I think Drake, a.k.a. Aubrey Graham, looks like a million bucks. My claim isn’t completely unfounded. Yesterday, The Unknown Vlogs, a YouTuber who specializes in breaking down the cost of outfits, released a five-and-a-half-minute special on the rapper’s OVO crew. There were lots of Hypebeast-y sneakers, layers of chains, and can’t-miss-’em tracksuits that were all very nice, expensive, and predictable. As for Drake himself? The bearded entertainer wore an $11,000 custom Brioni jacket that was inscribed “Brioni for Aubrey Graham” on the inside. There were the slick Tom Ford pieces: the $2,000 black turtleneck and trousers, which cost “a rack” (a.k.a. $1,000) and looked like they had just been pressed by an OVO butler. Most impressive were the $15,000 crocodile Tom Ford shoes—that’s 15 big racks in Drake speak—then the bling. Drake wore a simple custom diamond chain (a single strand!) for $200,000 and a Richard Mille RM 69 watch that was originally a woman’s watch but made for Drake in a men’s size. That hunk of blinding shine cost a pretty $750,000. I think Drake looked great—he probably smelled like fresh laundry—and he described his outfit with such ease and swagger that it made me want to light up a Cuban cigar. Drizzy looked like he knew he had made it and had nothing to prove. Finally!
This particular look marks a turning point for the rapper—not because of its astronomical price tag but due to the no-fuss, high-quality garb. While other rappers are drowning in logos, Drake seems comfortable paring it back. His wardrobe has certainly changed since his early days. He’s gone from beaming ear to ear in bar mitzvah–style bow ties (as recently as the 2015 Grammy Awards) or dressing like he’s perpetually exiting a high school dance (during his So Far Gone time circa 2009). I think today’s Drake—the one donning slick Prada leather jackets, wearing Hermès, and casually stepping out in Tom Ford—is hot. Take Drake at the Grammys this past year: He accepted the award for Best Rap Song looking impeccably manicured in a custom Tom Ford look that included a black windowpane suit, a signature retro turtleneck, and a diamond necklace. No sleazy-chic stunts needed. “For Drake, Tom Ford has become a second skin,” says his stylist Mellany Sanchez about Drake’s Grammys look. “It is a brand he wears more often than he wears sportswear, more often than he wears anything else. It is a brand that he lives in.”
And let’s not forget his tour looks! He’s been performing in custom Louis Vuitton, the first time the house has ever made custom tour items. Drake has worn tough utility leather vests with massive pockets and vests embossed with the LV monogram. Sure, vests have become a big menswear trend, but Drake wears them in an impeccable way that sets him apart. “One of the main premises of being the artistic director of the men’s atelier at Louis Vuitton during my tenure is to showcase the vibrant multidimensional side of the luxury house, while still sharing influences from its storied history,” Virgil Abloh tells Vogue. “Drake is the pinnacle of contemporary artists and has the skill set to create an environment fulfilled by his set design. These characteristics support a perfect palette to create compelling new men’s silhouettes.”
Drake may never get the front row recognition of fashion-forward rappers such as the Raf Simons–loving A$AP Rocky or the Versace-donning Migos, but why compare? Drake rarely walks a red carpet or comes within 50 miles of a runway. Remember his song “Finesse,” in which he raps, “Fashion week is more your thing than mine”? Drake said it himself: He is not a fashion-obsessed guy. And that’s okay. What’s important is that The Boy, as he has called himself in the past, finally looks like a well-dressed man.
