Hip-hop clothing: wearable art

When it comes to the urban hip-hop clothing scene, I must admit that my experience is rather… When it comes to the urban hip-hop clothing scene, I must admit that my experience is rather limited. But I admire the way this type of clothing is always eye-catching, mixing bright colors and prints to create unique looks – looks that are bolder than I could pull off or would even dare try.

When I learned about Skylyne Clothing, designed by D.J. Zaccagnini, I was intrigued, not because I’m always looking for the next big thing in urban designs, but because his current line is dedicated to the city of Pittsburgh. And as a Pittsburgher all my life and a clothing enthusiast for most of it, what could be better than a marriage of the two?

At the core, Zaccagnini is an artist. He studied five years at The University of the Arts in Philadelphia and focused on painting, so why did he depart from more traditional art to create his urban-inspired clothing?

“My true passion is oil painting … I had art shows, but I didn’t get enough exposure,” Zaccagnini said, “But with clothes you don’t need to go to a gallery to see them, everyone is forced to look at them.”

You can find his Pittsburgh line at Down Low Clothing, a store voted the No. 1 Hip-Hop Clothing Store at the 2008 Pittsburgh Hip-Hop Awards. The designs feature the Pittsburgh skyline with “Da Burgh,” “412” or “Da Hill” written beneath in a graffiti style.

“Pittsburgh people love their city,” he said. He’s right about that. Maybe this could fill the gaping hole in my wardrobe where a T-shirt with my area code on it should be. I’ve wanted one since I saw my Virginia-resident friend proudly wearing an 804 across her chest.

Zaccagnini says he chose Down Low to house his shirts because they carry clothing that no one else in the city carries- it’s more exclusive. And don’t worry, all you Philly fans. Although he’s a native of the area, Pittsburgh isn’t Zaccagnini’s only focus. He plans to expand his collection to include Philadephia-inspired shirts with hip-hop and urban influences based on his experiences in the city.

One style will include a map of South Philly covering three-fourths of the shirt that highlights all the hot spots in the city.

There are a number of other notable hip-hop clothing stores in the Pittsburgh area also, such as Sneaker Villa, which serves us urban footwear and other hip-hop-inspired apparel, and The Timebomb Spot, a boutique that also sells CDs and DVDs and has exclusive licensing agreements to carry lines like Shmack Clothing and True Love False Idols.

The Timebomb Spot also tries to promote local hip-hop artists like Whiz Khalifa and stay on top of urban trends.

While Skylyne is firmly rooted in graffiti and urban hip-hop culture, Zaccagnini doesn’t want to exclude anyone with his urban designs.

“I want my clothing to form a melting pot of different cultures that reflect the influence of different periods of European and Eastern art forms,” he said. The next line he’s working on includes Egyptian influences, especially Egyptian jewelry.

For his new line, he plans to incorporate more embroidery and possibly some screen printing. But these shirts can get a bit pricey for college students: T-shirts run about $40 to $80.

You can find his designs hanging alongside Akademiks, Apple Bottoms, Baby Phat and Ciano Farmer at Down Low Clothing located at 1901 Centre Ave.

This attention to detail and focus on art is what sets urban clothing design apart from other clothing genres: It’s a fusion of art, music and fashion with your body as canvas and stage.