Fashion inspo for Kendrick Lamar at Super Bowl

American rapper Kendrick Lamar will become the first solo rapper to headline the coveted Super Bowl halftime show in New Orleans on Sunday.

The 37-year-old musician, who just won big at the Grammy Awards at the weekend, will follow in the footsteps of Beyoncé, Rihanna, Usher, Katy Perry, Shakira, JLo, Janet Jackson and Lady Gaga.

The Super Bowl is the biggest game night in American sports with TV ratings soaring to over 100-million viewers on average. The halftime show is equally anticipated with a music headliner taking the spotlight with their biggest tunes.

All eyes will be on Lamar, loved for his hits Not Like Us, King Kunta, Money Trees and Swimming Pools. While the music will take centre-stage during the halftime performance, there will also be plenty of fashion moments.

Taking cue from the recent menswear autumn-winter 2025/2026 runway, SMag is playing fantasy dress-up with the dream fits we would love to see on K-Dot on stage.

Soft power

To juxtapose his nuanced set, we envision Lamar on the Dior menswear runway where models strutted in structural ensembles with soft tailoring. (Kristy Sparow)

The artist is known for his highly curated performances. His theatrical concerts fuse strong political messaging with contemporary dance and African-American stepping. To juxtapose his nuanced set, we envision Lamar on the Dior menswear runway where models strutted in structural ensembles with soft tailoring.

In particular, the showstopper was the runway closing look, where the model stunned in a dusty pink kimono embroidered with sparkling crystals and a matching blindfold. Too much? Okay, we can settle for the black version of the look.

Grammy-redo

We raise the stakes on his Canadian tuxedo rendition with a polished version that walked down the Louis Vuitton runway. (Francois Durand)

The recent Grammy red carpet style left many seeing double. To us, it served as a source of inspiration for this next look. We raise the stakes on his Canadian tuxedo rendition with a polished version that walked down the Louis Vuitton runway. The model looked suave in a denim checkerboard pattern the house is renowned for.

All chained out

We fell in love with K-dot's style with a classic suit with a buttoned-down shirt embellished with chains and jewellery (Vittorio Zunino Celotto)

Throwback to K-Dot’s red carpet outfits during 2016/2017, we fell in love with this style with a classic suit with a buttoned-down shirt embellished with chains and jewellery. Taking his notes, we think the Dolce & Gabbana classic silhouette would suit him. Complete with an open shirt, a chunky neckpiece and a satin necktie.

One-hit wonder

We personify Lamar’s infamous diss track Not Like Us with a style category inspired by the visuals from the music video, (Thierry Chesnot)

We personify Lamar’s infamous diss track Not Like Us with this style category. Inspired by the visuals from the music video, we envision him in white and blue, looking to Issey Miyake's menswear showcased which featured bold colourways in Japanese-inspired silhouettes.

K-dot's look is inspired by Issey Miyake's menswear showcased which featured bold colourways in Japanese-inspired silhouettes. (Thierry Chesnot)

Outfit change

We ring out the wardrobe selection with an element of surprise. Lamar seldom does outfit changes when he performs, however, should he be open we would outfit change with this laid-back colour clash number from Kenzo's autumn winter 2025/2026 runway collection. Are we spot-on?