Someday, someone will write a book resolving the mysteries about the love affair between the rap and fashion worlds. Much space would need to be dedicated explaining rap stars' fondness for brightly colored sunglasses and trainers the size of tugboats.
But without doubt the biggest puzzle to resolve would be the reason behind 21st-century rap stars' unlikely fashion icon: Carlton Banks, the geeky teenage brother who couldn't dance from the 1990s television sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Banks, with his cardigans, smart trousers and love of office accessories, often resembled a strange mix of the Great Gatsby and the archetypal 80s yuppie.
Late last month Carlton's style influence was on display at a menswear fashion show in Paris. Arriving at the Louis Vuitton show, music producer Pharrell Williams looked as if he was on his way to a Carlton homage party, in a long, woollen, white cardigan, despite the 27°C heat. Not far behind him was fellow music producer Kanye West. "I grew up with the Louis look, you know," West said, stroking the Vuitton belt in his jeans. "I just love the style."
Williams was a little more specific: "It's got style and elegance, man. And I do love the accessories, I am an accessories boy," he added, a little unnecessarily as it was hard not to be blinded by his enormous diamond ring, watch and earrings.
Louis Vuitton, which markets the kind of yuppified look, is clearly delighted by this endorsement.
Although Vuitton's creative director claimed that the inspiration for the show was Charlie Chaplin, the models were clearly indebted more to Fresh Prince geek Carlton. Judging from West's constant smile throughout the show, he highly approved of their choice.
Mark: I don't recommend that you go to Boulder.
Jeff: Why not? A guy I knew in high school says he loves it.
Mark: It's full of wannabe artists who think they're bohemian. But really they're just like everyone else in their group: hippies in Birkenstocks.
Jeff: That guy I know wears Birkenstocks and thinks he's a hippy, but he's not. You got a point - a real hippy wouldn't wear expensive flip-flops.
Mark: Exactly! That's why you should stay away from there.
馬克：我不建議你去博爾德玩。
傑夫：為什麼？我高中認識的一個朋友說他超愛那裡的。
馬克：那裡只有一大堆自以為豪放不羈、妄想成為藝術家的人，但其實他們那群都一樣，都是穿著柏肯鞋的嬉皮。
傑夫：我認識的那個人就是穿柏肯鞋，還自以為是嬉皮，但他並不是。你說到重點了─一個真正的嬉皮是不會穿昂貴的夾腳拖鞋的。
馬克：沒錯！所以你不該去那裡。
bohemian 放蕩不羈的藝術家
A bohemian is a person who is interested in art and lives an unconventional lifestyle. For example, "Dad is really mad because Cindy is engaged to a bohemian."
「bohemian」是指喜歡藝術且生活方式異於常人的人。例如：「老爸對辛蒂和一個放蕩不羈的藝術家訂婚感到相當不悅」。
(The GUARDIAN)
某天，有人會出書揭發饒舌界和時裝界的緋聞秘辛，其中很大的篇幅將用來解釋饒舌明星為何偏好色彩鮮豔的太陽眼鏡，及像拖船一樣大的平底球鞋。
但其中待解的最大謎團無疑是二十一世紀的饒舌明星，竟會視卡爾頓．班克斯為時尚指標背後的原因。卡爾頓．班克斯是一九九０年代電視情境喜劇《新鮮王子妙事多》中，一個不會跳舞又俗呆的黑人青少年，他總是穿著開襟羊毛衫、俐落的長褲，且鍾愛上班族配件，他奇特的裝扮融合了《大亨小傳》和典型的八０年代雅痞風格。
上個月底，受到卡爾頓風格影響的時裝在巴黎男裝展上展出。頂著攝氏二十七度的高溫，音樂製作人菲瑞爾．威廉穿著一件白色的長版羊毛開襟衫抵達路易威登（LV）的秀場，看起來就像要去參加卡爾頓的表揚大會一樣。緊接在他後面入場的是音樂製作人肯伊．威斯特。威斯特手摸著繫在牛仔褲上的LV皮帶說：「你知道，我是穿LV長大的，我就是喜歡那種風格。」
威廉更具體地說：「LV既有型又優雅，老天。而且我愛死那些配件了，我是個配件男孩。」他這段補充有點多餘，因為想不被他那巨大的鑽石戒指、鑽錶和鑽石耳環閃到眼花撩亂都很難。
有了名人加持，推出雅痞風設計的路易威登，無疑十分開心。
儘管LV的創意總監聲稱這場男裝秀的作品靈感來源是查理．卓別林，但模特兒顯然更受惠於《新鮮王子》裡面的怪咖卡爾頓。從整場秀上威斯特臉上一直掛著笑容看來，他相當讚賞他們的選擇。
（衛報／翻譯：袁星塵）
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