Lil Wayne Expands TRUKFIT to Macy's, Plans Upscale Spin-Off
Skater chic is the look du jour for many hip-hop stars, from Odd
Future's Tyler the Creator to Wiz Khalifa, but Lil Wayne is one rapper
who's seriously putting in air time with his contemporary streetwear
line, TRUKFIT (an acronym for "The Reason You Kill for It"). Colorful
fitted caps, raw-edged shorts and graphic tees and hoodies dominate his
half pipe-inspired line – clothes that Wayne, a skater himself, would
conceivably wear.
Initially sold at the niche streetwear and skater hubs Karmaloop and Zumiez, respectively, TRUKFIT garnered a mainstream nod in June by expanding into select Macy's stores and online. Brand Director Mike Morris thinks their partnership with the retail giant fits with TRUKFIT's wide appeal and mid-tier price range (t-shirts run approximately $32). "You have a lot of middle American families that come there to shop, so it gives us the ability to reach out to those consumers," he tells Rolling Stone. "We're not trying to expose the line to people with large sums of money. This is for kids who appreciate the clothes, the quality."
Hip-hop fashion is rarely synonymous with affordability – quite the contrary, usually– and for sartorialists with deeper pockets, Morris shares that a higher end, cut-and-sew extension with fine quality fabrics and details is in the works for next year. "We'll still stay true to having the [skater] influence but it will be more fashion-forward," he explains.
A slew of celebrities have been seen in TRUKFIT recently, including rapper Cory Gunz, Fred Durst, professional skater P-Rod and Rihanna. "Quit talkin bout shit, and suck a ni**a dick for some TRUKFIT" Rihanna shared on Instagram last month and garnered over 27,000 likes. No one has been more of an ambassador than Wayne himself; aside from serving as creative director, he's hawked his wares at high-profile music and sports events like the X Games and SXSW. The consummate cross-promoter has also name-checked the brand in countless song lyrics, including French Montana's "Pop That" ("It's truck the world/ It's truck yo girl/ It's TRUKFIT by the truckload, biatch!") and "My Homies Still" ("TRUKFIT t-Shirt/ Talk second, skeet first").
Initially sold at the niche streetwear and skater hubs Karmaloop and Zumiez, respectively, TRUKFIT garnered a mainstream nod in June by expanding into select Macy's stores and online. Brand Director Mike Morris thinks their partnership with the retail giant fits with TRUKFIT's wide appeal and mid-tier price range (t-shirts run approximately $32). "You have a lot of middle American families that come there to shop, so it gives us the ability to reach out to those consumers," he tells Rolling Stone. "We're not trying to expose the line to people with large sums of money. This is for kids who appreciate the clothes, the quality."
Hip-hop fashion is rarely synonymous with affordability – quite the contrary, usually– and for sartorialists with deeper pockets, Morris shares that a higher end, cut-and-sew extension with fine quality fabrics and details is in the works for next year. "We'll still stay true to having the [skater] influence but it will be more fashion-forward," he explains.
A slew of celebrities have been seen in TRUKFIT recently, including rapper Cory Gunz, Fred Durst, professional skater P-Rod and Rihanna. "Quit talkin bout shit, and suck a ni**a dick for some TRUKFIT" Rihanna shared on Instagram last month and garnered over 27,000 likes. No one has been more of an ambassador than Wayne himself; aside from serving as creative director, he's hawked his wares at high-profile music and sports events like the X Games and SXSW. The consummate cross-promoter has also name-checked the brand in countless song lyrics, including French Montana's "Pop That" ("It's truck the world/ It's truck yo girl/ It's TRUKFIT by the truckload, biatch!") and "My Homies Still" ("TRUKFIT t-Shirt/ Talk second, skeet first").
