When does a brand stop being cool?
Submitted by Boss Lady on May 22, 2008 – 11:08 am42 Comments
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DMX and wife Tashera Simmons
Pictured above is DMX and his (now possibly ex) wife Tashera back in the day rocking two of the hottest brands of the late 90′s, Ecko and Phat Farm.
The popularity of both brands has decreased over the years, and their leading positions in the urban fashion market have steadily been overtaken by newer, fresher brands.
When do you think a brand stops being cool?
When they start to sell it at Ross/Marshalls/TJMaxx/Your Local “Brand” Discount Store…
They get “FUBU’d”.
when every ‘jack n gill’ are rockin em…eg G Unit Brand
When they stop completing for the consumers business. Just like COOGI fell off for a minute, but came back stronger than ever! Or when the STARS stop rockin it!!!!! We know everybody want 2 be a star, or at lease dress like them!
Im Sayin’ Probly When You Can Find It At Kohls Or Marshalls…Dont Get Me Wrong But Ecko Has Not Completely Fallen Off, Their Watches Are DOPE!
dont know. i always wondered how stuff is cool one day and out the next. Everybody rocked fubu back in the day, then one day they were done
h2 apple bottoms and babyphat are sold at TJmaxx and marshalls but thier still hot
I disagree with Regg. The comment sounds a bit racist. So if white people rock hip-hop gear, it’s not fly? I am a white woman and proud mother of two interracial boys. I am a huuuuuuuuuuge Kimora fan and wear BP all the time. And I gotta say I look damn good in it. Anytime something new comes along, it takes away from what’s already out there. Correct me if I’m wrong, Regg…HOLLA!
Brands start gettin whack when the only people rockin it are some 8 year olds that don’t care about bein fresh and when you can get them at jcpenny,kohls,etc. for example southpole
when they go to far with the brand
such as spreading out pass clothes (only one that has done that but accomplished it is lrg)
stepping into the shoe market (ie.fubu,ecko,g-unit,phat farm, etc)
THERE IS NOTHING WORNG WITH NAME BRANDS BEING A TJ MAX OR ANY DISCOUT STORE
lmao southpole!!! im a graduating senior 08′ i was rockin that back in 8th grade it was fresh back then. def not now hahahaha!!!! idk i guess thats true when it starts to get sold at discount stores, also when prices are cheap everyone can get them so in turn its common to see that clothing brand…so you dont feel that sense of uniqueness because everyone is rockin’ it. So aslong as brands sell at high prices they will be fresh i think. i mean just think if everyone had lacoste polos they wouldnt be fresh. but they cost so much so only people who can afford it. thats kinda class discrimination, but sadly its the truth. ANYWAY my worst fear is LRG falling off thats my fav line i been rockin that since the beggining.
Danielle your right.
I think there’s just different levels of how people see what’s in and what’s not. Some people see it as style and some people see it as brand name. Some people can coordinate with more than two colors, some people can only do two colors. I think people have a tendency to hide behind the brand. Back in hs I was one of the best dress and all I basically used was anchor blue.
There’s a bunch of factors when accounting for a company falling off.
I think a company falls off when it leaves it’s fan base and tries to apeal to another. Ecko messed up when it changed up it’s cut and went down in quality. Hell I was loyal till they did that. It’s like trying to tell someone what to wear while they’re paying for it.
Sean John actually grows with their fan base and deals with new ones. Another thing that makes them fall off is the price of the clothes. You walk into the store look at the shirt at some shirt then see it’s $50 for some poor quality t-shirt that’s going to fade etc after a few washes. Other brands are stepping up with better quality. I’m sorry I don’t want to look like the other 59359439 clones wearing the same ish out there.
Bootlegs and fanboi’s/gurl’s can have an effect on brands also. People get tired of other people rocking stuff like they’re movie stars or a model. And then talking smack about other clothes. And instead of hating that person they hate the brand and talk smack about it.
Overkill of a product can kill the brand… You see it all the time you start to get sick of it.
Lastly trends are trends.
FUBU is not out of business! All of this being on the net stuff people need to do research and Coogi never fell off, they just reinvented themselves and aren’t finished yet! Also, if items are in Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls doesn’t mean anything of falling off! Those stores cater to those who doesn’t want or can’t afford regular price items as well as its a place to house and sell old items for customers!
