訪問/INTERVIEW : JORDAN LEE COMMANDEUR
撰文/CHINESE : JIN TAO
攝影/PHOTOS : JAMEL SHABAZZ
SPECIAL THANKS TO APRIL WALKER

說到嘻哈時尚，沒什麼能比Cross Colors, Karl Kani和Walker Wear這些90年代初的品牌所展示的鮮豔色彩以及粗獷牛仔更具有代表性了。這些獨樹一幟的品牌為獨立都市時尚奠定了穩固的基礎。如果沒有他們，我們永遠都不會看到像Phat Farm，Ecko，FUBU以及Rocawear這樣層出不窮的成功案例。而當今的設計師們也注意到，那些早期的品牌對如今的時尚秀場仍有著不可小覷的影響。

我們有幸邀請到設計師兼企業家April Walker，關於她的品牌Walker Wear以及入行30多年的時尚感悟進行一次深入的對話。

When it comes to Hip-Hop fashion, nothing is more definitive than the bright colours and rugged denims of early ‘90s brands like Cross Colors, Karl Kani, and Walker Wear. These distinct entities formed the basis for independent urban fashion. Without them we never would have seen success stories like Phat Farm, Ecko, FUBU, and Rocawear. And current designers take note, those early labels are having significant influence on the runway right now.

We sat down for some real talk with designer and entrepreneur April Walker about her line, Walker Wear, and 30+ years in the fashion game.

< English continued after the Chinese below >

SPITGAN ：說到Walker Wear，我首先想到的是Naughty By Nature, Run DMC和Biggie and Pac！這個強大的陣容想必能夠說明它的重要性以及它所面向的客戶群體。說到這其中的一些關係，這些偶像在說唱歌手開創個人服裝品牌之前都是你品牌的忠實代言呢。
April Walker ：我認為這（代言）很能說明一切。好吧，首先，我不得不說，他們那時還不是偶像，現在才是。或許Run DMC那時也是。

Biggie最初光顧Fashion In Effect，也就是我上世紀80年代第一家專賣店，那時他還是個孩子，而我也還年輕。他就住在附近。我店鋪開張的時候是一間看上去很酷的店。從塗鴉藝術到噴漆，到舞者，到周圍經過的孩子都會進來玩耍。這是一種文化，他會進來看看我們有什麼新鮮東西。於是，我們的友誼就在那裡萌芽了。我們從絲絨衛衣到經典翻版，到皮革大衣，所有一切他要的我們都有。當他和Bad Boy簽下第一張唱片時，我們早已經結下了深厚友誼。之後他仍穿著我們（服裝）並支援我們，我將我們視為同伴，相互扶持攜手邁進的同伴。我們都是彼此的強大後盾，與Pac的關係亦是如此。

我記得我第一次見到Pac是在Juice的現場，我算是一個劇務。那時我剛剛開店，我推出了一款我做的絲絨衛衣，戰略性地穿著它以引起人們注意（打聽這件衣服）。當然他（2Pac）也問了我。我給了他一張名片，但我直至Stretch拍攝BWP視頻時才又再見到他。BWP是No Face旗下的一支樂隊，而我是造型師，還有一家造型公司，我們在攝製現場又見面了，而他也記得我。所以，從那開始我便為他做了許多私人定制，造型，巡演上的東西等，從此結下了不解之緣。

我認為，能夠與一位正宗的演員合作並得到他做後盾（你的品牌），大門敞開之後，接下來的一切就如同滾雪球效應。我覺得Run DMC真正定義了我，因為他們對我的信賴。尤其是Jam Master Jay，他特別賣力地為我們做宣傳。我想這是因為他是真正站在我們身後的人，完全詮釋了品牌，他和Russell（Simmons）在一起是如此相得益彰……這就是所謂的「傳染性的行為」，也是我賦予它的稱呼。這就像是一首朗朗上口的搖滾？出口的話語，會自己生長，然後開花結果。他們對我們的文化都是如此重要，他們也都是非常傑出的演出者。Treach也是其中一位。我認為，機械師服對我來說真的意義非凡，也成為了他制服的一部分。他以那套機械師服以及大鏈子而著稱。對我來說，他可能是有史以來最好的M.C.之一。

