Fresh Dressed
Directed by: Sacha Jenkins
Written by: Sacha Jenkins
Documentary/History/Music/News - 90 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 25 Jun 2015
Written by: Sacha Jenkins
Documentary/History/Music/News - 90 min Reviewed by Charlie Juhl on 25 Jun 2015
I was in junior high school in 1992 when I first noticed the Cross Colours explosion. Kids were strutting in the hallway in baggy pants and shirts in loud, bright yellows, reds, and greens. Will Smith started to wear Cross Colours in every Fresh Prince episode and Arrested Development rapped about the clothes in their song “People Everyday” talking about “the loud, bright colors that I wear.” You couldn’t escape it. A couple years later, Cross Colours was out and Karl Kani and Fubu took over. Never having been accused of being fashion aware, I tend to see past style transitions and brands, but even I won’t fail to miss a complete takeover. Sacha Jenkins’s Fresh Dressed is an absorbing look at the history of hip-hop fashion, its influences, its main influencers, and its impact on a particular slice of the zeitgeist.
Jenkins is a long time author, first time filmmaker. A testament to his skill behind the camera and ability to hold our interest on such a specific topic, Fresh Dressed secured a precious Sundance slot this year. Jenkins presents hip-hop fashion through a series of interviews with very recognizable celebrities, musicians, fashion icons, writers, academics, all the way down to the B-boy on the street. Other ingredients added to the mix for spice are some animations to make a point and screen cut outs to provide the audience with urban dictionary definitions of ‘fresh’, ‘B-boy’, and ‘dipped’.
Jenkins is a long time author, first time filmmaker. A testament to his skill behind the camera and ability to hold our interest on such a specific topic, Fresh Dressed secured a precious Sundance slot this year. Jenkins presents hip-hop fashion through a series of interviews with very recognizable celebrities, musicians, fashion icons, writers, academics, all the way down to the B-boy on the street. Other ingredients added to the mix for spice are some animations to make a point and screen cut outs to provide the audience with urban dictionary definitions of ‘fresh’, ‘B-boy’, and ‘dipped’.
So where did flamboyant hip-hop attire start? It certainly wasn’t Cross Colours. How about exorbitantly clad African chiefs and English kings? Presenting a diverse set of early 20th century black and white photographs, Jenkins shows even though the majority of African Americans were poor, everybody always had at least one outfit for their ‘Sunday best’. There may be no furniture at home, but there was always a suit and tie. Naturally, these analyses come from the USC professor Jenkins interviewed rather than the Kanye West or Damon Dash interview.
Later on in the ‘70s and ‘80s came the gangs and their denim, later leather, cuts. The hub of hip-hop fashion was and is New York City and eventually folks could tell someone’s home neighborhood just by looking at him. A particular hat or style of wearing shoes would mark a Brooklynite from a Bronx man. Fat laces, clean sneakers, and some sort of recognizable luxury brand were the tip of the spear. A rotation of in and out fashion houses including Ralph Lauren’s Polo, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton set you apart even more. Kid from Kid ‘n Play tells us he may have been poor as dirt, but any money coming his way didn’t go to food or shelter, it went to threads. By the way, if you want to feel old, check out what Kid ‘n Play look like now.
All of a sudden, just about every A-list rapper or sports figure offered their own brands. Sean John, Snoop Dogg, Rocawear, even Slim Shady wear. What happens when supply exceeds demand? Market saturation. When everyone has it, the ideas of elite and separate status disappear. Fresh Dressed only hints at where hip-hop trends are headed nowadays. Peacocks must still strut and stand out from the crowd so they wear whatever clothes and accessories will help them do that: Pharrell’s Smoky the Bear hat, Katy Perry in full denim, etc…
Jenkins pulls off an intriguing and thoughtful film about a very specific subject; a topic at first glance many will dismiss because what is there really to know about the origins of and twists and turns of hip-hop fashion? He knows who will provide an interesting interview and even though Kanye shows up as perhaps the film’s most famous face, he is nowhere near the most interesting character. P. Diddy, Jay-Z, and Kanye, as the top three moguls in contemporary hip-hop, are prerequisite interviews in any film like Fresh Dressed. Two of them pop up, but Jenkins is wise enough to keep their appearances limited while he focuses on Carl Jones, Karl Kani, and the guy with 7,500 pairs of sneakers.
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