In 2013, rapper Nipsey Hussle released a mixtape named after the neighborhood in Los Angeles where he grew up: “Crenshaw.”
Nipsey Hussle and other hip-hop artists, such as Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg, who are from Los Angeles, and E-40, who is from the Bay Area, all show appreciation for their roots in their music. Fourth-year psychology student Grace Countryman said Nipsey Hussle’s, Lamar’s, Snoop Dogg’s and E-40’s music will be featured at eight events celebrating Hip Hop Appreciation Month at UCLA.
Hip Hop Congress, part of the Undergraduate Students Association Council’s Cultural Affairs Commission, has put together a schedule of events, called “Homegrown,” that revolve around artists who have remained loyal to their hometowns. Countryman serves as the committee chair of the “LOcaliTY” Fashion Show, which will take place on Thursday in the Ackerman Grand Ballroom and will feature designers from both Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
Countryman said the Hip Hop Congress originally debated whether to feature artists from all over the nation, but they decided to focus on the Bay Area and Los Angeles because of the large number of artists who come from those areas.
This year, L.A. artist Tommy the Clown will perform at the event. The dancer originated the “clowning” style of dance and influenced krumping, a popular type of street dance. He grew up in Los Angeles and has a partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District, through which he teaches dance workshops at public schools.
“There are plenty of artists who leave their hometown and don’t look back, and so we really respect and want to pay homage to artists who do really represent their community,” Countryman said.
Countryman said the show will showcase more than 200 pieces of clothing on 34 models. She said this year, the show will feature mostly men’s clothing, with only two women’s clothing brands. There will be audience giveaways from some designers, which include Johnny Cupcakes, The Hundreds, Crooks and Castles, Tried + True and Oaklandish.
“We have more big-name brands than we’ve ever had, so it’s pretty exciting,” Countryman said.
Some of the designers are UCLA alumni, such as Kristina Garnett, who founded Joni Margaux. Garnett said she makes her clothing by herself and started her brand in October. She said Joni Margaux features minimalist, ’90s-inspired women’s clothing.
Garnett said she does not own a dress form, so she has only ever seen clothes on herself, since she has not worked with models.
“I was excited to see the clothing on other bodies other than mine (at the fitting),” Garnett said.
Countryman, who has worked on the fashion show for three years, said this year, she planned model auditions, fittings, the layout of the venue and marketing strategies. She said she reached out to as many designers as possible before the committee settled on a list of 13 brands.
“Before I joined (the fashion show committee), I had no idea how much effort goes into planning,” Countryman said.
The models in the show are all UCLA students. Countryman said a few model professionally and some have done past fashion shows with the Hip Hop Congress. Fourth-year sociology student Mike Wamungu, who modeled in the show during his first year at UCLA and will model again this year, said the show’s set and theme changes every year.
“One of the highlights of my experience (was that) it was something totally out of my comfort zone; it really challenged me to be comfortable in front of large groups of people (and) in front of cameras,” Wamungu said. “For a night, you kind of feel like a superstar.”
Wamungu said he has also been an audience member at a few of the shows. He compared the experience to that of attending New York Fashion Week. He said the elements of the fashion show, from a live performance to a whole night dedicated to fashion and its role in hip-hop, make for an experience that he could not get anywhere else.
“People can expect some fresh, new, up-and-coming brands. They can expect a fun, friendly environment,” Wamungu said. “(The event will be) very true to the roots of what hip-hop is about.”