Before last fall, Tyler, the Creator last held his popular Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in 2019, when fans, who had hoped for a concert-ending appearance by the ever-elusive Frank Ocean, booed Drake off the stage. Wondering if that imperfect ending dampened anticipation for the November 2023 return of the music festival? Not even a little bit. All tickets for the two-day event sold out during the presale.
Tyler, 33, enjoys one of the most dedicated fandoms in all of music, painstakingly cultivated for more than a decade, beginning with his days on Fairfax as a member of the hip-hop/skate/clothing group Odd Future. These days, his music empire has reached chart-topper status, with his most recent album “Call Me If You Get Lost” becoming the first, and only, LP to lead the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums in three separate years. And in April, 13 years after first performing at Coachella as part of Odd Future, he headlined the storied music festival.
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Music remains Tyler’s most identifiable calling card, but his forays into fashion have arguably been more impressive. After founding Golf Wang in 2011 and building it into one of L.A.’s most beloved streetwear brands, he launched a new upscale line called Golf le Fleur, which began as a shoe collaboration with Converse in 2017 and has evolved into a full-scale luxury brand that includes nail polish, silk ties, luggage and perfume. In February, he unveiled a line of clothing and accessories he designed for Louis Vuitton.
As his fashion sense has matured from skater shirts and five-panel hats to Russian ushankas and sweater vests, his influence has held strong, many of his music fans following in lockstep into his new world.
“People are so up-to-date on everything, that people are attracted to figures who can carve out their own space and define the future of taste, whether from a music or fashion perspective,” said Thom Bettridge, head of creative and content at fashion retailer Ssense. “Tyler is always carving out new spaces. … His watch collection has brought watches into a new conversation with people who didn’t really care about watches. He started wearing a Cartier Crash watch, and it became this really hyped watch, even though it’s been around since the ’60s.”
