Interview: Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) on His New Clothing Line, Members of the Rage
A new commitment to pushing the boundaries of fashion
Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi is a man of extraordinary talent—whether he’s applying it to writing, directing, acting, or as many throughout the world have seen, performing on stage under the moniker Kid Cudi. Now, Mescudi adds designer to his growing list of accomplishments. Further, Mescudi recently earned an honorary masters degree from the Istituto Marangoni Miami (IMM), one of the top fashion and design schools in the world, thanks to his recently launched collection, Members of the Rage (MOTR). Much to the joy of his mother, who was sitting in the front row, Mescudi joined the long list of distinguished graduates from the IMM, with a degree that doesn’t just reflect his accomplishments in the world of fashion and design, but also his commitment to the next generation and to pushing the boundaries of fashion.
We were able to sit down with the recent graduate to chat about Members of the Rage and what the future holds for this enigmatic artist.
Tell us a little about Members of The Rage. How’d it come to be and what was the inspiration?
Members of the Rage kind of started around 2016. That was when I first attempted to get it started, and the samples I sent out came back terrible. I got discouraged for four or five years. It wasn’t until 2021, when I was in New Zealand working on a movie, and I was in quarantine for two weeks. I was like, I can’t be just sitting in this room not doing anything. I have to do something. I think I finally need to conjure up my clothing line and concept and figure out what it is.
During that time that two weeks, Members of the Rage was fully formed. I came up with the name and I reached out to Nigo at the time to help me out with the logo. It was truly just me wanting to do everything that encompasses Scott Mescudi; it’s everything that I’m about. I’m a 39-year-old man. I was raised in the nineties. I love that era. I kind of wanted to do something that fit along those lines and in that realm and mix it up with some new twists and put a new futurism stamp on it and just try to make it fun and playful.
We’re here celebrating your partnership with the incredible Istituto Marangoni Miami. What are you most excited about with this partnership?
Oh man, it is really crazy because when I walked off the stage after I got my master’s, the first thing the president of IMM says to me is that we have to do something else. He was like, “maybe we can come up with a scholarship in your name.” I was like, “holy shit. Yes. That’s perfect.” There are plenty of opportunities for me to come back to the school, connect with the kids, talk to them, maybe incorporate some of the designs into MOTR. There are so many different opportunities to connect with the youth.
What are you hoping a new generation will take away from this experience and Members of the Rage?
I want people to really understand that this is all passion. Everything I do is built off of passion. And if you’re really passionate about something, you’re willing to put in the work and the time to learn and grow, it will be so successful. I think that’s what a lot of young kids need to understand. There’s nothing better than betting on yourself—so bet on yourself. Really rise above all bullshit and show up and execute. That’s one thing that people have a problem doing: executing. People dream all day, but they don’t know how to execute a dream. That’s my skill set: I’m a master at executing a dream. I got here just working on that for over a decade.
You have such an amazing body of work outside of just music. Is this a new, distinct chapter of the Scott Mescudi universe that we know and love?
It’s a new distinct chapter, I would say, but it is definitely in a whole nother space than the music and film. It’s almost like I’m tapping into a new fan base, a new demographic.
What are your thoughts?