Fashion community mourns Mac on social media
Mac Miller’s untimely death on Friday from an apparent drug overdose has prompted ripples of sadness felt far beyond Pittsburgh’s music scene. The rap star from Point Breeze also had a hand in influencing his hometown’s fashion scene.
In the early days of Miller’s career, it was common to see him sporting a T-shirt or ball cap with the words “Daily Bread” stamped on them. That’s the name of a Pittsburgh-based street-wear line by Bill Niels and Alex Avakian, both friends of the late musician. Daily Bread clothing is sold at 5450 Penn Ave., Friendship.
“Most of his videos up to ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’ ... I dressed him in most of them,” Mr. Niels told the Post-Gazette in 2012. As Miller’s YouTube hits and concert sales swelled, so did the exposure for Daily Bread tees, hats and hoodies.
“He always took me with him whenever he went on tour, and I’ve started to meet a lot bigger artists outside of Pittsburgh because of Mac,” Mr. Niels said at the time.
The brand posted several photos of Miller on its Instagram account (@DailyBread) over the weekend as a tribute.
“Just by being near you, I [was] given an opportunity in Daily Bread that completely reshaped my life and who I was,” Mr. Avakian shared in an Instagram post on Saturday. “You influenced the lives of so many young kids, but you also influenced my adulthood in the most radical of ways. If you didn’t exist I literally have no idea who I would be or what I would be doing.”
Matthew Noszka, a professional fashion model from Scott,
choked back tears in an IG TV video he posted on Instagram (@matthew_noszka) two days ago.
“Malcolm was someone I grew up admiring because he is from Pittsburgh,” he said, referring to Miller’s real name, Malcolm McCormick. “Me and my friends grew up pumping his music. He’s 26 years old. I’ll be 26 in October. It’s so crazy because we idolized you, bro.”
For others, the cyber memorials were summed up in a photo. Street-style photographer Chancelor Humphrey of Keep Pittsburgh Dope dug up a black-andwhite profile photo of Miller he took in 2015 and put it on social media with just the caption “RIP.”
A vigil for Miller’s friends and fans will begin at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Blue Slide Park in Squirrel Hill, followed by speakers at 7:30 p.m. and a candlelight ceremony at 9:30 p.m.
Sara Bauknecht: sbauknecht@post-gazette.com or on Twitter and Instagram @SaraB_PG.