Pendant
1988 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This gold metal dollar pendant 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 fake Gucci brown leather and nylon tracksuit, a fake Fendi leather and plastic baseball hat, a fake Louis Vuitton plastic and leather bumbag, the pendant, Nike Air Flight leather trainers (on loan) and sunglasses. The outfit reflected a 'B-Boy' style of dress worn by some young British men in 1988.
'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 particularly associated with labelled sports clothes, specific brands of trainers, baseball caps and chunky jewellery. Brand consciousness was an important part of the style and the conservative designs of coveted labels were individually customised to add 'street flavour'. Here the tracksuit, always a popular garment for B-Boys, was designed in what became known as 'ghetto couture' with fake Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton elements.
'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 particularly associated with labelled sports clothes, specific brands of trainers, baseball caps and chunky jewellery. Brand consciousness was an important part of the style and the conservative designs of coveted labels were individually customised to add 'street flavour'. Here the tracksuit, always a popular garment for B-Boys, was designed in what became known as 'ghetto couture' with fake Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton elements.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Gold-coloured metal |
| Brief description | Pendant, gold-coloured in form of US dollar, Four Star General, London, Great Britain, 1988 |
| Physical description | Gold-coloured pendant in the form of a US dollar sign. |
| Object history | Registered File number 1994/1708, Streetstyle exhibition 1994-1995, in the exhibition it was part of an outfit called 'Paid in Full B-Boy UK 1988' (includes the bumbag T.1028-1994, the baseball hat T.1029-1994, the sunglasses T.1030-1994, and the tracksuit: jacket T.1036-1994 and trousers T.1037-1994). |
| Historical context | 'Brown leather and nylon tracksuit, fake Gucci print; leather and plastic baseball hat, fake Fendi; plastic and leather bumbag, fake Louis Vuitton print; gold metal dollar pendant; leather trainers, Nike Air Flight; sunglasses. Brand consciousness and relentless competition amongst hip hoppers, in the mid to late 1980s, eventually led to individual customization. Tailors, the most famous being Dapper Dan in Harlem, New York, took the most expensive and conservative designs of coveted labels and added an extra twist of ‘street flavour’. Here the tracksuit, always a popular garment for B-Boys, was designed in what became known as ‘ghetto couture’ with fake Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton prints. Compiled by Normski and Four Star General. Trainers lent by Steve Pang.' |
| Summary | This gold metal dollar pendant 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 fake Gucci brown leather and nylon tracksuit, a fake Fendi leather and plastic baseball hat, a fake Louis Vuitton plastic and leather bumbag, the pendant, Nike Air Flight leather trainers (on loan) and sunglasses. The outfit reflected a 'B-Boy' style of dress worn by some young British men in 1988. '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 particularly associated with labelled sports clothes, specific brands of trainers, baseball caps and chunky jewellery. Brand consciousness was an important part of the style and the conservative designs of coveted labels were individually customised to add 'street flavour'. Here the tracksuit, always a popular garment for B-Boys, was designed in what became known as 'ghetto couture' with fake Gucci, Fendi and Louis Vuitton elements. |
| Bibliographic reference | Surfers, Soulies, Skinheads & Skaters : Subcultural Style from the Forties to the Nineties
Described in the exhibition publication, part of an outfit called 'Paid in Full B-Boy UK 1988'. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.1031-1994 |
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| Record created | August 8, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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