October 24, 2025
CFDA Chair Thom Browne described the Hip-Hop artist as ‘one of a kind… His truly original approach to fashion inspires me, and so many, to think differently.’
A$AP Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, is the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s 2025 Fashion Icon. The CFDA Fashion Awards will take place Nov. 3, at the New York Museum of Natural History.
For years, A$AP Rocky has pushed the boundaries of style and self-expression. Born and raised in Harlem, Rocky’s fashion displayed his knack for elevating streetwear and merging cultural pieces with high fashion. When the CFDA named him its 2025 Fashion Icon, it was less about accolades. According to the organization, honoring Rocky reinforced the idea that personal narratives in fashion matter.
CFDA Chair Thom Browne described the hip-hop artist as “one of a kind… His truly original approach to fashion inspires me, and so many, to think differently.”
Rocky’s AWGE agency has partnered with Marine Serre, Amina Muaddi and others, including a runway debut in Paris during Men’s Fashion Week.
Rocky’s approach to fashion has always been about more than clothes. He leveraged his co-chair role at the 2025 Met Gala, arriving in a custom AWGE suit. The ensemble echoed his hybrid identity of street-culture and highbrow sophistication. The CFDA award cements what many insiders already considered true. Rocky is more than a celebrity in the fashion space. He’s a creative force shaping it.
With this, A$AP Rocky joins an elite roster of past Fashion Icon recipients who have not only excelled visually but have altered fashion’s cultural conversation. He stands as proof that the boundaries between music, brand, and haute design are no longer separate arenas but parts of a single creative vision.
Earlier this year, Rocky was named creative director of Ray-Ban, putting him in charge of steering the iconic sunglass brand’s future. His first project, a “Blacked Out” reinterpretation of the Mega Icons line, was more than a collection launch. Mayers has moved beyond brand deals into growing as a creative visionary. Rocky isn’t simply serving fashion, he’s shaping it. His appointment and accolades make it clear that he shows up not just as a curated aesthetic but as a design architect who wants to move culture forward.
RELATED CONTENT: Hip-Hop and Fashion’s Fly Guy A$AP Rocky Covers Latest Issue Of Vogue
