While he's tuned into the brightest young designers in the game (Stefan Cooke, Maximillian et al), A$AP Rocky loves a vintage fit. In the past we've seen him sport sold out padded Raf Simons coats from the mid 2010s, a vintage Boston Brews tee on stage at Coachella, old school Goodyear jackets and more than one worn-in Marlborough jacket. What's more, last year he curated a selection of vintage finds with shopping site Klarna (which he's a shareholder in).
Now Rocky has taken his love of vintage pieces further. Performing on stage at Lollapalooza, Chile's biggest music festival where Miley Cyrus and Doja Cat also performed, the 33-year old “Fashion Killa” rapper rocked a Daytona Beach Boot Hill Saloon tee and slung a retro-infused necklace round his neck. Comprising a multi-coloured, beaded chain and an actual 20 year-old, key-chain Tamagotchi, said necklace was created by Etsy-operated brand Monigotchi, which is also known for its playful, yellow Lego head necklaces.
While Gen Zers are probably wondering what the heck we're on about, if you were a Nineties or Noughties kid, Rocky's Tamagotchi necklace will conjure up feelings of nostalgia – notably memories of heading down to Toys “R” Us to get themselves the budget-friendly appliance.
Tamagotchi (which translates directly as egg watch) was invented by Nobel Prize winners Aki Maita and Akihiro Yokoi in 1996, and went on to become one of the biggest hits of the era. The minuscule, pocket gadget gave users the responsibility of caring for a digital pet – a 10-pixel blobby alien. While the gadget was small, its impact was gigantic and by November 2021 Bandai, the company behind the device, had sold over 80 million units.
Rocky wearing the Tamagotchi necklace is just another instance of the Y2K realness that we've seen glide across the fashion and music industries recently. Blumarine, Diesel, Ludovic Saint Sernin, Loewe and Miu Miu are some of the key brands pushing for early-aughts style, notably through low slung jeans, slinky mini skirts and ab-flashing crop tops (for men and women). Meanwhile, musicians such as Olivia Rodrigo, Justin Bieber and Doja Cat are the driving forces behind the return of a statement-making, loud and proud style that you'd likely have seen at the 2002 MTV Music Awards.
You can pre-order Rocky's exact necklace here for £60.
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