One evening, your attention is easily caught by a man on television. He sports a tweed blazer – with sleeves rolled up, a checked green handkerchief, mint green polo shirt and a pair of suede brown shoes. You are instantly impressed by the quirky and effective combination. He then places a wide brim, fedora hat upon a neat head of hair. As anger pulsates through your body you realise, you have a lot of work to do.
André 3000
The culprit, André Lauren Benjamin, has few challengers to his mixture of funky and preppy pieces. More commonly known by his stage name, André 3000, the American rapper, actor and record producer works tremendously hard – not just on his appearance. Best known for being one half of the notorious hip-hop collective Outkast, André has celebrated success in both the music and fashion world.
The quirky, fun twist of preppy jackets and polo shirts, put together with southern farm boy straw hats and jeans resulted in Mr. 3000 being dubbed the ‘Best dressed Man in the World’, by Esquire. He was also ranked 10th in GQ’s ‘Most Stylish Musicians of All Time’, and was described as “Perhaps the biggest risk taker on this list”. In interviews the singer has expressed his strong interest in English-inspired vintage clothing, patterns and fabrics.
The Atlanta musician’s high profile and wide recognition within the men’s fashion industry is what has perhaps motivated him to produce his own clothing line, Benjamin Bixby, which is inspired by college football circa in the 1930s. Three Stacks released the brand in 2008, being sold exclusively in Barneys, and it is described as: “a little bit Benjamin Button, a tinge of Willy Wonka, with a touch of collegiate footballer thrown in for good measure.”
Image credit:theurbandaily.com
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