During the spring showcase of the Hawaii International Film Festival, a documentary entitled Fresh Dressed was presented, exploring the beginnings of urban fashion through the influence of hip-hop and black culture. One of the points that the film touched on was the reasons as to why Black-Americans tend to buy more into brand culture when it comes to fashion.
For this topic, it is important to think about the history of Black-American treatment and identity in America from the 1800s to now. From slavery to Jim Crow to microaggressions with race in today's society, Black-Americans have had to deal with being tested and judged on their value as an American as well as general stereotypes represented by the media.
According to the marketing company NewMediaMetrics, when it came to brand attachment, Black-Americans were "more attached to most brands than Caucasians" (Rabouin 2012) despite the fact many of these brands do not feature much diversity in their ads. One of the points that is commonly brought up during the discussion of brand name importance in the Black community is this idea of achieving a status that is probably seen as unattainable. Throughout history, Black-Americans have been portrayed as being on the low end when it comes to wealth and prosperity. When brand name clothes are purchased, a sense of adding worth to existence is given.
Even though there isn't much direct branding to Black-Americans when it comes to brands such as Gucci, Hermes, and Ralph Lauren, there is the factor of famous Black celebrities and music artists promoting these brands and designers that play a factor in the obsession. Going back to the point about these brands being seen as a status symbol, when we see singers and rappers wearing these brands in music videos or events, we link it to the fact that they have money, fame, and some sort of status in America. So, if Black-Americans who are non famous purchase the same brand name clothing that their favorite artist wears and promotes, then the idea that this unattainable status is achieved is reinforced.
There are quite a few setbacks to this mentality, one being that the real problem of why many in the Black community are buying into brand culture. Another setback is the amount of money that is funneled into these brands. I don't believe that anyone has the right to tell anyone else how to spend their own money, but if there was a way to address the main issue as to why our community buys so much into brand culture, then we could find a way to work towards correcting such behavior.
More on this subject can be read here, here, and here.
For this topic, it is important to think about the history of Black-American treatment and identity in America from the 1800s to now. From slavery to Jim Crow to microaggressions with race in today's society, Black-Americans have had to deal with being tested and judged on their value as an American as well as general stereotypes represented by the media.
According to the marketing company NewMediaMetrics, when it came to brand attachment, Black-Americans were "more attached to most brands than Caucasians" (Rabouin 2012) despite the fact many of these brands do not feature much diversity in their ads. One of the points that is commonly brought up during the discussion of brand name importance in the Black community is this idea of achieving a status that is probably seen as unattainable. Throughout history, Black-Americans have been portrayed as being on the low end when it comes to wealth and prosperity. When brand name clothes are purchased, a sense of adding worth to existence is given.
Even though there isn't much direct branding to Black-Americans when it comes to brands such as Gucci, Hermes, and Ralph Lauren, there is the factor of famous Black celebrities and music artists promoting these brands and designers that play a factor in the obsession. Going back to the point about these brands being seen as a status symbol, when we see singers and rappers wearing these brands in music videos or events, we link it to the fact that they have money, fame, and some sort of status in America. So, if Black-Americans who are non famous purchase the same brand name clothing that their favorite artist wears and promotes, then the idea that this unattainable status is achieved is reinforced.
There are quite a few setbacks to this mentality, one being that the real problem of why many in the Black community are buying into brand culture. Another setback is the amount of money that is funneled into these brands. I don't believe that anyone has the right to tell anyone else how to spend their own money, but if there was a way to address the main issue as to why our community buys so much into brand culture, then we could find a way to work towards correcting such behavior.
More on this subject can be read here, here, and here.