Why The Global Fashion World Needs To Tune Into India’s Hip-Hop Wave

Kendrick Lamar‘s 2025 Super Bowl performance gripped the world’s attention for one of two reasons: a scathing diss track against Drake, performed with the cheekiest grin, and singlehandedly resurrecting bootcut jeans from their Y2K grave. The Grammy award-winning rapper’s choice to throw on a pair of Celine flared jeans quickly became a cultural talking point: Google searches for “flared jeans” spiked 5,000 per cent after the show, Celine’s SoHo store reportedly sold out of the exact pair he wore, and media coverage of the outfit racked up to over $2 million in exposure for the brand. 

Hip-hop and fashion have long been inextricably linked, with the genre consistently demonstrating its ability to drive cultural credibility and commercial growth. In the 1980s, New York rap trio Run-D.M.C. flipped sneaker marketing on its head after their hit track “My Adidas” landed them the first-ever endorsement deal between a hip-hop act and a major sportswear brand. Reportedly worth over $1 million, the deal marked a turning point, proving that hip-hop artists could shape style and move products just as effectively as athletes.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and hip-hop’s influence on fashion has only leveled up. Before his controversies spoke louder than his music, Kanye West’s 2009 Air Yeezy collaboration with Nike was a groundbreaking moment in sneaker culture. It showed how an artist could influence product design, drive hype, and shift brand perception (though the billion-dollar annual revenue milestone was achieved later with his now-defunct Adidas Yeezy line). Meanwhile, A$AP Rocky brought his Harlem-rooted sensibilities to high-profile collaborations with Dior and Gucci, going on to become Ray Ban’s first-ever Creative Director this year. Cardi B’s partnerships with Balenciaga and Reebok showcased how loud authenticity could move serious product, while Rihanna’s Fenty x Puma collections have sold out across colorways, earned the “Shoe of the Year” title in 2016, and helped drive nearly $1 billion in Puma sales in that first year of their partnership.  

Virgil Abloh’s tenure as Artistic Director at Louis Vuitton Men’s before his untimely passing in 2021 and Pharrell Williams’ succession in 2023 cemented that hip-hop-driven storytelling in fashion could expand both revenue and brand relevance. Most recently, Jaden Smith’s appointment as Christian Louboutin’s first Men’s Creative Director in September, although widely criticized, underscores that top luxury brands now look at artists not just as muses or endorsers, but as legitimate revenue-driving strategists with global appeal. It’s clear that instead of simply orbiting fashion, hip-hop artists are now driving it. 

But India, the world’s fastest-growing luxury market, is still catching up. Its ambassador roster is still primarily stacked with Bollywood faces — Deepika Padukone for Louis Vuitton and Cartier, Alia Bhatt for Gucci, Priyanka Chopra Jonas for Bvlgari, and Ananya Panday for Chanel. Occasionally, music icons like Diljit Dosanjh, the first Indian artist to globally represent Levi’s, will step into the spotlight. But India’s hip-hop artists, arguably the country’s most style-conscious and culturally current cohort, are still waiting for their seat at the table. 

Yet, they are dressing the part. Karan Aujla blends Punjabi pride with global luxury symbols, often pairing tailored suits with iced-out bling or statement sneakers with simple kurtas. Delhi duo Seedhe Maut lean into minimalist streetwear and oversized fits that complement their no-nonsense lyrical style, while King gravitates towards fluid silhouettes and retro tailoring that feels understated yet eye-catching. Kr$na has curated an elevated, edgy sartorial sensibility, often topping it up with his signature eyewear. Badshah tends to favor flashy accessories, logo-laden ensembles, and designer sneakers that reflect his larger-than-life persona, while Raja Kumari draws on Indian heritage with a modern twist in a way that captures her cross-cultural identity. 

Their keen eye and deep understanding of luxury fashion is equally evident on their wrists: Badshah boasts one of the most covetable collections in the scene, AP Dhillon has an enviable arsenal of timeless classics like Rolex and Patek Philippe, Karan Aujla is known to flex diamond-studded Audemars Piguet pieces from Jain The Jeweler, while Hanumankind’s Bell & Ross BR-05 is one of the most underrated statement pieces for an Indian rapper.

And it’s not just the big names. Even artists like tricksingh, Tsumyoki, RANJ, BombayMami, and Wild Wild Women are steadily building a signature style that is reflective of their individuality, attitude and narrative storytelling. These artists represent the most visually distinct generation in Indian music. Their stage looks, music videos, and Instagram feeds already operate as real-time moodboards. Their fashion is expressive and aspirational. And yet, none of them have been formally courted by the big luxury houses.

India’s hip-hop scene, though younger, carries the same potential as its global counterpart. Born from the friction between repping tradition and drawing from global inspiration, it’s honest, multilingual, and original. These are artists who’ve cultivated digitally-native fanbases and culled out aesthetics that feel both rooted and future-forward. For brands trying to reach Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the key demographic driving luxury’s next decade of growth, tapping these musicians then becomes less about risk and more about making a cultural statement. 

So why are they still missing from the ambassador rosters? Partly because the machinery of Indian fashion still runs through the film industry: the PR teams, the stylists, the red carpets. Actors are polished, media-trained, and easier to align with luxury’s heritage image. Hip-hop, by contrast, can come across as a little too unpredictable. But if there’s anything global brands should learn from their past, it’s that unpredictability is the point. Realness in the age of algorithmic slop might just be the last luxury the fashion world could cling to.

Already, the tide is turning. In 2025, some of Indian hip-hop’s biggest names are finally making strides on the global fashion circuit. Badshah made his Paris Fashion Week debut with Christian Louboutin and Amiri, and New York Fashion Week debut with Alexander Wang this year — a definitive moment for someone who’s been running his own label, BadFitClothing, for years. AP Dhillon, whose visuals have always been as deliberate as his sound, also made quite the splash when he pulled up to the Burberry front row at London Fashion Week. 

Closer home, eyewear retailer Lenskart enlisted Divine as the brand ambassador for their special-edition hip-hop range in 2024. Meanwhile, rappers Shah Rule and Dino James launched Paapi, a collaborative merch line for their album with MyFandom that threads design, hustle, and self-lore, while Karan Kanchan dropped a merch extension of his bass-heavy project Neckwreck Crew. 

We may not be there yet, but we’re definitely heading in the right direction. The lines between music, fashion, and commerce are blurring, and India’s hip-hop artists are stepping into that space with the same confidence international heavyweights did decades ago.

The truth is, Indian hip-hop is already influencing how young people dress: from oversized fits in Delhi to ice-laden chains in Chandigarh, from custom sneakers in Mumbai to gender-fluid experimentation in Bengaluru. The potential spills over into beauty as well. Globally, Rihanna transformed Fenty Beauty into a $2.8 billion powerhouse by marrying inclusivity with cultural authenticity. India’s hip-hop artists could do the same for the country’s booming billion-dollar beauty market, turning street cred into collaborations and creative direction that resonate with their fiercely loyal audiences.

After all, hip-hop shaped the last 40 years of fashion, and maybe India could be the one defining the next.