Fashion week runway veteran, east-west-coast rapper and artist Clintn Lord has worked with everyone from Kanye West to Louis Vuitton and has been in seen over the years in the pages of Vogue, Glamour and Paper magazines to name a few.
As a style influencer across multiple artistic mediums, when he’s not producing viral music videos, dropping new album tracks, collaborating with his brother SAINt JHN, creating NFT’s or a line of pearl necklaces for VougeBoyz (which is currently sold out), he’s gathering inspiration for his iconic fashion looks in the shops and on the runways of New York, Paris, London and Los Angeles. The latter is scheduled for Oct. 6-9, 2022 in LA with Lighthouse Immersive ArtSpace LA, Citizen News and the West Hollywood EDITION serving as creative hubs for events and NFT discussions and events produced by N4XT Experiences.
There is no doubt we have seen more of an African aesthetic on the runway in recent years. “What me and some of my colleagues have been able to accomplish seemingly overnight is amazing,” said Lord. “I love all of the models that are from my culture and wish them success moving forward.”
As for heading to Paris this year, “I got invited to model for Louis Vuitton in Paris and I was there to change the world,” he said. “There is a selective archetype of black models that represents all of us culturally and I wanted to change the base image of what is beautiful. I did that first in America and I knew I needed to come to Paris where they are the epitome of fashion and get them to adapt to that consciousness so the rest of the world could adapt to other types of beauty. Not just in the black community but in other communities. Any color you can name or any other type of race can be explored and promoted and enjoyed more. So, that was my whole goal for going to Paris.”
Here, Lord shares with us his NYFW 2022 highlights, “There was such good energy with everyone coming together again after COVID,” he said. Scroll below to find out where to shop in his favorite Fashion Week runway cities.
The Laquan Smith show took place on a Battleship and the runway was built around the planes and helicopters. It was flawless. The material he used to make his jeans was a plastic mesh and the materials he used to drape around women were outstanding from pencil skirts, bras and jackets. He ended the runway with evening gowns and a model with wings on her chest that belongs in any ballroom.
boohoo by Kourtney Kardashian
It was as if Kourtney took the last four years of her life and turned it into fashion. She used all different body types in her show and they all looked good in the clothes. The leathers and skin pieces for women were dope. Some of the pink outfits were not runway-ready but everything else looked like great summer fits for LA and fall fits for NY. The show was at The Highline and the models came out in the dark before they turned on the lights so everyone took out their camera phones to help them see.
Tom Ford
Tom Ford was probably the best party. It was at the World Trade Center and drinks were passed out before the runway by a staff that looked like the Blues Brothers. The overall looks were raunchy meets Golden Girls. There were high-quality ranch cowgirl shirts but the runway was draped in silver so every model looked classy, like Erykah Badu. The guy looks included suits with unique patterns – I’d actually wear the leopard print. And, of course, Anna Wintour from Vogue was there and looked amazing.
Shopping in New York
For the best place to shop, I would find a local designer who does cut and sew, not a seamstress but one that does jeans because most of them also do high couture. You can find them online and also try to find their pieces in storefronts but start at Search & Destroy on St. Marks in the East Village. It’s very goth, emo, punk, new age, vaporwave and Shibori Harajuku – it’s that whole vibe.
When you get tired of looking for local designers, being a rock star with ripped jeans, patches and cool, oversized shirt, then come to LA.
Los Angeles
I would recommend going to Melrose Avenue to For the Stars Fashion House. They designed many pieces for Michael Jackson including his iconic gloves and red leather jacket and I shot one of my music videos here. Dolce & Coco make great cotton white t-shirts, jackets, and the bedazzled items are out of this world.
London
I would go to Shoreditch in London and just walk around. There is a specific pop-up shop, Circolo, and they did a collaboration with Gucci x Balenciaga; and Spitalfield’s Market is cool for vintage finds.
Paris
In Paris, there are not that many mom-and-pop brands that I would go head over heels for because the storefronts in the main part of the city on the Champs-Elysées are what I would recommend and they would be the most easily accessible. I always visit the Rolex store for obvious reasons and Moschino to see what’s new. You have to go to the store there. It’s more exclusive than the ones in the states and more personable. Everything they have is amazing. Hands down.
And, I would go to Louis Vuitton. There is usually a long line but if you know somebody (I was there with a famous contemporary painter Kayhende Wylie), they will come to the front door and let you in. I did that multiple times because I love Louis Vuitton – the personability is unmatched and they understand who you are, even for someone like me who is not used to companies giving them that type of respect for their money. I love what Virgil Abloh did for them (the last black artistic director of menswear who passed away in 2021). I worked with him and admired everything about him and how conducted himself. He was very much in the shadows and chill.”
As for jumping the line at Louis Vuitton? I guess you can’t jump the line unless you know somebody or are not somebody, but we all can be somebody. That is how it works. If you can’t jump it today, I’m sure you will be able to tomorrow…or someday.”
