Maurice Malone's Spring 2004 collection runway show in Bryant Park, New York

Step back in time to September 14, 2003, when the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Spring 2004 lit up Bryant Park, New York. Detroit's Maurice Malone, who had been a Brooklyn resident since 1995, was already known as a trailblazer in urban hip-hop fashion from the early '90s.

Breaking new ground, Malone was a vanguard in the industry, being the first hip-hop designer to venture into the high-end fashion market with his own line of tailored clothing. His presence graced New York Fashion Week's runways from 1996 to 1999, infusing the designer scene with his distinctive edge. The Spring 2004 show marked Malone's return to the prestigious runway, this time in collaboration with his eyewear licensee, Moja, presenting a line that seamlessly blended streetwear with high fashion.

Noteworthy is Malone's early triumph in his runway career when he received a nomination for the Perry Ellis New Menswear Designer of the Year Award by the CFDA—an honor that heralded the rising acceptance of hip-hop influences in mainstream designer fashion. The footage from the event highlights Malone's re-emergence in the fashion week circuit after a brief sabbatical, debuting his Spring 2004 collection that captures his evolution in both men's and women's fashion.