我們，特別是對於誰來穿著我們的品牌都是非常，非常，非常謹慎的，當然在可控的範圍內。對於哪些演出者會穿著它，我心中如明鏡一般清楚，他們與穿著Tims的是同一撥人。我們希望看到他們成為我們生活方式的代表，我們堅信並努力履行著這一點。因此，我們不斷灌溉這一段段友誼，並全力支援他們。

SG ：關於你們的衣服被誰穿著有沒有發生過什麼瘋狂的故事呢？
AW ：我記得一次與Hype的合作（Williams）。他在我家裡做了他的第一支視頻。我把自己的公寓借給他為PM Dawn製作一支視頻。我不知道，他可能不太開心，因為他想要PM Dawn穿Walker Wear，這恰恰是我不讚同的一點。並不是說我不喜歡PM Dawn，但他們跟我們之前談到的人都很不一樣，Treach啊，2Pac啊，Biggie和Scarface穿起來真得十分妥當。所以我不希望冒險，我們剛才談到過一致性，我的品牌很注重這一點。如果你在商店購買的話，我不能阻止你，但是為與品牌概念不一致的藝人做私人訂制，那我們究竟要表達什麼？所以，我沒那麼做。我不知道，他們當時是否能明白我想要傳達的。這絕不是針對他們個人，因為我是他們的歌迷。但那個時候，與我們所做的主題真得不符。

SG ：在Walker Wear休業後，你開始為其它品牌做諮詢並承擔了一些重要職位。能談談你在Walker Wear之後的職業生涯嗎。
AW ：我停業Walker Wear之後，休息了一段時間，並做了Lilith巡迴展。我在夏季做了Erykah Badu的銷售策劃，與Sarah McLaughlin，Erykah Badu和Meshell N’Degeocello一同旅行。那是一次難忘的愉快巡迴展。可能是我做過最好的巡迴。

夏天就是這些，然後我回來做了一部獨立電影叫紅心之王。我一直想做定制衣櫥，所以我做到了。當你腦海中不斷有靈感盤旋，當你做到這些的時候，豈不是很有趣？
之後，我成了Phat Farm的副總，負責Russell所有系列商品。我做了所有商品授權……他的公司授權很完善。我的工作是確保所有持牌人按時繳納版權費，貫徹品牌的一致性，並在視野包括商標方面保持平穩的發展趨勢，我們做了大量的工作。

我完成了那些之後離開了，又回去了，開始負責AND1的女裝部門，我在那裡待了一段時間。在那之後，我又投入了寵物行業……那是截然不同的職業！ （我們）開啟了全天然精品店的業務，從時裝到零食應有盡有。我們還自主開發了寵物零食，接著又發展成為了家族寵物食品公司DUMBO，坐落于Park Slope，布魯克林，目前在格林堡。

2005年，我開始代理工作。第一次是為Makaveli代理。他們（Tupac家族）旗下和Willie Esco的Makaveli的商標，基本上，我開啟了他們的女裝系列。之後我接到了大量的工作，逐漸開啟了Walker集團，一直持續至今。我們接過許多創意客戶。從電子配件到英國的Money Clothing我們擁有眾多客戶類型，與他們合作是很榮幸的事，但問題是，我發現他們中的一些不願聽或不接受你提出的意見，我會對自己說，如果我有一個品牌，我會這樣做…！其實我有啊，我有Walker Wear的品牌資產！這是一個絕佳時機，並且我現在有一個數位平臺，這樣我可以繞過繁瑣中間人，直接傳遞我自己的訊息。那時，我萌生了回歸的念頭，並想彌補這些年落下的差距。在這個文化圈子裡， X代和Y代之間存在不斷擴大的差距，需要以對話的形式彌補。我覺得我們都有很多可以相互學習的地方。因此我通過時尚這塊畫布來達成這一點，並以這種方式貢獻我自己。

