It seems strange now that hip-hop was once fashion’s rejected child, obsessed with brands but largely locked out of the party. Now, rappers front campaigns for the world’s biggest fashion houses, snap up most of the front row spots and take home all the gongs on award show red carpets, even if they’re still not being recognised enough on-stage.

Without rap’s rise there would be no high-end streetwear, no mixing of skate brands and couture. There wouldn’t be a black designer at the helm of Louis Vuitton. And fashion would be a worse place for it, these best-dressed lists still populated by actors in suits in varying shades of grey and navy. Instead, thanks to hip-hop fashion, menswear is everything, colour and pattern, silks and chiffon, a riot of fun and individuality. And these are the men driving the change, who’ve shown that, with a give-no-fucks approach to getting dressed, the rules of what goes with what don’t have to mean anything.

Kanye West

We almost disqualified Kanye this year for some seriously off-base accessories choices. But when he wasn’t wearing that hat, he showcased a style that’s shifted gears from look-at-me to quietly confident. We’ll wait until his id catches up. In the meantime, he remains a breaker of brands and an instigator of trends – he led the charge on neon and we’re waiting to see how many copy his NYFW tuxedo and sandals look – although this year he also showcased a dadsier side to his wardrobe, albeit still distinguished by things like Gosha x Carhartt work jackets and one-of-one sneakers. Fingers crossed he loses the MAGA collab for 2019.

Travis Scott

This was the year that Travis Scott transitioned from a man with a good wardrobe into a full-blown fashion killer. Perhaps it’s the confidence that comes with becoming a father, or notching your second number one album, but in 2018 his everything-at-once approach transformed into an inch-perfect mixing of high and low fashion, of on-point collaborations, of murdered-out Alexander Wang military-wear at the Met Gala. A year ago, his psychedelic vibe would have put him near the bottom of the list for a Saint Laurent campaign. This year, who else would they choose?