A former mining town in the north of England, with a population of just under 250,000, Barnsley doesn't enjoy many moments in the spotlight. The most famous living person to have come from the town is probably Katherine Kelly, which British soap fans will recognize as being Becky McDonald from Coronation Street.
Still, that hasn't stopped Martine Rose from plastering the town's name in a gothic font across the brim of a baseball cap. And, to my surprise, the design is proving popular beyond the borders of Yorkshire.
Eagle-eyed viewers of Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem's recent music video for the single "The Hillbillies", would've seen the hat pop up on the screen amongst the grainy visuals.
Starting the song by proclaiming "I'm best-dressed movin' forward," Kendrick continued to name-drop Martine Rose later on while wearing a number of her designs — including the aforementioned hat.
There are exactly 5,313 miles between Kendrick's native Compton and Barnsley (trust me, I've Googled it) and I highly doubt the rapper has ever watched a game at Oakwell or indulged in some retail therapy at the Alhambra shopping center — but this is no doubt a win for both Barnsley and Martine Rose.
After having worn a full look from the designer, complete with collaborative Nike Shox, to pick up his Grammy award as well as dedicating Instagram posts to the 42-year-old — this is just the most recent time K-Dot has given Martine Rose her flowers.
The British-Jamaican designer often looks towards football for inspiration and my guess is that her decision to focus on Barnsley comes from its football team (which is currently getting over its League 1 play-off final loss).
Having put her own spin on football kits since the early days, the brand released a yellow and black strip for the SS23 season with the top having a distinctive shrunken effect.
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Retro football kit enthusiasts will know that those are the colors of the old Barnsley away kit. And the hat is also available in matching yellow and black, with what looks like a Barnsley badge ripped off the front... coincidence? I think not.
It looks like Barnsley FC's found itself in the world of high fashion.
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