A glimpse at Pharrell’s BBC Hunting Pattern Collection will remind you of the fact that rappers (Pharrell gets a pass as one) should not, in almost all cases, dabble with fashion.

Unfortunately, when they do pursue it, not only are the designs poor, but they make them overpriced and exclusive to online-only “boutiques” to hide the shoddy quality of the actual clothing. With brands rolling out their fall collections, here’s a glimpse of what’s on the horizon for existing labels and those that are sure to spring up as they follow in the footsteps of sorely missed Vokal.

CURRENT BRANDS

The Clipse (Play Cloths)

The duo will ditch the hipster set in favor of their natural audience: aspiring street merchants and neighborhood pushas. Cloths’ smuggling-friendly attire — including garments already impregnated with liquid coke! — will soon be seen on every street corner and airport smoking lounge.

T.I. (Akoo)

With Tip in the box until May, prison garb would be more fitting for the king of himself, at least. Mix in his stand-in and Grand Hustle patna Young Dro’s penchant for Sour Skittles pastels and the fall line of jumpsuits will take a decidedly candy paint look.

FUTURE BRANDS

Charles Hamilton (Sonic The Hamilton)

With Interscope forced to shelve his album, the label will look to recoup their investment by packaging a Sonic The Hamilton pop-up book with Tiger Beat in promotion of a tween boutique brand of Sonic tees.

T-Pain (Thr33 Ringz)

Sure to be a staple at swap meet and flea market circuses across the south, Pain’s brand of top hats and ringmaster jackets are necessities of sideshow swag.

Taz Arnold (The Nerdz Gang)

Armed with a Kanye co-sign and a Paris Fashion Week-stealing Leopard print tights, Taz will unleash his future line (named after his kiddie Crenshaw gang), catering to all Liberace-Lupe-She-Ra-Flashdance-Polo enthusiasts — who also happen to be Arabian cowboys. In other words, no one… except for maybe Kanye.

Clipse X Kanye – Kinda Like A Big Deal Behind The Scenes from Malice of the Clipse on Vimeo.

The Clipse are behind the scenes with their new video ft. Kan-The Louis Vuitton Don with ‘Kinda Like a Big Deal’.

TAKING IT TO THE SHELVES
Brothers Pusha T and Malice of Clipse really don’t have to go shopping to always be wearing the latest street wear.  When you’re a star, it just comes to you in boxes.  So when the fans got all excited about what they were wearing and wanted to know where to get it, well they hardly knew.  Now they know.  Cause now it’s all their own line Playcloths, which Pusha T describes as “fresh, clean street wear with sparks of nostalgia” and now affordable that the fans can buy.  Pusha is convinced they will, despite of the economic climate going on.  “Recession or no recession, you still want to look good. If you’re the type of person who cares about that, you’ll make it happen.”

BROTHERHOOD
As well as their music, Playcloths is a project shared between the two brothers.  Someone who has siblings their selves might wonder how that works without wanting to kill each other at the end of each day.  Pusha and Malice seem to have found the secret recipe, to hang out when it’s work related.  “Whenever we’re together we’re Clipse, it’s work.  We don’t ever get tired of each other”, says Pusha.   As for style, what’s hot and not, they understand each other completely: “We both like a lot of fly shit”.

MUSIC VS FASHION
Having been in the music business for so long, it’s not only refreshing with a new career, it’s even effectuating, “Music is like the longtime girlfriend you started to take for granted.  Fashion is like this new hot girl that just wakes up your passion.  Now I want to do that for awhile.” says Pusha.  A-hem, we’re talking about fashion here people.  Even though he feels like doing his new love, his old girlfriend might just demand a pretty big part of his life in the near future.  The Clipse new album, Till The Casket Drops will hit stores late this summer, and after that a tour awaits.  Although, Pusha is one of the lucky ones, you get to spend time with his long time girlfriend and new passionate fling at the same time.  As well as on stage too!  What a more perfect opportunity to get the line out to the fans than by launching it parallel with a new album?

PLAYING CLIPSE STYLE
Should a line be interpreted by its name alone, Playcloths?   Would that be all play and no work, right?  Well, it doesn’t really work that way in Clipse land where work is play and play is work.  Or was it the other way around?  “Wear it any night out on the town, anytime during the day, whenever you’re ready to hit the streets and live life.” says Pusha T as he eagerly adds “and on a date, yeah, on a HOT date.  Write that.”

For more information, or to check out the collection go to www.Playcloths.com

As told to Hannah Arnhog