SG ：想必你對紐約黑幫Lo-Lifes也是有所耳聞。
AW ：是的。

SG ：嗯，較著名的成員之一，Rack-Lo，曾經為我工作過的一家出版社撰過稿，他的信念是時尚是嘻哈的第五元素。對此你怎麼看？你怎麼看待都市時尚呢？我覺得，的確，都市時尚的界限已經日漸模糊了。
AW ：是的，毫無疑問。我認為這是生活方式，生活方式不會永遠一成不變，我們都是在不斷進化的人類。我想它確實能夠被看作成第五元素，但我個人而言，我始終相信進化論。甚至我抱怨音樂，不希望它還在重複20世紀90年代的內容。我只是不想它永遠都是一樣的，我想它變得更好。我想一旦我們打下了穩固的基礎，便可在此之上不斷完善。我認為，尤其是時尚，是週期性的。它在世界各地轉來轉去。它可能會稍微改變一點混入一些別的元素，但不難發現它又回來了。我覺得這一點是不會變的。我覺得應該改變的是，其所攜帶的能量會變化，增漲，或有所發展。所以我不認為這是週期性的，它會完全複製一遍再回歸嗎？一點改變都沒？我不知道。但能肯定的是，會有懷舊的情懷。因此，它可能有黑幫元素在裡面，但它可能不是完全一樣的東西……我看到Carhartt目前走高端路線，還有不少跨刀合作。

迷你詞彙表
Russell – Russell 「Rush」 Simmons，Def Jam，Phat Farm，Baby Phat的創始人之一
TIMS – Timberland靴子
Ghostwriter -全權為他人設計自己不獲得任何贊譽
Boosting –偷竊

五大時尚標籤
1. Carhartt
2. Ralph Lauren
3. G-Star
4. Levi’s
5. Walker Wear

< English continued below >

SPITGAN : When I think Walker Wear, I think Naughty By Nature, Run DMC, and Biggie and Pac! That is a major line-up and gives an idea of who was wearing your gear and how important it was. Speak about some of those relationships… and having all these icons endorse your brand before rappers started having their own clothing labels.
April Walker : I think it (endorsement) was everything. Well, first of all, I do have to say, they weren’t the icons that they all are now. Maybe Run DMC were.

Biggie started coming to Fashion In Effect, my first shop in the late ‘80s. He was still a kid and I was still young. He lived in my neighbourhood. When I opened my shop it was a cool shop. I had everything from graffiti artists to air-brushers, to dancers, to kids around the way would come and hang. It was kind of a culture thing, and he would come in and check out what we had. So, we started our relationship there. We sold everything from velour sweatsuits to knock-offs, to leather coats, so he started copping from us there. And when he got his first record deal with Bad Boy, we really had forged a good friendship. So, he kept rocking with us and supporting us. I think that we were peers, we were both on our way up at that time. So, we had a support system for each other. The same thing with Pac as well.

I remember I first met Pac on the Juice set, I was an extra. I had just opened my shop and I had on a velour sweatsuit, that I made, strategically so people would ask me (about it). And he (2Pac) asked me. I gave him a card but I didn’t see him again until Stretch brought him by a BWP video shoot. BWP was a group that was out at that time, that No Face had, and I was styling, I had a styling company. I met him on that set again and he remembered (me). So, from there I started making a lot of his custom stuff, and styling, and tours and stuff. We had a friendship until the end.

I think what happened is when a really dope, authentic artist co-signs and gets behind it (your brand), the doors open up, and there’s a snowball effect. I think Run DMC really set the tone for me because they believed in the brand. Especially Jam Master Jay, he just went hard for us. I think that because he was really behind the brand, in terms of representing it, and he was so cool with Russell (Simmons)… it’s called “contagious behaviour”, that’s what I call it. It’s like, what you rocking? Word of mouth, it just grows, and it just started popping off. They were all so important to our culture and they were all such great artists. Treach is another one. I think that mechanic suit really did a lot for me and became part of his uniform. He was known for that mechanic suit and that big chain. He’s probably one of the best emcees ever, to me.

We were very, very, very careful and particular about who wore our brand and who didn’t wear our brand, if we could control it. I was very aware of the kind of artist that was wearing it and it was consistent with the guy that wears Tims. It was a certain kind of person that we wanted to see represented in our lifestyle. We really believed in that. We wanted to stay authentic and true to that. So, we really tried to cultivate those relationships and support them.

SG : What’s the craziest story you have about the clothes being worn or not being worn by someone?
AW : I remember one time I was working with Hype (Williams). He did his first video in my house. We lent him my apartment to do a PM Dawn video. I don’t know, he would probably say, no, but I think he got really upset because he wanted PM Dawn to wear Walker Wear and that was the only thing I wasn’t okay with. It wasn’t that I didn’t like PM Dawn, but they were so different than everybody we just talked about, Treach and 2Pac and Biggie and Scarface and the people that were rocking it. I didn’t want to take the chance. We just talked about consistency, I’m big on that with branding. If you buy it in the store, I don’t have a choice but am I going to make something customized and put it on an artist that is inconsistent with the branding of what we’re representing? No, I’m not going to do that. So, I didn’t. I don’t know if he got that at the time. I hope that wasn’t conveyed to them. If it was, it definitely wasn’t personal because I’m a fan of their music. It just didn’t fit what we were doing at that time.

