Joseph Junior Adenuga - Changing the face of street wear through his iconic designs
The artist formerly known as Skepta has found new life through Fashion
Joseph Junior Adenuga is possibly best known by his stage name, Skepta. However, maybe it's about time that we start addressing him by his birth name. As he announced his retirement from music in 2021, he may go on to dwarf his moniker, and this looks possible through the world of fashion.For the past few years, Adenuga has worked alongside Nike to bring a new range of street wear. Whilst fashion brands have worked closely with musicians before, usually these are short-lived, gimmicky collaborations. However, the Nike-Skepta collaboration promised something differently.
Back in 2017, Adenuga released his first in the range of SK Air trainers. These were his own interpretation on the popular Nike Air model, which was first introduced in the late 1980s. It's clear that Adenuga had an eye for design, as these trainers sold out almost instantly.However, this wasn't just a one-off for the multi-talented entrepreneur. Next, he released more Nike Air trainers, then he ventured into Nike Shox. You've guessed it, both of these releases sold out almost immediately yet again. This brings us up to April 2021. Guess what? He did it again, with another sell-out release. This time, it was Air Max Tailwind V x Skepta release which yet again was a runaway success.
So, why are his designs so popular? The reason for this is possibly that he's got his eye on the pulse, combined with being connected to the streets that inspired his fashion and original music. Too often, fashion houses chose stale designers with equally stale ideas. Maybe these made sense years back, but trends and ideas change over time. This is where Adenuga stepped in. It's undeniable the talent is there, often combining jet-black colors with blood red or electric blue. The result is often moody, striking pieces of clothing.It's not just shoes either. His latest SK Air #5 release was also released in the form of matching tracksuits. Looking at his image may give us an insight into the way he views clothes. In a music genre dominated by often monotonous clothing, Adenuga dared to change things up, often pairing his outfits with unusual chains and baggy coats that made for a unique image. Whilst some may have laughed and ridiculed early on for being creative, it's he who is now reaping the rewards.With this in mind, it's no wonder that he's retiring from the music industry, and looks set to conquer mainstream fashion next whilst he's at it.
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