Hip-hop superstar Travis Scott (real name: Jacques Webster) had the biggest year of his career and arguably his life in 2018. His partner Kylie Jenner, social media influencer and youngest self-made billionaire according to Forbes, gave birth to their baby girl, Stormi Webster. Scott gave back to the community by renting out two movie theaters in Texas to screen the Marvel movie Black Panther free of charge. Travis played the multiplayer survival game Fortnite with streamer Ninja, artist Drake, and Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Juju Smith-Schuster, breaking the record for most viewed stream for a single player on Twitch at the time. His third studio album Astroworld, which released on 8 August 2018, was a legitimate hit and became one of the highest grossing hip-hop albums of the year. To celebrate the release, Travis even gave away $100,000 through Cashapp as well as pairs of his coveted Jordan Brand shoes on Twitter. Earlier this year, Travis Scott’s “Sicko Mode” featuring Drake reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts, a first for the multiplatinum recording artist. A couple days later, his label Cactus Jack Records signed upcoming artist Don Toliver, joining the roster which includes Smokepurpp and Sheck Wes. Scott opened the inaugural Astroworld Festival, celebrating the culture of Houston, and taking place right across the grounds of the real-life Astroworld Six Flags theme park. November 18 was even proclaimed Astroworld Day by the city of Houston and Houston mayor Sylvester Turner gave the key to the city to Travis. He appeared on his first musical guest spot on SNL, performing a mashup of “Skeletons”and “Astrothunder” with John Mayer and Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker. He performed during the Super Bowl LIII halftime show with Maroon 5 and during the Grammys. Call me out if you want but I really think Pusha-T or Travis should’ve taken home Album of the Year. He recently chopped it up with Kevin Durant on Carpool Karaoke. Travis Scott might be contender for most featured artist of the year since he appeared on multiple studio albums such as 21 Savage’s i am > i was, Future’s The WIZRD Presents: Future Hndrxx, James Blake’s Assume Form, Offset’s Father of 4, and 2 Chainz’s Rap or Go to the League. He has also previously collaborated with Kanye West, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Migos, Playboi Carti, Lil Uzi Vert, Kodak Black, Rae Sremmurd, Metro Boomin, and other hip hop artists too numerous to name. This is a subjective observation on my part but I have never seen concertgoers more turnt than in the live performing presence of La Flame.
I really believe Travis Scott has become a bona fide style icon in his own right. His sense of fashion expressed through combining Supreme box logos, high-end luxury brands, and basketball and skateboarding sneakers have proven him to be a streetwear purveyor of cool and candidate for best dressed, creating a new definition of punk along the way. Travis chose the right brands to work with and gave their garments or footwear his own special spin. His collaborations with Austrian designer Helmut Lang and Australian denim brand Ksubi are prime examples of this. Scott’s extensive Helmut Lang collection for Spring/Summer 2017 included jackets, denim, and two minimal leather shoes. Bold co-branding and tasteful graphics from Scott’s award-winning albums adorn pieces in the collection. Travis Scott’s 10-piece Ksubi collection was no less head-turning. His rager personality and the brand’s edgy aesthetics combined for provocative, yet unmistakably Travis styling on the bombers, hoodies, tees, and distressed jeans. He also partnered with London-based brand maharishi for a “Year of the Cowboy” hand embroidered jacket, which took inspiration from Scott’s debut studio album Rodeo and features Travis Scott riding a bucking bronco in true Texan style. Virgil Abloh’s exclusive Off-White merchandise produced for Travis Scott on his Birds Eye View and Wish You Were Here tours was also noteworthy. Travis Scott released his own Astroworld merchandise on his website and through clothing boutique Dover Street Market, which sold out almost immediately.
Now, Travis Scott is the face of French luxury label Yves Saint Laurent Men’s Spring Summer 2019 campaign. Pictured in black and white campaign images and video, he is captured wearing iconic pieces such as the sequined jacket and velvet blazer, highlighting the timeless, rebellious attitude of both parties. It is a natural fit for the iconic brand and the high-profile artist considering the hitmaker’s grunge, sophisticated designs. Fittingly, he shouted out the luxury house on “Saint Laurent Mask” off his 2017 collaborative album with rapper Quavo, Huncho Jack, Jack Huncho and “Yosemite”on Astroworld. His relationship with the brand goes back to 2016 when he appeared in YSL creative director Anthony Vaccarello’s #YSL03 campaign video. In December 2017, Travis Scott and YSL teamed up again for a special release of vinyl records containing 12 curated tracks by artists as diverse as Kanye West, Frank Ocean, Toro y Moi, James Blake, and Bon Iver at Parisian boutique Colette (RIP Colette). He flew out to sign the $700 individually numbered vinyls which were limited to 500 presses and presented in a black leather pouch. Don’t worry if you were not able to get them because the tracks were released as a streamable Apple Music playlist. In the music video for Astroworld single “Can’t Say”, Travis Scott and a team of motorcycle riders were dripping in statement jackets and skinny jeans produced and styled by YSL. Unlike DJ Khaled’s crudely marketed music videos, this one works because of its organic fusion between the flashy clothes and surreal iconography. I guess representing a brand has its perks.
However, I believe his biggest collaboration to date is his Nike partnership. Memorably rapping “Nike boys we don’t do three stripes” on “Ghostface Killas” and “Yeah, Jump Out boys, that’s Nike boys, hoppin’ out coupes” on “Sicko Mode”(also featuring Drake’s verse “Checks over stripes, That’s what I like, That’s what we like”), he has gone on to drop bars such as “Used to spend checks on my Nikes, now they pay me” on Future’s single “First Off”. NBA 2k19 virtually released limited numbers of his Air Force 1 Sail and Jordan 4 Cactus Jack for online players to wear. I am surprised his Jordan XXXIII was not included but then again I do not think this Jumpman collaboration looks great. Travis Scott also revealed his Jordan 6 collaboration at the Super Bowl and his Jordan 1 Low at the Grammys. Adam Levine was seen wearing his Jordan 1 High with a backward Swoosh at the Super Bowl. Travis Scott teased a new Air Force 1 Low and new Jordan 4 colorway on Instagram. All these shoes are rumored to be releasing later this year and inevitably going to sell out due to their distinctive details such as the Cactus Jack logo and removable Swooshes. There was actually a very limited shock drop of the Jordan 1s on the Nike SNKRS app and his website during the Grammys. His impact on sneaker culture goes beyond his own shoes. I would even dare say that the current Nike SB Dunk revival is driven in part by Travis Scott’s style demonstrated with flair on his Instagram. He has been seen rocking the Nike SB Dunk Low What the Dunk’s, Nike SB Dunk Low Stussy Cherry, Nike SB Dunk Low Concepts Green Lobster, and more. Given such public attention on a visible figure, it is not surprising to see fans adopting his look. Although rapper Wale has come out and said that he is responsible for the comeback of Dunks, with all due respect to him I think Travis Scott is the man. Given the eye-popping resell prices of his own shoes and the Dunks he has been rocking, evidently demand for his wardrobe is not going away anytime soon.
Travis Scott recently stopped in NYC for the second part of his Wish You Were Here tour. As a visionary who continues the bridge the gap between music and fashion, La Flame will reign 2019. You heard it here first.
Be First to Comment