This fake Gucci brown leather and nylon tracksuit 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 the tracksuit, a fake Fendi leather and plastic baseball hat, a fake Louis Vuitton plastic and leather bumbag, a gold metal dollar 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.