Kangol hats. Bling. Jheri curls. Fades. Addidas. Along with others, all signature elements of hip-hop style as it’s developed over the years since the music and culture began in the 1970s. On April 5, “Fresh, Fab, Fly: All Things Hip-Hop Fashion,” an event at Poughkeepsie’s Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library, will trace the evolution of this world-influencing visual aesthetic.
Hosted by Elena Romero, a renowned Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) professor, journalist, and author, “Fresh, Fab, Fly” follows hip-hop fashion from its early street-level days to today’s high-fashion collaborations. The event promises to “give attendees a deeper understanding of how hip-hop has influenced what we wear, as well as how it has shaped attitudes in terms of race, beauty, and personal expression.” Romero is also the author of Free Stylin: How Hip Hop Changed the Fashion Industry and has received numerous awards including a 2022 Telly Bronze Award for season two of “LATiNAS” and a 2021 Telly Silver Award for TV General/Cultural Reporting.
“Fresh, Fab, Fly: All Things Hip-Hop Fashion” will take place at the Sadie Peterson Delaney African Roots Branch Library in Poughkeepsie on April 5 at 3:30pm. The event is free but seating is limited; attendees must register in advance at the Poughkeepise Public Library District website via the events tab.
This article appears in March 2025.
