Kodak Black X Nahmais: California Poetry

For the fall 23 collection, Creative Doni Nahmais welcomed Kodak Black into his studio. Both creatives joined forces on a 10-piece collection that spilled across the Paris runway, blessing Palais de Tokyo. In this collection, the pieces were baggier and flashier. Through the varsity jackets, and patchwork denim. Nahmais re-imagined 90s hip-hop culture. Kodak ‘s notes became artwork imprinted on a purple faux fur overcoat. With consciousness and lyricism, he brings to life Californian poetry. With respect for the culture that shaped him, Nahmais continues to become a force to be reckoned with.

The collection was an embodiment of Nahmais’ come up in California. We see this in the Hollywood sign that was replaced by Nahmais’ hometown Summerland. Simultaneously, it was also a look into the designer’s personal closet. This is translated in faux fur outwear, bucket hats, patchwork and graphic printed denim. The Brands’ origin and DNA is bled into house-painted, California poppies scattered in the collection, most prominently in the bottom half of a silk pyjama set. These poetic references melt into the brands’ aesthetic through tailoring- a technique that debuted this season. Tailored pieces add structure to the oversized blazers and billowy-fit trousers. The array of colour and tones allow each piece to stand alone. They are given the privilege to be personalised and worn individually.

Despite the success of the collection and runway performance, I do wonder about the role Kodak Black played in designing the collection. Did he just give Nahmais his note pages and say run with it, or was he an active creative in those meetings? It makes all the difference when it comes down to whose voices were the loudest, in a collection by a white designer paying homage to a part of African American culture and heritage.