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Last night’s OVO Fest was more carnival than festival, with Drake riding his momentum like the Gravitron, further proving his pull on hip-hop while making a modern day Summer Jam scene out of his home city concert. Guests were plentiful, memes were memorable, and The Boy showed out. While much attention was given to the music, an interesting amount was made over Drizzy’s wardrobe choices. Though sneaker sites focused on his feet and the surprise debut of the white “OVO” Air Jordan 8s, the web was on tilt over his matching Flight Suits.
Conjuring comparisons to The Ghostbusters, The Rocketeer and everything in between, the design cues of the concept are deeply rooted in the Air Jordan lineage and the famous Flight Suits that were merched with early models. Made famous by Michael Jordan on the court and kept contemporary off of it by a slew of hip-hop and R&B artists, the Flight Suit has seen a few retro runs but never with a full-on push or appreciation from the market.
Complete with Jumpman branding on the back, Drake’s Flight Suits are another example of his blossoming Jordan Brand partnership. Whether the suits are an exclusive for Aubrey or part of the “OVO” Air Jordan 10 retail rollout, it’s an interesting homage to one of the most interesting but often neglected nuances of the Air Jordan signature series, and perhaps a trend to watch. Get a brief history on the evolution of the Jordan Flight Suit and the models it complemented below.
Before MJ: The Air Force 1
photo via Trainer Sniffer
The foundation of the Flight Suit as we know it in basketball fashion finds wings from the Nike Air Force 1. While irony exists that “Flight” and “Force” eventually became camps pitted against each other, with one serving speedy perimeter players and the other outfitting strong scorers in the paint, the original AF1 rollout was all about flight literally and metaphorically with plane positioning all over the ads.
The Air Jordan 1
bottom left photo via Jordans Daily and right photo via The Grand Archives
While the Original 6 would serve as the poster boys for the Flight Suit, The One would place it in sneaker closets across the country. Donned by Michael Jordan with Wings branding and his pivotal Air Jordan 1 sneaker, the first Flight Suits would launch in colorways such as Black/Red and Black/Royal to match his inaugural signature. Top Gun in concept, Flo-Jo in fashion, the gravity defying get-up saw traces of tracksuit in both construction and an overall fast feel. OG iterations span from very airborne one-piece takes along with more manageable two-piece takes as well as sleeveless variations. The two-piece version has returned in retro form, but the one-piece hasn’t to our understanding.
The Air Jordan 2
Fashionably and functionally, the Air Jordan 1 was a tough act to follow. Using Italian leather and a sturdier sole, the Air Jordan 2 balanced luxury nuances with performance packaging in a manner similar to the adidas Forum. While memories of MJ heating up the hardwood in the Air Jordan 2 don’t compare to that of its predecessor, one of the most timeless and visible shots of Jordan in the AJ2 comes from the promo images of him donning a Flight Suit. Said shots have lived on through nostalgia, appearing on early Air Jordan 2 retro cards and t-shirts.
The Air Jordan 3
photo via OLDSCHOOL Music
1988 was a landmark year for hoops and hip-hop. On the court, Michael Jordan won MVP of both the entire NBA and the league’s All-Star Game. In hip-hop, the power shifted to the West with the rise of the NWA and their street surviving stories that merged reporting and rebellion. A common thread in both rises was the Air Jordan 3. The shoe that kept MJ with Nike changed the sneaker game forever, and it also dressed Eazy-E. The Compton MC famously wore not just the shoe, but also the corresponding Flight Suit, on the alternative artwork and promotional posters for Eazy-Duz-It.
The Air Jordan 4
Available at TI$A Vision
Making the most of Flight branding, the Air Jordan 4 and its matching Flight Suit amplified the model’s tongue tagging in bold fashion. Propelling the “Flight” script featured on the shoe’s tongue, the same font and in some cases the exact tagging was featured on the Flight Suits. Zip-front and pullover jackets exist for this model, with particular pieces getting retro runs at retail.
The Air Jordan 5
Will Smith photo via Buddy TV
Perhaps the most popular or visible in retro life, the Air Jordan 5 Flight Suit saw breezy construction highlighted by horizontal striping. While MJ donned the design in ads and at appearances, Will Smith gave juice to the jumpsuit on “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.” Similar to another MJ known for his flashy jackets, this pair popped with personality via zipper features that offered a sleeveless look.
The Air Jordan 6
Image via DeFY New York
More mundane than previous pairings, the Air Jordan 6 Flight Suit featured above kept things simple and streamlined, making the most of the stark contrast between black and infrared tones. In general, 1991 saw more Flight Suits for Force Camp athletes like David Robinson and more of an emphasis on tees, tanks and pairing long sleeve tops with shorts.
The Air Jordan 7
photo via Rakuten
If the Air Jordan 6 played it safe in suiting, the Air Jordan 7 took a sharp and loud left. Sporting styling straight from the shoe’s tongue and sole, both full-zip and pullover options up top spoke more to the sneaker than earlier installments. Brought back to the market on a couple occasions, retro iterations trended more towards track jackets of the time in cut and composition, still playing off the jagged lines of the OG.
The Air Jordan 8
photo via Flattophitop!
While Drizzy donned Air Jordan 8s of his own inspiration with a Flight Suit at last night’s OVO Fest, his Flight Suit was really more AJ1 than AJ8. The companion to the fuzzy tongued high tops from 1993 was bold in graphics and in hue. If you’re reading this JB, it’s not too late to put these out with this holiday season’s “Aqua” retro.
Later Launches & Other Homages
As materials would evolve, so would sportswear. While the Flight Suit as we know it would in some ways be discontinued as windbreakers went out of vogue in the late 90s, a similar concept would be applied later on with the likes of velour and other alternatives. More geared towards luxury loungewear than conceptual clothing, the sweatsuit wave would more or less wash out the Flight Suit. Nevertheless, as retro Jordans became popular in the 2000s, rehashed takes on the Flight Suit concept would eventually come back from JB and also be homaged by designers that grew up on sportswear.
photos via The Go Figure/Bodega
Vintage voyagers like Dr. Romanelli and Don C have kept the Flight Suit, or more commonly the Flight Jacket, alive in different manners. Romanelli became a fan favorite in the 2000s by cutting up vintage Flight Jackets and redressing them as new jackets of the wearable collage variety. Don C released an homage to older AJ apparel with the matching jacket that dropped with his Jus Don x Air Jordan 2 collaboration.
left and right photos via @robertle1, middle photo via @nigel_d
So, does Drake have a chance to bring back the Flight Suit as a mainstream fashion mainstay? It’s definitely possible. History tells us that when the hottest rapper in the game takes a style risk, they might at first be mocked (think Kanye in long tees) but they will eventually be mimicked at length (again, think Kanye in long tees, pun intended).
While Drake doesn’t have the fashion pedigree of say Yeezy or A$AP Rocky, his spot at the top of the totem poll makes him a fashion fixture off top. This has proved true for previous crown holders as well. While Jay Z has always kept it clean, comfortable and pretty par for the course over his career fashion wise, the times he did take risks (throwing out throwbacks and bringing in button downs) the general public took notice and changed clothes. Much like Big Homie, Drake has hit another peak. He’s got the juice right now in regard to the music, with the JB deal and OVO outfitters to match. Could Flight Suits be the next big leap for Jordan Brand and land Drake his first fashion hit? As for now no tellin’, but we’re down for a bringback.
