When Kendrick Lamar shock-dropped new album GNX on November 25, it spurred approximately ten billion conversations. I mean what isn’t there to talk about!?
The car, the music video, the timing, the lyrics, the… uh, belt?
Yes, look at the GNX album cover, at Lamar’s seemingly unassuming outfit. There, quietly positioned towards the lower right side of the frame, is a throughline connecting Lamar to A$AP Rocky, Kid Cudi, Pharrell, and even, er, North West.
All of these famous rappers are inexplicably drawn to ERL, the red-hot indie sleaze-ish clothing label founded and overseen by Eli Russell Linnetz. It’s interesting because, sure, Rocky, Pharrell, and Cudi cosigns kinda make sense. They’re plugged-in guys whom you expect to see in of-the-moment outfits from buzzy designers. But Kendrick Lamar?
Lamar is, obviously, a generational talent. But I also find his fashion sense captivating. His finsta shows equal fascination in vintage Jordans, couture-tier Chanel, and indie menswear labels like Evan Kinori, reflecting stylistic inspirations as disparate as the sounds that inform his music.
And Lamar wore ERL on the cover of surprise album GNX and the accompanying music video for “Squabble Up,” but Lamar has been wearing ERL since at least the “Not Like Us” clip released over the summer.
Cudi, Rocky, and Lamar all work with stylists, of course — when you’re as busy as these guys, you don’t have time to shop around — but their wardrobes still reflect a level of sincerity. Like, you know they aren’t wearing anything they don’t believe in.
So, that this stylish bunch all orbits ERL is a testament to… something.
It’s at least partially as simple as Linnetz being fabulously well-connected. ERL operates under the powerful COMME des GARÇONS umbrella, ensuring ERL placement in Dover Street Market stores and alignment with plenty of powerful people.
Plus, there’s the fact that Linnetz is himself an insider — the CdG connection came about when Linnetz was tapped to lens a perfume campaign — with a creative resume that includes Lady Gaga, Kanye West, and all the rest.
ERL’s appeal goes beyond famous friendships, though.
Like, being in cahoots with the right folks is one thing but being brought on to design North West’s Lion King outfit and create at least two custom looks for A$AP Rocky? That signals deeper intent.
Linnetz founded ERL in 2018 but only hit upon true crossover success in the ensuing years, especially following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, for instance, ERL was famously worn by Rocky at the 2021 Met Gala and became the first brand to transform Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday window — although, technically, that was Linnetz and not ERL. It’s kinda tough to separate the two, especially when their initials are identical.
A Dior menswear capsule followed, as did ERL’s landmark debut at Pitti Uomo, a tastemaking menswear trade show.
And those are merely standalone moments irrespective of ERL’s many magazine covers, editorial appearances, and fashion prizes.
The appeal, I believe, that’s made ERL a go-to for Lamar, Rocky, Lil Uzi Vert, Ken Carson, and so many more stylish rappers is Linnetz’ ability to discern a sort of childhood naivety through clothing.
His oeuvre reflects the joy of dressing up — not getting “dressed up” for a fancy event but of a child trying on hand-me-downs and funky finds from their parents’ closet.
Linnetz’ designs are uniquely earnest, elevated by artisanal craft: Fabrics are often locally sourced or hand-woven and clothes hand-finished, transforming the quotidian into the extraordinary.
Consider the bespoke pin belt worn on Lamar’s album cover, pieced together by Linnetz himself. It’s like a wrestling championship belt assembled whatever the designer scraped together.
Of course, it’s actually quite exquisite, wearing a personalized selection of vintage pins attached to a custom base.
That notion of façade-free creativity aligns Linnetz with the famous musicians who consistently rep his work.
In a world of irony, a little sincerity goes a long way.
“My work has always been a personal journey,” Linnetz once told us. “It’s going to be authentic and as long as it always stays that way, I’ll never have anything to regret.”