Is A$AP Rocky about to dive into tailoring?

A$AP Rocky is in a state of grace. In just a few months, he has emerged victorious from the trial brought against him, become creative director of Ray-Ban, debuted his own clothing line last June in Paris, released new music, and, as the world learned on the night of the Met Gala, is expecting a new baby, his third. But his Met Gala look and the project he unveiled in the hours following the event suggest that his plans may soon expand further. Let’s proceed in order: Rocky’s look was designed by his own brand, AWGE, which is also the name of his creative agency and has so far focused on more casual wear while flirting with formalwear during his Paris show, which included five tailored looks for both women and men. Last May, for a Vogue photoshoot, Rocky also wore a tailored suit from his own brand. Currently, the brand does not sell these suits, and the shop only offers the parka worn on the red carpet along with other merchandise like hats and t-shirts. But as is well known, the Met Gala often serves as an occasion for launches or unofficial announcements, and indeed Rocky’s AWGE look, in addition to the unique jewel cane by Briony Raymond, featured a vest with shirt and tie, and even a pair of formal shoes introduced as a collaboration between AWGE and Louboutin, a brand Rocky has long admired. This is important because Louboutin already makes black Oxford shoes, but if these were a collaboration, the message is that AWGE has the capacity (and arguably the authority) to produce formal shoes and to collaborate with a heavyweight in the industry. But the clues pointing to an upcoming AWGE tailoring launch don't end there.

After the Met Gala evening, there was an after-party at Jeans NYC. For the occasion, Rocky wore a full evening look from Bottega Veneta with a grain de poudre tuxedo and dressing gown jacket, paired with a series of jewel brooches – another highly formal look, though this time not self-produced. The star-studded party was organized with Ray-Ban to launch the new Wayfarer Puffer, a luxury eyewear model handmade in Italy, featuring an 18-karat gold logo, diamonds, and gemstones. Rocky wore a version made of 200 grams of white gold and 60 carats of gems, among the most expensive sunglasses ever produced. But the collaboration was not limited to the presentation of the new Ray-Ban model set to be released in the coming months. Displayed at the event entrance was the sign for AWGE Tailor Shop, a temporary activation set up as a 1940s-style tailor shop where the eyewear was indeed presented, but the setting itself largely overshadowed the product, suggesting that beyond the official launch, there might have been an implicit one, as if the brand were testing or preparing the ground. In short, the entire operation seems to indicate a possible new direction: Rocky may be looking to expand his role into tailoring not unlike Jerry Lorenzo and his Fear of God. The temporary tailoring experience, in fact, did not feel like mere scenography, but a statement of intent: it is telling, for instance, that AWGE and Ray-Ban branding coexisted, separate but within the same context. But would it make sense for Rocky to expand his business into formalwear? We believe so.

From the beginning of his career and his first international successes, Rocky has been particularly drawn to the world of tailoring, which he has worn frequently on various occasions. A memorable moment was his participation in the Gucci Tailoring campaign alongside Tyler, The Creator and Iggy Pop. Since his marriage to Rihanna and the birth of their first child, Rocky has become one of the faces of Bottega Veneta, elevating his formalwear game and adopting a more mature style later dubbed grandpacore or dadcore. After the success of his collaboration with Bottega Veneta, he launched his own clothing brand with a show that, as mentioned, opened with tailored looks. Today, Rocky is perhaps the most universally recognized celebrity in the hip-hop world (after Kanye’s media downfall, that is), and so, if his clothing line has been successful—somewhat like Golf Wang or Drew House—it would make sense that, at a time when many brands are trying to fill the void in the middle market, these major celebrities would begin to experiment and observe market reactions. In fact, the AWGE website recently featured the technical wool parka seen on the Met Gala steps, with a price point of $2,300—significantly higher than the more affordable prices of the other products. All signs point to a product test or at least a discreet step forward toward a future repositioning. And surely, we’ll see it soon—but will the public want to buy a suit designed by the «prettiest man alive»?