When the clothing brand Cross Colours emerged on the scene in the late 80s and early 90s, founders Carl Jones and Thomas “T.J” Walker couldn’t have imagined the impact it would have on the entertainment industry. From being seen on the hit television shows “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “In Living Color” to being embraced by the era’s biggest artists like Tupac and TLC, the street-wear brand revolutionized culture; bridging the world of hip-hop and the fashion industry. Now, the Los Angeles-based brand is making a comeback, thanks to an exhibit at California African American Museum (CAAM) – titled Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century – which runs until August 23, 2020.
The exhibit is the first of its kind to highlight the iconic brand, with a mixture of vintage clothing and accessories, video clips, advertisements from the 90s and the designers’ original notes and fabric samples. Not only is the exhibit a colorful celebration of the brand, but it aims to show it as a model of Black pride, solidarity, and community. After all, these very sentiments gave life to Cross Colours in the first place.
Thirty years ago, designers Jones and Walker had the idea to start a brand that would embody positive messaging around Black culture and display Afrocentrism. In 1989 as they founded the brand, the Reagan administration enforced unjust policies toward minorities with the war on drugs, skyrocketing levels of poverty and police brutality. With the tagline “clothing without prejudice”, the designers essentially offered wearable activism through fashion.
The idea for an exhibit came to the curators Tyree Boyd-Pates and Taylor Blythewood-Porter in 2018. The following year, Bruno Mars and Cardi B collaborated on a song called “Finesse” styled in Cross Colours. The timing was perfect! As we are living in a time that mirrors the sociopolitical turmoil that ensued during the 90s, this exhibit is not only birthed out of nostalgia but also necessity. The messages adorned on the brand’s clothes like “Unity Between Tribes” and “Love No Matter What Colour You Claim” are still relevant.
Today, the brand has come back to the fashion scene, comfortably finding a place among streetwear and vintage lovers. They have revamped their website, re-released iconic pieces such as a rugby sweatshirt seen on Tupac and have released new pieces.
Advocating for Black aesthetics and social justice are rarely championed in the fashion industry. Cross Colours has done so successfully since its inception. Thankfully, the Black-owned CC continues to be a positive influence for Pan-African folks.
Learn more about “Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century” online at www.caamuseum.org.