SG : When you paused with Walker Wear, you started consulting for other labels and held some pretty major positions. Speak on your career after Walker Wear.
AW : When I stopped Walker Wear, I took a break, and did the Lilith Fair Tour. I did Erykah Badu’s merchandising for the summer and I travelled with Sarah McLaughlin and Erykah Badu and Meshell N’Degeocello. It was a really great tour. It was probably the best tour I’ve ever done.

I did that for the summer and I came back and I did an independent movie called King of Hearts. I always wanted to do costume wardrobing, so I did. You know how you romanticize something in your head but then when you do it, it isn’t as interesting?

After that I became the VP at Phat Farm for all of Russell’s divisions. I actually did all the licensing… his company was all licensed. My job was to make sure that all the licensees were doing everything from paying on time, to keeping the brand consistent and running smooth in terms of his vision, along with logos, etc. There was so many different things we were doing.

After I did that I left and I went and started a division for And1, a women’s division. I was there for a while. After that, I came back and I went into the pet business… totally different! (We) built up an all natural boutique business that had everything from fashion to food to treats. We actually formulated our own treats, then started our family treat company and a pet-sitting company in Brooklyn, Park Slope, DUMBO, and now Fort Greene.

In 2005 I started ghost-writing. The first ghost-writing I did in a while was for Makaveli. They (Tupac’s family) had a label called Makaveli with Willie Esco and I basically kicked off their women’s line. Then I started getting a lot of work, so opened up a Walker Group, which is still around now. We handle a lot of creative clients. We have worked with everything from electronic accessories to Money Clothing in the UK. Working with those clients is great but what I have found is that some of them don’t listen and take your advice, and I found myself saying, if I had a brand I would do this… And I’m like, you do! You have brand equity in Walker Wear! It was perfect timing and the compelling argument in my head was that I had a digital platform now and that was very exciting to me that I could bypass the middle man and just go speak from my soap box… direct messaging. There it is, that was my inspiration for coming back and also wanting to bridge the gap. So, being a part of the culture I see a widening gap between Generation X and Y, in terms of a conversation that needs to take place. I just feel like we have a lot to learn from each other. So, I want to use fashion as my canvas to do that, and contribute in that way.

SG : I’m sure you’re familiar with the Lo-Lifes, one of NYC infamous boosting crews.
AW : Yep.

SG : Well, one of the better known members, Rack-Lo, used to write for a publication I edited and it was his belief that fashion was Hip-Hop’s fifth element. How do you feel about that? And how do you feel about urban fashion now? Cuz, I mean, there doesn’t even seem to be a distinct urban fashion anymore.
AW : Right, no doubt. I think it’s lifestyle and I don’t think lifestyle stays stuck. I think we all evolve as people. I think it definitely could be considered the fifth element, but for me personally, I’ve always believed in evolution. Even when I complain about music, I don’t want it to necessarily be what it was in the ‘90s. I don’t just want it to be the same, I want it to be better. I think we lay down the foundation and we can keep getting better. I think, especially fashion, is cyclical. It comes around and goes around in circles. It might remix itself a bit but you will see the same style come back around. And I don’t think that’s ever going to change. With that said, I don’t think it should stay the same. I think it’s energy and changes and it grows and it evolves. But I do think it is cyclical and it will come back around. The exact same? I don’t know. But you will definitely have a bit of nostalgia. So, it might have elements of gangsta in it, or it might be gangsta but it might not be the exact same thing… or it might be. I see Carhartt right now on the high end… all these collabs going on.

Mini Glossary
Russell – Russell “Rush” Simmons, co-founder of Def Jam, Phat Farm, and Baby Phat
Tims – Timberland boots
Ghost-writing – designing for others without credit
Boosting – stealing

Top 5 Fashion Labels
1. Carhartt
2. Ralph Lauren
3. G-Star
4. Levi’s
5. Walker Wear