The aesthetics of Neapolitan rappers by Carrera

Naples has changed and rap with it. It seems a lifetime since the old guard, - that of Co-Sang, Lucariello, the Fuossera - who faithfully reproduced the videos of the American school, with the high-rises of the district indistinguishable from the concrete blocks of the Bronx. Those were the years of leather varsity jackets four sizes larger, of the cap strictly with the visor on backwards, of boxer shorts as visible as possible and of Air Max. For the first time a new genre, in contrast to the neo-melodic tradition that had made Naples famous throughout the world, appeared on the scene ready to represent a generation without changing its adopted language. 

Today, rap, that Enzo Dong, SLF and, in a broader sense, Liberato, is enriched with crossovers and contaminations, both linguistic and sonic, in a changed musical landscape that also wears new clothes. From the baggy aesthetic that characterised the entire hip hop scene of the 1990s, both Italian and international, to a rediscovered interest in luxury brands, which always winks at streetwear, but is also capable of ranging with 1980s references, from Palm Angels, Disquared and Giuseppe Zanotti, but also Gucci and Ferragamo. Gold necklaces and indoor sunglasses, diamond chains and Triple S Balenciaga, but also tailored trousers and shirts that look to the flower boy aesthetic, to the new generation hipsters. A must-have, a constant that has given continuity to the Neapolitan rappers' aesthetic over the years, skilfully unifying changes in fashions and trends, are Carrera glasses.

With their characteristic teardrop shape reminiscent of the glasses used by aviators in the 1960s and at the same time the coolness of Miami Vice and Giorgio Moroder in the 1980s, Carrera glasses have brought together entire generations, from Millennials to Gen Z, conveying a timeless appeal. An accessory worn by sporting icons such as Gilles Villeneuve, Niki Lauda, Gerhard Berger, Jenson Button, through to music stars and Hollywood stars - Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Halle Berry, Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Justin Timberlake, Michael Stipe, Jessica Alba. The favourite model of villains in films such as  Down Hill Racer with Robert Redford, up to Al Pacino in Scarface and Sylvester Stallone in Cobra. From the renegade aesthetic, from the ideal of ostentatious and sinful luxury, Carrera's became the favourite accessory of Rappers, able to reproduce all the opulence of an ideal of life lived on the edge, from Usher's Hey Daddy (Daddy's Home) to Kanye West's Stronger, only to remain crystallised in the aesthetics of Neapolitan rappers. The Signature and Flag collections are no exception, two ways of reinterpreting Carrera's classic shapes through a perfect blend of classic forms and craftsmanship without forgetting the more streetweat character that has made the brand's eyewear a must-have for the Neapolitan rap scene and beyond.