First popularized in Black and Latino communities in NYC, nameplates were inspired by the concept of graffiti tagging and used as an assertion of one’s pride and individuality. 

From pimp culture in the 70s then trickling into hip-hop in the 80s, the popularity of this style soon grew beyond the borders of urban communities. Nameplates were later commercialized through it’s appropriation in the hit show ‘Sex And The City’. It was known as “the carrie necklace” and soon mainstream society began to accept the concept as “new,” but it’s always been here…tucked away in urban communities as a legendary trend.

Photo by Eddie Lee/Hype Bae