Sowmya Krishnamurthy is a music journalist and pop culture expert. Her debut book, Fashion Killa: How Hip-Hop Revolutionized High Fashion (Gallery Books/Simon & Schuster, Oct. 10), examines the impact of radio on the runway (and vice versa). In 1973, the Bronx’s DJ Kool Herc, aka Clive Campbell, spun a party to raise money for new back to school wardrobes for himself and his sister. This afternoon, and all those which followed, sparked a genre that the author calls “the arbiter of culture—the most dominant music genre.” Krishnamurthy draws on extensive research and interviews with leading hip-hop and high-fashion figures to examine the intensely political call-and-response collage of American pop culture. This book is, in the words of a Kirkus reviewer, an “exciting and exhaustive…hip-hop history.” Krishnamurthy answered our questions by email; our exchange has been edited for length and clarity.
In Fashion Killa, you discuss your adolescent obsessions with hip-hop and fashion, specifically your desire to replicate singer Aaliyah’s iconic Tommy Hilfiger look. Is there a hip-hop artist active today who gives you comparable style inspiration?
If I could take one rapper’s closet, it would be Pusha T. He’s the epitome of street and luxury fashion. From Balmain to Carhartt WIP, he makes every label his own. He can wear a Thom Browne short suit at New York Fashion Week and make it gangsta. I would kill to have his clothes (in my size!).
Who is your ideal reader for this book, and where would they be reading it?
The Fashion Killa reader is someone who loves hip-hop, fashion, and pop culture. This book is an accessory to their lifestyle. They’re carrying it in their Telfar bag, reading it while a Byredo Bibliothèque candle burns nearby, or setting it on their coffee table next to Tom Ford or Virgil Abloh.
Were you a big reader as a kid? Are there any formative books you remember from your youth, or any adults who influenced you as a reader or writer?
My mom took me to the library every week as a kid. It was such a big deal getting my own library card. I read everything from Nancy Drew and Sweet Valley Twins to Goosebumps. My favorite was Choose Your Own Adventure, and I would always read ahead to make sure I was selecting the right path.
What book do you absolutely love that is not as well known as it deserves to be? Or what book released in the past few years deserved more attention?
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby is such a visceral, fun thriller. I also loved Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. I never thought I’d be tearing up over a fictitious octopus.
What fall release(s) are you most looking forward to reading?
Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography by Staci Robinson is on my list. There have been numerous books on the fascinating late rapper, but this is the first and only estate-authorized title.
Katherine King is an editorial intern.
