[April Walker]

JUST HANGIN' OUT IN THE EARLY DAYS OF STREETWEAR WITH AN APRIL WALKER ORIGINAL SWEATSHIRT

Custom made by streetwear pioneer, April Walker, the owner and creator of Walker Wear, the current lot is an original "Take a Chill Pill" baby blue sweatshirt designed for Main Source's "Just Hangin' Out" music video. The video debuted in 1991 and featured a selection of 'throwback' looks and cameos by artists from the early 1980s (when Walker was first hitting the fashion scene) and is an early example of Hip Hop's ability to look back at itself. The look is completed by a pair of sunglasses crafted to emulate a classic 80's shape coveted by Hip Hop enthusiasts.

As the first woman of color to create her own Hip Hop clothing line, Walker Wear, while simultaneously opening her own boutique, Walker is known for designs that would come to define the Hip Hop era. Beginning in the 1980s, Walker found herself energetically surrounded by other creatives in the culture, from break dancers to graffiti artists to rappers, all of whom would gravitate towards Walker's custom shop in Brooklyn. She secured endorsements and support from artists such as The Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac, dominating the male-heavy landscape of urban fashion. Designing original pieces for a clientele with their finger firmly on the style pulse, Walker also catered heavily to b-boys and b-girls, creating looks that were both comfortable and fashionable, two requirements in the ever-evolving space of streetwear.

Walker continues to design for her thriving Walker Wear brand and is the author of Walkergems, Get Your A$% Off The Couch. She’s been featured in the films Fresh Dressed and the award-winning 2019 documentary, The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion.

Provenance:

From the personal archive of April Walker

Condition Report:

To request a condition report for this lot, please contact pop@sothebys.com