Michigan Avenue - Niche Media - Michigan Avenue magazine is a luxury lifestyle magazine centered around Chicago’s finest people, events, fashion, health & beauty, fine dining & more!
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/786768
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BRYAN ALLEN LAMB (CONCERT); KENDRAKASH (PORTRAITS) HIP- HAUTE EFFORTLESSLY COOL CHICAGO M.C. MIC JEN INS SHOWCASES HIS SLICK STYLE TO LEGIONS OF FANS ON INSTAGRAM. BY STEPHEN OSTROWSKI Eclectic aesthetic: Chicago hip-hop star-in-the-making Mick Jenkins' Instagram showcases his high-meets-low style with pics like (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) a chic shot in the courtyard of the Fourth Presbyterian Church on Michigan Avenue; a concert scene from Brussels, Belgium during his fall 2016 European tour; and a portrait at the Garfield Park Conservatory in December 2016. A Lollapalooza veteran with a raved-about 2016 debut album, The Healing Component, under his belt, Chicago rapper Mick Jenkins is heralded as one of the genre's most promis- ing talents. But that's hardly the message the Pilsen resident broadcasts to his 132,000 Instagram followers (@mickjenkins). "I care more about the user experience," the 25-year-old wordsmith says. "I don't want to post eight pictures in a row about the tour dates I just did." Instead, Jenkins' feed illustrates his signature high- meets-low style in a candid— yet acutely choreographed— setting: Think navy prep staples modeled against a busy, blue-green tennis court, followed by hyper- trendy Yeezys draped over an understated staircase. It's a smart parallel to the fastidious craftsmanship typical of his wordplay, with lyrics referencing everything from life on |the South Side to photog- rapher Annie Liebovitz. For Jenkins, whose style muses include hip-hop dandies André 3000 and Mos Def, it's a natural evolution: "That's just been my whole life. I was doing stuff like that on Facebook before there was Instagram." As his appeal widens—he kicked off 2017 with shows in Australia and New Zealand— Jenkins' tastes remain rooted in local tastemakers like Penelope's and Una Mae's in Wicker Park and Mankind in West Town. But unlike his entendre- laden lyrics, he insists his style is independent of any message. "I'm just getting dressed," he laughs. . 6 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM FULL FRONTAL