This ‘African-American Alumni’ cotton sweatshirt formed part of an outfit put together by photographer and DJ Normski and hiphop clothing suppliers Four Star General 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 ‘Zulu Nation’ baseball cap; a ‘Four Star General’ cotton and corduroy jacket and trousers; the sweatshirt; three pendants and ‘Timberland’ leather boots. The outfit reflected a style of ‘Afrocentric B-Boy’ dress worn by young men in Britain around 1990.

‘Afrocentric’ describes the celebration of African culture by African-Americans in the late 1980s. The movement was popularised by US bands such as Arrested Development, Jungle Brothers and A Tribe Called Quest whose clothes and accessories reflected their African heritage. This outfit includes a pendant in the shape of the African continent, a jacket and trousers with kente-cloth style edging and a string of ‘trade beads’ (glass beads historically made in Europe for trade in West Africa).

‘B-Boy’ was the name given to young, urban African-Americans associated with the Rap and Hip-Hop scene. The term came into usage in Britain through hit singles by Run DMC and the Beastie Boys. It was associated with labelled sports clothes, specific brands of trainers, baseball caps and chunky jewellery.