A brand stops being cool when their designs start dropping such as LRG. Their new stuff isn’t anywhere near as good as its old stuff.
I think it just comes down to style. Some people may think somethings hot while another person may think its whack. I used buy Sean Jean, Rocawear, and then I stop because everything looked the same. I think anything new is hot and companys that sell xxxxl or xxxxxl are the companys that I look for. I think it has nothing to do with Marshalls or anything like that I do buy watches and there always sick
look at this shii….all u people have been brainwashed 2 react in the exact same way…lol. so sad
Actually what is sad that you were brainwashed to say that about other people. Did you even read what people put?
A brand new stops becoming cool to its true supports..In the eyes of Hypebeasts brands may not be “cool” anymore but if your a true supporter then chances are you dont care if people are wearing it daily or if it hasnt been seen in years….I still rock Phat Farm, as well as South Pole and my old PNB Nation gear (Before Cannon bought it) and etc etc….If your not a hypebeast then chances are you dont give 2 shits what anybodys wearing and your just doin you…
Yeah I agree I still rock phat farm, kani or whatever else. I also rock girbaud (wheather it’s still cool or whatever, it’s comfy). But to be real I feel abandoned by brands like ecko etc. So I really don’t feel a need to stay loyal on a brand that left it’s real supporters hanging.
you see, the problem is a lot of people worry about the “brand name” which they carry with them…People need to just start wearing what they like, regardless of who makes it…I dont care if the tag on my shirt says Mecca, Sean John, Enyce, LRG, FUCT or whatever you wanna call out…If its a fresh fit im gonna buy it and wear it no matter who made it….
People need to stop worrying about brand names and start worrying about style….Just cause a major /popular brand makes it doesnt mean it looks good…
hey rick…why u say ecko left u hangin mayne?
they changed up the cut of there stuff etc. xxl was fitting like an xl-l, It’s like they were catering to skinny people wearing baggy ish. Quality went down,prices went up etc. That was a bit ago. So it might have changed, but I was just using it as an example. I’m really not feelin the urge to go back.
Brands stop being hot when the quality sucks. Then they do not offer a variety for consumers. Size consistency is important. Eddie Bauer cant get it right. The consumer should be able to go in the store every year and purchace differnt styles but have the same fit. If you get that right the item is almost sold. Hire better designers, many things sold are just ugly. I am over 30. I would love to support hip hop and minority owned clothing lines. When I go into Macy’s and I need a polo I have to look at nautica polo and Izod. They offer a basic line which you can mix and match with most jeans and shorts. Ecko does the best job with jeans. Unless you purchase the extreme ornate jeans you will be ok. They have numerous washes and fits for all consumers. Sean John can do it if they had a logo and a basic polo line. Sean John across the chest will not cut it if they want longevity.
I feel u…ecko did kinda fall off a lil bit. But the cut and sew line still goin strong. I’m feelin there designs. It’s grown man coO and growin up on ecko and bein an adult now I like the evolution. Unlmtd did kinda hit the slab tho
I’m sorry, but 90% of the hip-hop mogul owned brands put out low quality garbage. Sean John and Rocawear Jeans were garbage denim for the price. Not to mention most of the hip-hop jeans have too big of cuffs/lengths and see people walking around with them shredded on the cuff, what a horrible look. South Pole is cheaper quality of the shit you can get at target. Ecko fell off when they decided to put out so much shit, whats funny Marc Ecko’s magazine hardly even promotes his own brand. Almost any overpriced “hip-hop” brand has fallen off after a few years, like back in the day with FUBU, Cross Colours, Pelle Pelle, Wu-Wear, etc etc. Phat Farm was always low quality garbage. I stick mostly with Polo because they last forever. The only t-shirts I get anymore or underground hip-hop ones, not any of this name brand garbage.
