On Sunday, February 9, during halftime of the NFL SuperBowl, spectators of the football championship final were inflamed by US rapper Kendrick Lamar’s leather outfit. At halftime (dominated 40-22 by the Philadelphia Eagles against the Kansas City Chiefs) the now famous 13-minute music show was staged; during it Lamar essentially turned the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans upside down. Apart from football, the event is now a parade of fashionably dressed stars, and Kendrick Lamar was no exception, along with SZA, the US singer-songwriter with whom he played a duet, also in total leather. But it was not the first time that leather conquered the Halftime. Rihanna docet.
The looks of the evening
To understand how the outfits are studied down to the smallest detail, one has to understand why the Super Bowl Halftime show is important. We are talking about an event that follows the Made in the USA logic – the celebration of consumerism, the ode to pop culture and a certain desire to amaze – and consequently, the outfits must also be consistent with that. Last year, for example, the final reached a record of 123 million viewers.
This year’s musical guest was Kendrick Lamar, the US rapper who also boasts a Pulitzer Prize. Lamar wore a pair of Y2K-inspired bell-bottom jeans by Celine, paired with a pair of Nike Air DT Max ‘96s, originally released in 1996 by football player Deion Sanders. But the highlight was the leather varsity jacket created by British designer Martine Rose from some old sports panels. The jacket was customised with the word “GLORIA” prominently displayed on the chest, to recall the closing track of the GNX album.
The other guests
Joining Lamar on stage were Samuel L. Jackson, Mustard and tennis player Serena Williams, as well as the dancers who accompanied the rapper during his performance. Leather triumph, then, also for SZA, who made her Halftime Show debut. The singer-songwriter chose a total red look consisting of a leather shirt by American brand Born X Raised, teamed with a pair of leather trousers by Ashton Michael and customised Converse. It was not the first time, however, that leather conquered the SuperBowl. In 2023, the musical guest was pop star Rihanna. On that occasion, the singer surprised everyone by wearing a leather armour made by Jonathan Anderson, creative director of Loewe, and two leather coats, both red, created by Pieter Mulier, creative director of Alaïa.
Images: IG profiles of Martin Rose and SZA
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