In the mid-00s, celebrity fashion brands became a status-symbol standard. Brands began sprouting up from every corner of culture, including G-Unit, Sean John, Apple Bottom, and many others.
Possibly the most enigmatic to transpire during this period belonged to Andre 3000’s Benjamin Bixby line.
Andre’s fashion interest started in his youth with a pair of overalls his grandfather bought him, which he wore almost three times a week. He couldn’t help but absorb the influential fashion trends that he was surrounded by - from the preppy and soul gangs at school to movies and fashion magazines. 3000 took it all in and dreamed of synthesizing it into his own creation.
A natural penchant for flair was tampered with by an emerging rap career in the 90s, where Andre began rocking a style he describes as an attempt to fulfill the hip-hop image at the time. As he grew out of the desire to fit in, his aesthetic grew to stand out - matching his musical style.
By 2002 OutKast set out to release its own brand. Andre wanted to build an haute couture label encompassing his authentic funk stylings of furs, hats, and eccentric leathers. Unfortunately, OutKast Clothing Co. was funded by a company that wanted to portray a typical hip-hop image similar to FUBU. Fans who hoped to follow in Andre’s fashion footsteps were disappointed.
Without financial backing to have a say in the matter, Andre settled for their vision marking it as a learning curb, realizing that he would have to put up his own money to achieve creative freedom.
In spring 2008, the first Benjamin Bixby collection debuted at London’s luxury department store Harrods. The moniker came from Andre’s appearance on Punk’d, where 3000 and Big Boi were pranked, thinking they held responsibility for their Maybach, which had been “crashed.” Andre gave “Bill Bixby'' as a fake name and decided he liked the sound of it.
The style was inspired by Andre’s fascination with American football and Ivy League trends of the 1930s. Club sweaters with elbow patches, an abundance of tweed, and plus-fours were all included in the collection. For Andre 3000, a black man dressed in preppy clothing symbolized rebellion.
Though the clothing line wasn’t successful enough to stay afloat, and Andre couldn’t afford to prop it up out of his pocket any longer, Benjamin Bixby illustrates a very important point. Andre would later express sympathy with Kanye’s infamous rants concerning the fashion industry. Andre saw that external funding was essential to avoid coming out of pocket, but the creative direction was surrendered along with that financial backing.
Andre’s fashion sense was refined by respect for London’s fashion history, but it wasn’t the market's taste at the time. The brand lived through a few cycles of revival and decline as Andre poured millions into the brand.
Rumors of Bixby’s return continue, but for now, Andre’s fashion bug is satisfied through collaborations such as his work designing shoes with Tretorn.