember these years of my life as a fashion revolution with everyone inspired by finding their own niche in the fashion industry.
Fashion today is overwhelmingly frustrating. Shoe or clothing drops, similar to the one on Saturday, are the reason fashion has become watered down and oversaturated. Fashion trends today, are defined by three simple terms: hype, scarcity and brand-chasing. So, who ruined the individualistic, expressive nature of fashion? Hype beasts.
Urban Dictionary defines a “Hype Beast” as:
1. A kid that collects clothing, shoes, and accessories for the sole purpose of impressing others.
2. Although they do not have a dime to their name, they like to front like they are making far more than everybody else.
Essentially, a hype beast is someone that is not driven by their own perception of fashion. Instead, they make purchases solely for the purpose of impressing people by having items that other people want but cannot have due to scarcity or financial limitations. If you look at brands that are currently dominating, there is a marketing trend that focuses on making items highly limited in quantity and highly anticipated. Using raffle methods to drop the items and having high-profile fashion influencers wearing the items, trendy brands seek to make consumers feel as though they are one of the “lucky few” to get their hands on the item.
Today’s hottest brands include: Off-White, Bape, F.O.G, Yeezy, Supreme, Cactus Flea Market, Rick Owens, Louis Vuitton, and Nike. As a result of the power of the brands name alone, along with the people in charge of the companies, these brands are dominating the market. People that sport these hyped brands and buy into hype beast culture are often looked down upon by fashion enthusiast as both shallow and materialistic. By definition, hype beasts spend thousands of dollars in the name of impressing other people.
Angelo Nitsopoulos (@angnits), one of the founders of vintage fashion brand Bentgablenits, attested his declining fashion purchases to the fashion market becoming “to saturated” making items he once loved “not cool anymore”. At the inception of hype beast culture, the term was used to mock consumers who appeared in outrageous overpriced outfits. Now, however, the term has become a highly lucrative business for those who capitalize off of it.
The recent drop of the Off-White Jordan 4’s demonstrates how much prices can increase off the hype of the shoe alone. According to an article released by Forbes Magazine, the resell market has a market value of $24 billion dollars and it is projected to jump to $51 billion by 2023. Those are astonishing figures that shine a light on how financially beneficial hype beast culture is.
The downside to these figures, in my opinion, is that when things become obsessive or trendy, they often lose their appeal. I understand the need to have the hottest item out, that is an inherent downside to capitalism. The frustrating thing about this trend, however, is that it plays into the divide of the “haves” and the “have nots”. Your fashion sense is no longer determined by how you put your items together or how you express yourself. Now, fashionable people are defined by the hype surrounding their outfits.
I took to Instagram to ask some of my favorite fashion lovers about fashion through their eyes. I asked each of them how they felt hype fashion and hype beast culture have affected fashion, here’s what they responded:
Carlie B. (@carlie.bee) founder of Carlie Cares (@carlie.cares) responded “ Just like everything in the world, there is a negative and positive. Hype beast culture has negatively impacted the fashion industry because it doesn’t allow for people to have much creativity. If a product drops and it is hyped, everyone has it or wants it. It doesn’t push people to dress differently. On the positive end, it is a fun part of fashion. If you snagged the latest hottest item., “You’re IT, “you’re “winning.” I think we all can be caught up in the hype, but we have to continue to find ways to find our unique style while doing so.”
Chanel (@yxungnel) VA’s hottest provided “I think hype beast culture and hype fashion have a major impact on ones true identity, by expressing through clothes their thoughts on art. I try to endure today’s fashion while pairing it with a past style so it gives off a different look I call it “rustic drip”. My mood and the occassion will determine the fit I decide to wear, it’s all about what audience you’re going to be around.”
Adrian (@Ace. Sher), fashion enthusiast eloquently noted “Hypebeast culture is becoming one of the main destinations for contemporary fashion and street wear all over the world. There is a positive and negative side to the Hypebeast culture, I honestly don’t have a problem with that. It has allowed more people, especially the young generations to have self expressions. Some of us don’t know how to use our words to express ourselves so we use the fashion industry to do that. Also, it’s a form of art for some of us especially me, I turn my pain into art which is my fashion. Please don’t believe it or buy it because everyone has it or wants it. Just wear it and forget what anyone thinks.”
