Hats and hip-hop have always been closely linked. Back in the 80s, rappers slowly began making a name for themselves not only with their rhymes and flow, but also with what they wore on their heads. Kangol has always had a strong relationship with hip-hop, but the brand's history may not be what you think.
Founded in the 1920s by Jacob Henryk Spreyregen, a Polish-born Jew who emigrated to England in 1915, the brand began producing hats in London.
Becoming popular with its Basque berets imported from France, the company took on the name Kangol only in 1930, when Spreyreguin coined the name by combining K for knitting, ANG for angora and OL for wool. Soon after, Kangol began to expand, and with the help of Sprayregen's nephews, factories were opened in the English cities of Frizington and Carlisle.
However, it was during and after the Second World War that Kangol began to become popular in the UK.In fact, during the war, Kangol became the main supplier of berets to the British Army, with production reaching a huge number of one million caps per year.
Post-war time
In the 60s, Kangol added designers Pierre Cardin and Mary Quant to its roster, who began creating hats for famous people such as the Beatles and even the late Princess Diana. Such fame attracted the attention of the American market, and Americans soon began to wonder where they could buy a Kangol cap. It was then that the brand began using the iconic Kangaroo logo, and contrary to popular belief, no Kangol cap ever came from the Middle Kingdom.
Start on stage
But it was the 80s that brought Kangol into the hip-hop scene. The first famous rapper to ever wear the iconic Kangol cap was none other than LL Cool J. Although the rapper always had a pretty remarkable collection of caps and was known for always wearing the latest headwear, the Kangol cap became revolutionary. People flocked to buy the cap worn by LL Cool J, and the British brand saw a huge surge in sales in the US.
Many rappers of the era followed suit, including Run-DMC, Grandmaster Flash, Slick Rick, Missy Elliott and others. Brooklyn hip-hop group UTFO even had a member named Kangol Kid, so the love ran deep. New Jack City's Nino Brown, an iconic character portrayed by Wesley Snipes, can be seen wearing various Kangol caps throughout the film.
Stylish iterations of the brand's hats, such as the Furgora Spitfire, were released in the '90s and were worn by Samuel L. Jackson.In the Nineties and Tens, Eminem wore a cotton twill Kangol army cap in his "Beautiful" video, and Kangol hats were seen on Ludacris, T.I., Rick Ross and ScHoolboy Q.
Keeping up with the caps that have taken their place in recent summer wardrobes, contemporary Kangol designs have been understated, associated with well-known streetwear brands such as Stüssy, Patta and HBA. However, bringing their signature styles back into the spotlight, the brand is making one of its biggest comebacks ever with its latest releases, which you've probably seen on the heads of various young and up-and-coming influencers. In particular, Kangol caps have been spotted on industry insiders such as Andrew Harper, Business Director of A-COLD-WALL*, as well as influencers such as Gulli Gulli Leo, Elias Riady of YouTube streetwear show PAQ and Eminem. who is rumored to have a full collection of caps that the company has released.
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