Runway shows aren't just insane couture gowns, multi-thousand dollar suits and weird arts and crafts projects. As you may have realized, high-fashion brands are delving into the world of streetwear now more than ever before. But The Business of Fashion wonders, will the love affair between the two last? With streetwear losing some of its cult-like status and going more mainstream, the consensus seems to be that the style is not only here to stay, but shouldn't even be categorized as "streetwear" anymore. The style has come along and matured as interest in formal dressing has waned.
Complex's own Matthew Henson got in on the action, labeling the genre as "luxury sportswear" rather than "streetwear" and continued on to say that even the designers of the most well-known "high-end streetwear" brands would find the classification too limiting. Others echoed the sentiment, saying that "streetwear" has the tendency to lump distinct styles together. Consider Public School, a brand growing extremely fast and reaping many, many awards, often labeled as a streetwear brand when it has a much wider offering. Part of that may stem from PS's New York roots, according to their compatriot and consultant Eugene Tong of Details, "Though coming out of New York City and given the background that they have, it is easy to categorize them as 'streetwear' or as 'urban,' but if you look at the clothing, there are elements of that, but it doesn’t define the brand."
While the style continues to gain popularity, it seems that this isn't just a passing trend, but a serious movement that's the result of society's general distaste for strict dress codes. With a brand like Hood By Air showing at the mecca of tailoring, Pitti Uomo, it feels like this love affair is more like a long-term relationship. You done been cuffed. Aww.
