A meeting of minds: How streetwear and luxury met in the middle to appeal to the young sartorial male and female fashionista
Once upon a time, streetwear was a type of fashion attire that was seen as far removed from luxury, but today, that couldn’t be further from the truth. As some of the world’s leading fashion houses – from Gucci to Prada – look to appeal to a younger generation of shoppers with more disposable income to spend, embracing this popular style and concept has perhaps been inevitable.
Starting life as a decidedly urban trend alluded to by a pair of stylish trainers or a chunky chain necklace, streetwear has come a long way since its early days, when the term itself had yet to be coined. By definition, it refers to ‘casual clothing of a style worn especially by members of various urban youth subcultures’ – but gone are the days when that meant tracksuit bottoms and beanie hats, and today, it can just as easily apply to an expensive designer handbag.
The streetwear model has, by all accounts, subverted the traditional fashion system and today, it’s associated with exclusivity above all else. While not all streetwear is considered to be ‘luxury’, the trend is continuing to gather momentum amongst a high-end market, as increasingly being seen as a cultural status symbol that Generations Y and Z just can’t seem to get enough of.
While exclusivity is usually something associated with expensive items that not everyone can afford, streetwear has gone about this in a different way. In its early days, few people knew how or where to find the coolest threads, and it was this that sparked the initial demand. For those for whom style is intrinsic and dressing well is important, laying their hands