A$AP Mob quickly established itself as a bastion of influential style in the hip-hop community. Testament to this was Rocky’s involvement with HoodByAir that placed the brand firmly into pop culture consciousness. Though Lord Flacko is loosely acknowledged to be the driving force of the group’s fashion fondness, A$AP Bari – one of the three founding members and creative director of VLONE – is really the one whose penchant for steeze bled into the Mob’s current look.
CLOT caught up with Bari in Hong Kong amid his travels and spoke to him about his brand, fashion tips, and who the worst-dressed A$AP member was. Here are some of the highlights:
On inspiration
“Everyday by posting on Instagram, Vine and Tumblr, I’m exploring my lifestyle, which is VLONE – Live Alone, Die Alone you feel me. It doesn’t matter if you were born in this world with a twin or not, you’re going to die in this world alone.
I’m just trying to open up a new culture for the kids to know that it doesn’t matter about standing on the corner selling drugs — you can really make money out here just living your life.”
On Paris Fashion Week
“Well that was my first time in Paris so it definitely was an experience but I was expecting bigger things out of Paris. It’s like when you grow up and you see things. It’s just how I feel with different artists; like when you meet an artist that you’ve wanted to meet your whole life and then you finally meet them and they’re not what you expect, it’s like that.
So I’m thinking I’m going to go to Paris and experience something I’ve never experienced in my life but it’s just the same thing but in a different language. I’m talking about fashion shows – I’m thinking everybody will be on-point but all of that shit looks like it’s easy.”
On style tips
“We all doing our own thing. It’s kind of a disrespect for somebody to be telling you what to wear. My favorite person’s style in A$AP would have to be A$AP Twelvy. I like how he came from being in the hood and now his style is slowly progressing. He could rock a pair of LeBrons with an Acne jean jacket or vans and still keep that hood effect. A$AP Nast is more like a sportswear/high fashion guy so he can rock some Rick Owens cargo pants or some New Balance or some shit like that.”
On the worst dressed member of A$AP
“The worst dresser in A$AP would probably be… Rocky. That nigga wears Desert Boots and shit like that. 2010-11 I was rocking them desert boots. I like the old rocky; I like sneaker rocky. I always told him that shit too.”
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