How Grime Culture has invaded Music & Fashion
"Grime shit," as I like to refer to it has been growing in popularity recently due to several key factors. The word "Grime" comes from a style of music that originated in the U.K, which is influenced by Jamaican dancehall as well as modern hip-hop. Some of the popular artists currently include Skepta, Stormzy, JME, and Giggs. Music has always played such a huge role in men's fashion, and in the UK it's no different. With the growing popularity of Grime music, it comes as no surprise that men's fashion in the UK has catapulted as well.
Music
There is without a doubt that Grime music is currently reaching a peak of its popularity right now. I remember a year and a half ago when I heard Skepta's smash single "Shut Down," and I thought to myself "who the fuck is this? This shit is hard!" Since then, Skepta and others have become increasingly popular for their unique flows and slang. Grime music has trickled down and amplified the U.K as a premiere site for music & fashion culture. With the recent release of Drake's "More Life," there has been increasing talk about Drake's connection to Grime Music. Drake brought out Skepta and Giggs on 3 tracks on More Life, which included "Skepta Interlude, "KMT," and "No Long Talk." Drake frequently tossed around Grime lingo such as "Blem, "Wasteman,"The Mandem," " The Ends," in multiple tracks throughout the album. Drake's appropriation of Grime lingo and style has sparked interest within the U.S. Not only is Grime music becoming more popular within the U.S but so are the styles associated with the U.K Grime culture.
Youth Culture
A very important part of the growing popularity of UK "grime" style is heavily attributed to the youth of the United Kingdom. With the opening of Supreme London in 2011, the growth of the fashion conscious youth seemed to follow. A face that has become synonymous with the U.K fashion scene definitely has to be "Gully Guy" Leo. He has graced many different publication's street style sections, as well as Off-White's Instagram account. He is a good reflection of where U.K fashion is and how it has changed. The original "Grime" musicians and culture would rock full tracksuits (usually athletic brands) and Nike air maxes. This was where the look originated from, but since then, the youth have adapted that look into luxe streetwear brands such as Supreme, Palace, Patta, Places + Faces, and A-COLD-WALL*. We are now seeing the growing popularity of Grime music, which only further pushes this style of luxe tracksuits, cross body bags, and athletic sneakers. This new breed of London "cool teens" is growing larger every day and will be affecting men's fashion for years to come.
In this video by popular You-tuber, Icymukof, you can gain a sense of the atmosphere in which the youth of the U.K are growing in. These vlogs really show the culture and how it is different and similar to ours here in New York.
UK Fashion Designers
Samuel Ross's A-COLD-WALL* has had great success in just a short amount of time. Ross's implementation of unique fabrics and vacuum sealed aesthetics have made A-COLD-WALL* one of the most popular brands from the U.K. A-COLD-WALL* is a modern take on some of the elements that were developed from the Grime culture. In Ross's latest fashion show, there were futuristic tracksuits, and a tease of A-COLD-Wall*'s upcoming Nike Lab sneaker collaboration, which is all synonymous with the original style of grime musicians from the gritty neighborhoods of the U.K. All of those elements are there, but just in a futuristic and highly avant-garde way. Ross is really for "the culture," and I am sure that the growing popularity of his line will only increase among British youth as well as the rest of the world. For more on Ross and A-COLD-WALL* watch here.
The culture of the U.K is growing in many different ways, and we at the FMF office will definitely be paying attention to future artists and influencers from the Grime capital in the following years to come. We hope that this breakdown has given credit to the U.K's growing fashion scene, and that maybe you will try throwing some grime style into your wardrobe, or even your into your music library. In the words of Skepta, "Went to the show, sitting front row in a black tracksuit and it's SHUTDOWN."
Big thanks to @_tabz__ for the help on this article.