For SS24, Kid Cudi's Clothing Brand Channels Classic Cudi
Did you know that Kid Cudi has a clothing brand called Members of the Rage? If not, pay more attention, cuz Members of the Rage is about to make its world debut in mere weeks. Until then, though, get acquainted with the sophomore offering from Cudi's designer label.
Produced in partnership with Italian company 247 — a multifaceted organization that oversees manufacturing, distribution, and showrooms for brands like A.P.C., Bally, KENZO, Peter Do, and Veilance — Members of the Rage is purportedly designed by Cudi himself and entirely made in Italy.
Spring/Summer 2024 is Members of the Rage's second season and it's already demonstrating growth, at least according to Cudi himself.
“Members Of The Rage is about a feeling of vintage 90s grunge fused with a futuristic hip hop vibe," Cudi said in a statement. "For my second season, I’ve added to that flavor with new techniques and custom hardware, and personal touches like manga prints made by my niece, Zuri. My goal for every collection is to grow and get better each season and learn.”
Compared to the first Members of the Rage (MOTR) collection, set to release in July for the Fall/Winter 2023 season, Members Of The Rage season two looks like more but better.
For instance, the initial offering's candy-colored varsity jackets and distressed denim jeans feel like a first draft for the kangaroo-pocketed fleece pullovers, threadbare mohair knitwear, and strapped sweaters that appear throughout MOTR's second collection.
Cudi's clearly fleshing out his design language, and you can see the more assured hand guiding Members Of The Rage season two to a more cohesive result. The vibe is still a mixture of'80s flash and eclectic thrift finds unrestrained by trend or theme but it's all better unified.
On one hand, you've got Adam Sandler's box office blowout Billy Madison cited as inspiration for MOTR's new distressed hoodies and, on the other, it feels like Cudi is pulling cues from aughts streetwear brands for his XXXXL polo shirts, rendered in day-glo stripes.
I see more than a little vintage Billionaire Boys Club, LRG, and Sean John in Members of the Rage SS24, and there's nothing wrong with that (remember, Sean John was once a veritable luxury label that held fashion shows).
Consider it a throwback to the pre-2010 A Kid Named Cudi, Man on the Moon era, complete with the clothes that Cudi himself was wearing back then.
Members of the Rage's original sneaker is also classic Cudi: fat tongue, plump laces, chunky sole. The MOTR shoe is less vivid than the collaborative MSCHF sneaker, perhaps to better anchor the diverse selection worn above.
Members of the Rage was announced way back in February 2022, when Kid Cudi revealed the label by way of a a $400 T-shirt featuring MOTR's NIGO-designed logo.
It doesn't feel like we've actually learned that much about the line in the interim year and change, so MOTR will live or die on the strength of its clothes, though it hasn't actually been clarified whether MOTR is purely D2C or if it'll be given a wholesale push by big retailers.
If it's the former, which feels right, it's all up to Cudi to recruit his own Members to keep the Rage going.
