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NYT Syndicate
ASAP Rocky was less than thrilled the first time stylist Matthew Henson dressed him. The occasion was a 2012 cover for Complex magazine, where Henson worked as a fashion editor, and the rapper was to be photographed in the company of designer Jeremy Scott. What ASAP Rocky did not know was that a deal had been struck between the magazine and Adidas to feature Scott's collaborations with the sneaker company.
ASAP Rocky seemed unimpressed with the options available."The pull's cool, but this is why I don't work with stylists," Henson said, recalling what the rapper had told him.
When Henson had another opportunity to style ASAP Rocky, this time for a music video, he felt he had something to prove."I brought an airport hangar's worth of clothes," he said."I was like, 'Here's what I can do.'"
Now he regularly styles ASAP Rocky and the pop star the Weeknd.
That means Henson has a say in the style of two of the most fashionable musicians working. ASAP Rocky, who sat front row at Raf Simons' debut show for Calvin Klein during New York Fashion Week, is the star of recent Dior Homme campaigns. The Weeknd, who performed at the most recent Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, favours Valentino.
After nearly six years at Complex, Henson struck out on his own last June."I wanted to try something new," he said recently at 180/Williamson, a showroom and retail space in Tribeca,"and I knew if I waited any longer, the opportunity to do something on my own might not be there for me." Now, in addition to styling musicians, he is working with the Los Angeles brand Stampd, the denim label DL1961 and Nike.
Henson, 32, was born and raised as an only child in Long Branch, New Jersey, where his parents work in the medical field."They're very happy," he said of their reaction to his career,"but they're still like, 'What do you do, exactly?'"
With more than 22,000 Instagram followers and a fashion sense that has captured the attention of street style photographers, Henson is becoming a minor celebrity. But he said his look was not usually Instagram-worthy.
"You've got to turn it on at fashion week," he said."But when I'm working, people are like, 'Are you a messenger?'"
