Image via Getty/Victor Boyko
Finally! It's happening. Playboi Carti is dropping Whole Lotta Red. After two years and multiple false alarms, Carti is blessing his fanbase with his second album in just a few hours.
The project is rumored to feature a plethora of notable names including Kanye West, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, and more. But with plenty of us eager to blast WLR in our headphones, cup of egg nog in hand, to soundtrack our Christmas festivities this year, we got to thinking about Carti’s career beyond music.
If there is one thing that Carti has become known for, outside of his baby-voiced bars, it's his style. From performing on runways in coveted Supreme items in 2016 as a bubbling new act to taking the final walk for Louis Vuitton Menswear during Paris Fashion Week just two years later, Carti’s glow up in fashion has been just as impressive to see as his musical progression.
Check out a timeline of some of Carti’s biggest fashion moments below. —Mike DeStefano
OVO Summer 2016 Lookbook
When: May 2016
“Pain 1993” is a standout track on Drake’s Dark Lane Demo Tapes that dropped earlier this year. But the track isn’t the first time that Drake and Playboi Carti linked up. That happened a few years ago actually. Carti appeared in the Summer 2016 lookbook for Drake’s OVO label alongside John Ross and Ian Connor. Carti appeared in some of the essential logo pieces that OVO is known for like “October” arc logo long sleeves and grey zip-up hoodies with a small owl embroidered on the chest. —Mike DeStefano
VFILES Runway Show, New York Fashion Week
When: September 2016
To fully understand the origins of Playboi Carti’s influence on the fashion game, we must turn the clock back to 2016. Specifically, that moment when Carti suddenly appeared like a wild Pokémon at the VFILES runway show. After presentations from designers like Alessandro Trincone, who made the dress worn by Young Thug on the cover of Jeffery, Carti closed out the show with a surprise performance. Carti came on to spit his verse off Lil Uzi Vert’s “Of Course We Ghetto Flowers” and “What.” Carti really came through looking his best in a Supreme patchwork anorak from Fall/Winter 2016, a pair of Undercover "85 Jeans" from the brand’s Fall 2005 "Arts & Crafts" collection, and a pair of "Bred" Air Jordan 1s. When Carti hit the runway in a fit like that, we already knew he was destined for greatness. Today, that Supreme patchwork anorak is nearly impossible to get because of Carti. —Lei Takanashi
"Magnolia" Video
When: July 2017
For many, the music video for “Magnolia” was the first proper introduction to Playboi Carti’s sense of style. Filmed on the streets of New York City, Carti came through with a wide plethora of fits that showcased his love for both high fashion and streetwear. At the start of the video, he’s rocking Rick Owens from head to toe with a vintage 2pac T-shirt. Later on, he’s stepping out of a barber shop with a vintage Gucci duffle bag, a patchwork Raf Simons sweater, and a pair of Ricks. The most impressive piece featured in this music video? Undeniably, it’s the 1994 Issey Miyake Parachute Cargo Bomber he’s wearing while dancing with ASAP Rocky at the start of the video. Of course, Carti is still a Supreme head, and was wearing pieces like a silk polka dot shirt and an “All Star” basketball jersey from the brand’s Spring/Summer 2015 and 2016 range. —Lei Takanashi
"RAF" Video
When: July 2017
One of the most significant fashion moments of Playboi Carti’s career, and honestly hip-hop as a whole, was the music video for the ASAP Mob banger “RAF.” If the song alone wasn’t an amazing tribute to the pioneering Belgian fashion designer, the video solidified the Mob’s love for Raf Simons. The music video’s grainy aesthetic was directly inspired by the actual video that presented Raf Simons’ Autumn/Winter 1995/1996 collection. The number of Raf pieces in this video are just too many to count. You have Quavo rocking heavy grails like the 2005 “Poltergeist” parka and random extras wearing $5,000 jackets like the 2003 “Power, Corruption, Lies” fishtail parkas. As for Carti specifically, he wore a Raf Simons biker jacket and "Alistair Butler" oversized button-up shirt from Simons’ Spring/Summer 2017 collaboration with Robert Mapplethorpe. —Lei Takanashi
Yeezy Season
M+RC Noir Spring/Summer 2018 Lookbook
Louis Vuitton Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 Runway Show
When: June 2018
Carti may have made his runway debut performing in Supreme two years prior during a VFILES show in New York, but his true runway moment was when he was recruited by close friend Virgil Abloh’s to close out his inaugural presentation for Louis Vuitton Menswear during Paris Fashion Week in Summer 2018. True to the Wizard of Oz theme, Carti was dressed in a metallic silver poncho looking like the flyest possible version of the Tin Man. The Prism Keepall he’s clutching in his right hand and LV Trainers he has laced on feet have gone on to become two of the most coveted pieces from Abloh’s introductory collection. For Carti fans, I’m sure seeing one of their favorite rappers with them had at least a bit to do with how valuable they have become.
“This is Black history,” Playboi Carti told the New York Times in 2018 when speaking about the moment. “It’s monumental. This is Louis. This is the top dog. No disrespect to Vetements, but my mom, my dad, my auntie, my great-grandmother know what Louis is.” —Mike DeStefano
4Hunnid "Late to School" Lookbook
When: October 2018
Playboi Carti keeps a relatively low profile in comparison to other rappers. He keeps his appearances to a minimum. And when he does pop out, he’s usually surrounded by his closest friends. Based on that logic, he must have a pretty solid relationship with West Coast rapper YG. Carti modeled in the lookbook for YG’s 4Hunnid label back in 2018 to help show off the brand’s “Late to School” collection. He modeled a handful of pieces like black and white-striped T-shirts, red “Members Only” coach jackets, red sweatsuits, and plaid trousers. He even appeared alongside YG in a few of the shots. As to be expected if you know anything about both rappers, from the backdrop to the clothes themselves, the shoot consisted of a whole lotta red. —Mike DeStefano
Off-White Menswear Fall/Winter 2019-2020 Runway Show
When: January 2019
Abloh must have approved of Carti’s runway presence at the LV show because he would end up recruiting the rapper once more to appear in his Off-White Menswear Fall/Winter 2019-2020 presentation during Paris Fashion Week a few months later. This time, Carti had on a much more wearable ensemble that included a black graphic knit sweater, baggy slime green pants, a matching crossbody bag, and a pair of the bulky ODSY-1000 sneakers. Abloh has become known for giving non-models cameos on his runways, but Carti can say he’s done it twice. Maybe he has a good backup plan if he ever decides to walk away from music?
“His quiet presence and command of energy makes him a perfect model in my mind,” Abloh told the New York Times in 2018. “He oozes potential.” —Mike DeStefano