Kid Cudi sent the Internet into a frenzy this weekend after he chose to pay tribute to former Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain on “Saturday Night Live.” Cudi could’ve easily performed a rendition of “Smells Like Teen Spirit” or covered another classic Nirvana song, but instead he took his homage to a different level.
During his second performance of the night, Cudi came onstage in a floral pattern custom Off-White dress equipped with sturdy spaghetti straps. He sang “Sad People” comfortably and even curtsied as the crowd applauded his performance.
Earlier in the night, he wore an olive green cardigan over a T-shirt with the late comedian Chris Farley on it. Fans quickly realized Cudi’s wardrobe choices weren’t just peculiar, they were actually part of a well thought out plan to honor one of his favorite musicians, who commit suicide 28 years ago on April 5.
Cobain wore the green cardigan during Nirvana’s MTV “Unplugged” and he wore a similar dress during a concert. Just to clear up any confusion, Cudi took to Twitter to explain his sartorial choices.
“Virgil designed the dress for me,” Cudi tweeted. I told him I wanted to show love to Kurt [with] a floral print sundress and this man made a masterpiece. Thank you @VirgilAbloh [your’e] a fucking genius!! Love you man, we did it!!!”
Cudi also revealed that the dress is part of an upcoming Off-White collection he’s curating. “I’m doin a collection [with] Off-White and the dress will be included!!” Virgil took to Instagram to praise Cudder as well. “Freedom is, as freedom does,” Abloh captioned his post. “Feel free. Off-White specially reserved for Mr. Rager Kid Cudi.”
In some circles, the Kids See Ghost artist is considered a fashion icon. He’s done an assortment of high-profile collaborations with brands such as Bape, 10 Deep, adidas, Louis Vuitton, and Abloh even designed Cudi’s “Mr. Rager” tour merch. Clearly, he’s unafraid of the public’s perception. Who can forget his epic 2014 Coachella performance where he arrived in skinny jean shorts and a crop top?
Check out Cudi’s “SNL” performance below.