It's all about the Benjamin
Anytime a celebrity or a "celebrity" announces that they are coming out with a clothing line, I usually tilt my head and furrow my brow in confusion. Why do these people, many of whom barely know how to dress themselves, think that they'll know how to dress me? Don't they have a stylist who all but tells them to lift their arms up and "reach for the birdie" as they pull a sweater over their head like a five-year-old?
Granted there are some exceptions, but they are few and far between; for every L.A.M.B. by Gwen Stefani there are several Sweet Kisses by Jessica Simpson.
That's why, when I found out that OutKast's André 3000 (aka André Benjamin) is planning on coming out with his own clothing line, I let out an audible sigh of joy. I've been waiting for him to do this since my first day of Catholic school, when I looked in the mirror at my ill fitting navy polo/khaki pants combo and openly wept.
Inspired by college football uniforms from the ‘30s, Benjamin Bixby—the name of André's line—will consist of 70 pieces and will likely be carried by Barneys in the fall.
It's difficult to imagine a time before Mr. 3000; a time before Kanye West, John Legend, Will.i.am, Lenny Kravitz, P.Diddy and he made it okay for black men and hip-hop artists alike to bust out of the confines of the requisite shirt-as-big-as-a-tent/baggy jeans/baseball cap wardrobe. The only thing left to say is, "Hey Ya!"
—Marcos Luevanos