American Rapper Ll Cool J: Bucket Hat Fashion Innovation

Executive Summary

The fashion trends shape by the pop culture and the condition of the society. LL Cool J is an important influencer who bring the trend of bucket hat into the market in the 1980’s, the hip-hop culture let it go to the young generation. This is the first time for bucket hat from a functional hat into a trend. The success of bucket hat trend support by the development of hip-hop culture. The change of the hip-hop culture stage from the pass to now bring the bucket hat to the new stage level and offer new value into the bucket hat. This report will talk about the innovation of bucket hat, the connection with the consumer and the fashion market, and the future of the trends to understand how the pop culture affect the needs of the audience. A fashion company really need to go deep into the trends to understand the culture back of it. and use it properly it for their collection.

Bucket Hat Fashion InnovationJ

ames Todd Smith, known professionally as LL Cool J. Is an American rapper, actor, author and entrepreneur from New York. In 1987, when hip-hop became popular, rapper LL Cool J became the first king of the hip-hop bucket hat and became increasingly popular in hip-hop area. He wears a red Kangol bucket hat on album cover called Radio. It promptly launched a phenomenon, spurring people to embrace the hat.

The bucket hat was first conceived in the early 1900’s as a purely functional item worn by Irish farmers and fishermen as protection from the rain. The major appeal is easily folded tofit inside the pocket. A few decades later, a standard-issue style made from olive drab cotton fabric was used to protect the necks of troops in the 1940s and during the Vietnam War from the 1950’s to the 70’s. In the 1960’s, the bucket hat transitioned from a functional piece to a fashionable one. The hip-hop community sees the potential in bucket hats in the 1980’s. It becomes a popular element to use through the music videos and magazine covers.In the beginning, farmers and fishermen are the main groups to use this type of hat when they are doing their work, because it really convenient for them to bring it out use it. After the effect of the hip-hop culture and the influencer of LL Cool J, the bucket hat goes to the young generation and the people who passionate about the fashion of hip-hop. It from a nonactionable item turn to a fashion item. Prada made a really good to bring bucket hats to their collection in the 1990’s. Then they get the bucket hat made by different shapes fabrics.Bucket hat has never faded from the normcore, from rappers to the cloth style of drama Dawson's Creek in 1988. Bucket follow different culture to make all successful designs. Bucket hat has become a symbol of hip-hop music. They know as the "session hat", and became the "joint code" for the fans of singer Liam Gallagher in the mid-1990s.

History & Evolution

The bucket hat became popular with rappers in the 1980’s, it remained part of street fashion into the 1990’s. it is part of the street scene, especially for the who liked to travel and do tricks on a skateboard. Since the bucket hat became popular on the street, more and more new design starts to come to the market. The Band like Run DMC started to wear buckethats, making them even more popular among teenagers and young adults.

Bucket hats are often in the limelight, they almost became commonplace.Bucket hat went to the consumer market strongly affected by the economic benefit of fans who like the hip-hop music or the bands. The main sale in the street fashion brand, However, in the 1990’s start have some high fashion brand use the design of bucket hat into their collection. It makes the bucket hat go to different value stage in the market.The street style bucket hat already come back in the 2017 New York fashion week. A lot of the designer brands use this fashion item. There is more and more luxury brand wants to get the attention of the young generation. They started using the street fashion elements to help the brands show their new identity. The innovation of the bucket hat from pass to now was the focus on the fabric and shape and color. For the Louis Vuitton spring 2018 collection, they star use denim fabric to the bucket hat. Chanel 2018 spring collection shows a clear PVC bucket hat. This is different from the fabric that normally uses for the bucket hat. They bring the different style of bucket hat to achieve the diversity of product and expand the consumer market.

The trend of the bucket hat already back in 2017 because more and more celebrities wear it on their lifestyle look. They are not only shown on the fashion runway, but also in the daily life. The consumer can base on the price stander to pick any type of bucket hat they want. The back of the bucket hat that makes the trend not only for the people who passion about hip-hop, but it also expands to different group audience and goes to the high fashion level item. The value of the bucket hat not only a symbol of hip-hop but also an important trend in fashion. The design of the bucket hat not only copy the design in 80’s but also add the new element to the new innovation to require the need of the market. It from a trendy fashion item goes to a classic fashion element for people’s look.

Advantages & Disadvantages

The innovation turns into a functional product as a symbol of hip-hop. The innovation after the 1990’s until now change the bucket hat into a trendy fashion item. It is strongly shaped by the time period and the needs of the different consumer. In the 1980’s, rappers and the bands are the main groups wear the bucket hat. Their fans are the consumer who wears bucket hat at that time. In today’s market, the celebrity of bucket hat not only in the hip-hop area, but they also provide the different type of the audience who love the bucket hat. They bring the street culture product, which is low culture into pop culture, and try to let them work well with high fashion brands. The stage change shows the innovation of the bucket hat, they are present different value to the consumer.

The disadvantage of bucket hat innovation in the 1980’s only effete the people who passionate about the hip-hop music and the bands. The influencer at that time is mainly rappers. Single market let the trend of bucket hat went to the bottleneck during the 1990’s to 2000’s, it is a big gap for the trend during that time period. In 2015, the bucket hat starts back to the market and getting better and better in the recent years. A lot of high fashion brand use it in the collection and liked by different consumers in 2018.

The trend of the bucket hat in the 1960’s is the innovator stage, it from the functional stage goes to the fashion item. It became popular in the 1980’s. The people who passion to the hip hop are the early majority wear it. From 2002 to 2015 have a gap. This product slowly increases for the next few years. In the 2014, the bucket hat start come back to the market, base on the trend so far, it will be getting better in the future.

Conclusion

The trend effect by a lot of elements in the society. Companies do not only need to use the trend to their collection but also understand the deep culture of the trend. It will help the company to understand the trend and know the meaning of different types of audiences and connect with them. A lot of high fashion brands like Chanel, Louis Vuitton, they have put the brand identity into the trend to innovation their collection. They bring their idea into the pop trend and make it special and valuable to their consumer. That how they from the pop fashion level goes to the high fashion.