Man, hold up. Good clothing comes from the world recognized designers and brands that have been around for 40 years or more. Gucci, Armani, Yve St. Lauren, Versace, Ralph Lauren got their foot on fashion, while Sean John and Rocawear be selling trash with dog hair in their line. TJMaxx, Ross, and Marshalls sell overstock and outa season clothes while JC Penny, Khols, and Target sell the brands that are a breath away from bankruptcy. Dickies, Jordans, and plain white tees are all day. Classic!
when everyone rocks it the value goes down
Im staying true to Coogi. All you gotta do is examine the shirt, jeans, whatever it is and you can see the quality. The thick detailed stitching, none of that screen print, you get what you pay for, but then again sometimes you don’t get your money’s worth.
I’m a Seattle resident now but I came from Lewiston, Idaho. They got one tiny ass mall and all you can get in Lewiston as far as “urban” goes is Ecko and Southpole. Every ham sandwich douche bag in town
continued…
is rocking that same shit. I got so mother f*cking tired of seeing Ecko and Southpole, now I can’t, won’t and don’t rock it. Not ever, not even for work clothes, I won’t be seen greasy and tired on the city bus with Southpole on me, ugh.
to sole 1976 you are like me.
to Sole 1976
u cant tell me nothing…u wanna be
to Sole 1976
u being a kimora lee fan says it all….she is nothing without russel, we all know that
I’m scared for LRG!!!!
I’m never surprised at people who hate hip-hop culture, the mainstream aspect of it puts out such a bad image. If I was an outsider and all I ever saw was Kimora, New York’s loud ratty ass and ‘Soulja Boy’ then I’d be stickin to the people playin them gee-tars lol
and this whole obsession with money. WHY the woship of 100 dollar bills. I understand if you came from the gutter then youre gonna show off your newfound fortune, but it gets straight up corny. Is there one single rapper that hasn’t said the line “I’m all about my paper” ???
Good points j. are. The image is on a downward slope. Besides it’s not all about cash. This world is about credit so they need to step up with “credit report”. Or I always hear some ish about hustlin lol.
Don’t even get me stuck on suckerfree freestyles. Bunch of people ryming at a snails pace reading cards to the side.
Then you got lil this, yung that… Everything is faker than a movado from china.
haha so true, i can name off top like 10+ rappers that start with “Lil”
When it loses the “where’d you get that?” factor. Boutique shit is pretty much what’s hot now. Old Coogi was hot to me back in my younger days cause it was inaccessible and people want what they can’t have but now it’s all mass produced…Shit’s better when you get a chance to miss it an appreciate it when you see it again…and now ehh it’s new Fubu and that’s not really my aim in particular for lack of staying power
I pray for LRG and Crooks & Castles…I like what they do…I just hope they forgo over saturation.
I SAY WEN U C MAD PLESZ INDEM DATSZ MAD DIRTY LOLSZ
2 J and Rick.
I’m also feelin what yall sayin. It’s honestly because a lot of them have no originality. Rappers from the South…Sound like the south can u tell ‘em apart. New York…sound like New York. West Coast…Sounds like West Coast…can u tell ‘em apart. No originality! And what’s with the Hip Hop Clothes! It’s just T-Shirts and Jeans and Shoes…with designs. If you wanna rock somethin or rep something research it. A lot of the people in this generation have no depth! We know nothing about who is really designing the clothes half the time neither do the Artist! Plus everything has a season…and that season has to end sometime! And to the girls reppin’ Kimora…Who was she before Russ…a model…but…a nobody!
ecko is going to be at least cool for a long time. phat farm was a little hot and burnt out. iceberg had a good run but will stay a “once in a while splash em with a classic” but not a main vein in your gear collection. (you should own only one iceberg sweater) l-r-g seems like our new ecko; hot for a minute then cools down to standard cool status. l-r-g got a little hotter then ecko ever did though, they need to get back to that off the wall matching shit though (no more animal shit though) i think lrg is runnin out of ideas. i like how they do their versions of cool classics like the 95 airmax shirt
On my take on things, not all brands have fallen off. just because they’re no longer active doesn’t mean they’re already out of the fashion game. maybe they’re reinventing/ making new designs for their clothing lines or doing a total make-over. no one knows what’s going on behind the scenes until an old, inactive label (for example) Karl Kani will make a big comeback. hope Fubu makes a big comeback for its a being a long time coming.