How Pelle Pelle brought the leather jacket to the hip-hop world The reinvention of a classic that redefined the rap aesthetic in the 90s

Taking inspiration from a clearly Italian word, Pelle Pelle was able to lead a cultural and stylistic revolution, forever marking the aesthetic of American hip-hop in the 80s and 90s with its super-coloured leather jackets, extra-large logos and prints that distinguished an entire generation. Established as a leather outerwear company in 1978's Auburn Hills, the brand's imagery became inextricably entwined with the world of urbanwear when the company invited Furious Five and Grandmaster Flash to costume a studded leather jacket that was later inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. 50 Cent, G Unit, Dr. Dre, Young Dre The Truth, Ludacris, NFL player Marques Colston, Usher, Dru Hill, Bobby Brown, Fat Joe, 2Pac are just some of the names that have been linked to the brand over the years.

"Trap lord, Pelle rhinestone jacket", sings A$AP Ferg in One Night Savage. Buchanan's designs created the leather stud phenomenon of the '90s, the symbol of hip-hop imagery, and Pelle Pelle made the rapper his favourite customer, especially when custom-made or bespoke pieces were required: "It was for people who understood. You found your identity in those jackets. You felt that music and fashion went hand in hand," says Boz Bradshaw, stylist for Cam'Ron and Jay Z. After a long season in which the fashion world has based its success on the rediscovery of archives and trends from past decades, 2022 could be the year that Pelle Pelle returns to the scene, after years of silence and little news about it, but, for now, we can immerse ourselves in the past and admire what the brand has represented in American streetwear culture, perhaps by watching the 2009 film Notorious, which tells the story of the life of rap artist Biggie Smalls and in which, of course, the brand often appears in the characters' outfits.