Kerwin Frost is the jester of the fashion-streetwear royal court – taking a seat at the table alongside Kanye et al, yet playing up the farcical nature of hype with his unique brand of gonzo comedy. The DJ first rose to internet prominence through his wild sense of style (a facial tattoo of a pencil and brightly coloured vintage clothes) as part of (currently inactive) creative crew Spaghetti Boys, who picked up notoriety for their Vine pranks, streetwear grail-filled Instagrams, and the mother of all co-signs in the form of a t-shirt collab with Virgil Abloh and Heron Preston.
Fast-forward four years, and Frost is the confidently out-there sidekick to the culture’s most-fêted figures. Whether showing up at Paris Fashion Week in Moncler x Craig Green, alarming Kris Jenner while dressed as Santa at the Kardashians’ Christmas party, or being commissioned by Kanye to create an irreverent on-the-ground video report at the Ye album listening in Wyoming, Kerwin’s always Kerwin. Think of him as a kind of hype Louis Theroux.
From his initial videos, Frost has expanded into full-length interviews, speaking to friends like Luka Sabbat, Lil Yachty, and Dev Hynes as part of his YouTube series Kerwin Frost Talks. 2019 will see him become a father for the first time: “Knowing that my child, Waffle Frost will be born very soon inspires me,” he says. “I am most looking forward to having a child and balancing my career with being an amazing father.”
Bella Gladman