Dad style doesn’t have to mean flubbish sweaters or awkwardly fitting jeans. Take Ninja, of the South African rap group Die Antwoord who has been putting a freaky bite into the concept of paternal style for years. And, as of late, the father has become a bit of a runway sensation. Already a regular at Alexander Wang shows with bandmate Yolandi Visser, Ninja went to the Spring 2017 runway show with his daughter Sixteen Jones instead, and starred solo in the season s campaign, wearing an unbuttoned pert blue shirt to reveal a chest of his tattoos, and a matching pair of boxer shorts.
Even when he’s not flashing his gold cap–flecked smile for designers, his off-duty style still boasts that same crude and lewd appeal: crotch grabs in loose velour basketball sweats, shirtless moments in a highlighter orange Die Antwoord tracksuit, and an illegal, dagger-tipped brass knuckle accessory to go with his signature scowl.
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His laze-about, slightly sleazy, and sand-strewn XXL style was right in line with Wang’s Spring 2017 slacker, beach bum–theme collection. Ninja s look is also reminiscent of the more recent Fall 2017 menswear collections like Palm Angels and Malibu 1992, which both showed a bevy of suburban outcast, mall-loitering looks. But Ninja’s getups aren’t all plucked from a T-shirt mart discount rack; many can, in fact, be chicly pared back, too: Note his dapper look in a white Alexander Wang tee, tailored pants, and Gucci fur slippers. But no matter how polished he presents himself, the loudmouth rapper won’t forget his roots: His live snake necklace is Zef Side to the core, while his sock-and-slide combo will give other dads a run for their money.