While out at Coachella, Joey Bada$$ got a very important fashion co-sign by appearing in the pages of storied fashion magazine Vogue. The interview covered a range of topics, but centered on his crew Pro Era and their aspirations in the streetwear game.
Specifically, Joey Bada$$ cites New York-based streetwear brand Supreme as the ultimate goal for Pro Era as a brand. It's a mark to aim for, but the Brooklyn rapper is no stranger to betting on himself. He sees the crew’s name as a “multipurpose movement,” qualifying it as an ideology, a record label and a clothing label. Basically, something that kids can identify with. It seems that Joey recognizes this effect is already well on its way, between Malia Obama wearing a Pro Era shirt a few years ago (“Malia is definitely woke!”) and being featured in Calvin Klein’s “My Calvins” campaign (“[Calvin Klein’s] CMO asked her son why they should get for the Calvin Klein campaign, and he said, ‘You should get Joey Bada$$.’ That’s how I got here. I saw him over by the bar and I was like, ‘Yo! Because of you I got a four-story billboard in New York right now!’”).
Speaking on what kind of clothes Pro Era will make their own, Joey says, “Now I just want to create everything I want to wear. Like, I’ve got on sweats and a T-shirt right now: Everything I have on should be my brand.” He continues, “Hip-hop is fashion in a way. It’s a lifestyle, so therefore it is fashion, culture, music, art, all in one.”
Whether or not Joey Bada$$ and his Pro Era collective achieve Supreme’s level of success, they’ve already come a long way.
[via Vogue]