Desiah (@siah_briana) NYC’s Finest, Criticized “Hype beast culture has definitely affected people’s fashion sense in a negative way. Creativity and individualism have become very hard to find today because people are only buying clothes and shoes for the name. Designers are beginning to lack creativity because they try to appeal to the trends and so this leads to every piece of clothing looking very similar. I think people fail to realize that certain fashion eras repeat so if they hold on to the classics they’ll never go out of style.”
Bernard (@benardelegbede), fashion guru soundly expressed, “I would personally say that hype culture has hindered fashion moving forward. I feel like rather than showcasing one’s individuality hype fashion has created robots. For me personally, I can say that I’ve tried my best to stay up to date on hype fashion trends while also staying true to myself and fashion sense. Ultimately, fashion in a way repeats itself but I certainly feel that we are in a time in which fashion has lost its freedom on expression and individuality.”
Malik (@Malik.W) owner of ‘Hype Clinic’ (@Hypeclinic)- “A lifestyle brand prescribing you with exclusive fashions” responded: I think fashion culture has gone into a really bad space. Although I’m in the business of selling hype clothes we always had a passion for the emotional feeling behind pieces. Nowadays, everything is driven by the money, so it makes it hard for ppl who actually love the products to get them. It has benefited our brand because we have access to the items people want. So, it brings attention and consumers however, we don’t always make the sell right away because the products aren’t cheap.”
Nala (@nala_j_) creative genius expressed “It’s never about the brand, it’s all about how you can rock it. Hype beast culture has made it very difficult for the average person to stay on trend with the latest designs and name brands. However, I feel as though because of these over priced items for the culture, it has influenced many to create their own rendition of top brands. It allows for our generation to be innovate and creative to create the look we want, but can’t necessarily afford.”
JG David(@4chose_): Model and Reseller Enthusiastically laid out: “ I think resell culture empowers the kid who is a Designer But Doesn’t know it Yet. It adds value To The Designer’s work, It’s Like an Artist watching his painting get put up for auction while he’s alive and seeing how THE PEOPLE react. If The Designer truly is a designer They Are IN LOVE WITH THE PROCESS. It’s a proof of concept.”
Chase (@wealthyc) shoe enthusiast concluded “ hype beast culture is a movement that really drive the community forward. At the end of the day reselling has created a market for fashion. People are able to make a living off of selling clothing, shoes, toys etc. I don’t think it’s necessarily a bad thing , nobody is being forced to pay resell prices. If you can’t afford it then just don’t buy it. The only thing that’s changed is that companies are making it more difficult to give their consumers a fair chance to buy their product.”
The words of these fashion influencers are a testament to how much fashion means to some people. Fashion is a muse through which people feel at home and most comfortable with expressing themselves. In my opinion, true fashion lovers have been overshadowed by those who can buy the most hyped items. Unfortunately, the days where people went into fashion shops like the infamous “Round-Two” and “Supreme”, to simply bounce ideas about outfits and the newest drops is outdated. That is a blessing and a curse.
The sentiment held by Adrian and JG, that fashion, despite hype beast culture, is still expressive and self-empowering is understandable. Hype beast culture has created a fashion community, unlike any we have ever seen in fashion history. People wait in never-ending lines, buy “bots”, pay thousands of dollars for a hundred-dollar shoe, and relentlessly follow the hottest fashion influencers. Perhaps that is the beauty in it.
To JG’s point, the value of a well-known fashion designers work is higher as a result of the growing emphasis put on hype beast culture. Amazingly, fashion today allows entrepreneurs like Malik, to have a lucrative brand like Hype Clinic that thrives off of hype fashion. To Adrian, Fashion is a powerful tool to express yourself when words cannot, I do not believe that is lost in hype beast culture.
The people interviewed are an inspiration to what fashion is, and what it has the potential to be. Each person understands that hype culture has hindered fashion in some ways, yet they have not lost hope in its potential. Fashion has been a confidant, a business, a hobby, and an art for myself and my fellow fashion enthusiasts. In the future, as we continue down the road of hype, I hope we move away from buying a sneaker just because everyone wants it. Instead, I hope we dare to see the potential and power behind what we wear.
“Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you, but you decide what you are, what you want to express by the way you dress and the way to live.”
— Gianni Versace
