But these days, the true fashion Zeitgeist is firmly entrenched in the states. The unique styles of some of America's most disenfranchised, marginalized groups are being systematically raided and appropriated. Smart designers tweak and steal street fashions, then send them back out as hip new products, all while charging outrageously high prices. They instinctively know what's hot, know what they and their friends will buy, and don't take kindly to lame imitations. Models, rap and hip-hop musicians, and sports figures might popularize the styles to the masses via MTV and style magazines such as Details and Grand Royal , but it's a symbiotic relationship that originates in the street.
Designers often revamp or scrap styles based on initial street reaction.
Older trends, such as the Converse One-Star basketball shoes and Hush Puppies, are now back in force on retail shelves because they were selling so well in thrift and secondhand stores. BUT IT GOES beyond irony. Hip-hop style has thoroughly permeated youth fashion and become so commercialized during the past several years that much of it has been rendered innocuous, but it's a process of constant evolution. As creative modes of dressing continue to come up through the streets, they will inevitably continue to be redone with designer names and exorbitant prices. Hip-hop culture is just one example.