From guayaberas to zoot suits, Nike Cortez’s to cat eye eyeliner, stone jewelry to an array of indigenous textiles, this year some of the flyest looks came from communities contesting the conventional and creating their own style and fashion in the margins.
In 2016, we saw subversive Mexican designer Victor Barragán debut his project Barragán in this years NYFW, Cuban-American costume designer Jeriana San Juan create the flamboyant, iconic looks of early 80s hip-hop culture for The Get Down, and Chicano black-lettering referenced everywhere – perhaps most prominently in Kanye’s TLOP merch. 2016 was also the year of political fashion, the revival of the 90s choker and band merch t-shirts, the explosion of silk and bright colored hair, and the return to earth tones and velvet to wrap up the year.
From fashion week to this summer’s music festivals, below are our favorite looks we captured in 2016.
Photos by Francesca Beltran, Alan López, Itzel Alejandra Martinez, Angela E. Mejia, & Zai Nájera
‘These NYFW Street Style Looks Will Give You Enough Life to Last Through Winter’
‘All the Fly Outfits We Saw at NYC’s First Panorama Festival’
‘On “1979 Baby Blue,” Nasty Nigel Turns His Diary Into Raps’
‘Let These 7 Fly Students Inspire Your Fall Wardrobe’
‘Forget Fashion Week: Here Are the Flyest Looks From Afropunk Fest 2016‘
‘What It Means to Celebrate Afro-Latinidad in the Time of Black Lives Matter’
‘The Looks You Need to See From Festival NRMAL 2016’
‘The Looks You Need to See From SXSW 2016’
‘On Her Second Album, Xenia Rubinos Finds a New Language to Talk About Latinidad’
‘South Central and East LA Punks Invaded NYC for ‘Los Punks’ Doc Premiere’
‘The Looks You Need to See From Festival Ceremonia 2016‘
