Shorts thumbnail 1
Shorts thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Shorts

1994 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

These shorts formed part of an outfit put together for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of a baseball hat and shirt by Cross Colours and a denim jacket, jeans, these jersey shorts and boots by Karl Kani. It reflected a style of ‘B-Boy’ dress worn by some young African American and black British men in the early 1990s.

‘B-Boy’ was the name given to young, urban African Americans associated with the rap and hip-hop scene. Cross Colours and Karl Kani were two clothing brands associated with the subculture. Cross Colours was a hip-hop clothing brand created in 1990 in Los Angeles and marketed towards urban African American youth. Its products peaked in popularity between autumn 1992 and spring 1993. Designer Karl Kani made his name as a pioneer of baggy designer jeans and colourful shirts for black male youth in the early 1990s. He founded his own company, Karl Kani Infinity, in 1994.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Cotton jersey and elastic
Brief description
Shorts, black cotton jersey and elastic, Karl Kani, American, 1994
Physical description
Black cotton jersey and elastic shorts.
Dimensions
  • 0.24 weight: kg
Gallery label
Two very successful black Afro-American companies have, in the last few years, become popular amongst the B-Boy fraternity. Cross Colours, a 1990 LA-based clothing company, has been joined by Karl Kani, one of the latest labels to have gained street credibility. Inspired by the streets of Brooklyn, New York, Karl Kani the young African-American owner/designer is quoted as saying ‘follow your dreams, accomplish your goals, wear the clothing that represents the knowledge of African-American creativity that symbolises African-American unity, pride and peace’ Bought with the help of The Bad Apple. Boots given by Shelleys.(16 November 1994 - 19 February 1995)
Object history
Registered File number 1994/452, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, in the exhibition it was part of a 1993 B-Boy outfit that includes the jacket T.232-1994, the jeans T.233-1994, the shorts T.234-1994, the baseball hat T.239-1994, the shirt T.320-1994 and the boots T.631-1994).
Summary
These shorts formed part of an outfit put together for the exhibition Streetstyle, From Sidewalk to Catwalk, 1940 to Tomorrow held at the V&A in 1994-5. The complete outfit consisted of a baseball hat and shirt by Cross Colours and a denim jacket, jeans, these jersey shorts and boots by Karl Kani. It reflected a style of ‘B-Boy’ dress worn by some young African American and black British men in the early 1990s.

‘B-Boy’ was the name given to young, urban African Americans associated with the rap and hip-hop scene. Cross Colours and Karl Kani were two clothing brands associated with the subculture. Cross Colours was a hip-hop clothing brand created in 1990 in Los Angeles and marketed towards urban African American youth. Its products peaked in popularity between autumn 1992 and spring 1993. Designer Karl Kani made his name as a pioneer of baggy designer jeans and colourful shirts for black male youth in the early 1990s. He founded his own company, Karl Kani Infinity, in 1994.
Bibliographic reference
Surfers, Soulies, Skinheads & Skaters : Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties Not described in the exhibition publication.
Collection
Accession number
T.234-1994

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Record createdAugust 14, 2007
Record URL
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