Cross Colours

Carl Jones and TJ Walker founded Cross Colours in 1989. The brand became known for its baggy fits and bright colors. The designs were inspired by hip-hop culture and Black cultural pride. To differentiate from the movie Colors that was out at the time, the founders chose the European spelling ’colours’ with the letter u.

The first designs were inspired by a long subway ride in NYC. Jones and Walker noticed all the kids wearing baggy pants that they belted – they decided to create jeans with size 38 body but with a size 32 waist. To complete the look, they added an oversized jacket and t-shirts. Soon the whole collection was oversized. After their biggest retail partner at the time, Merry-Go-Round, went bankrupt, Jones and Walker had to close their business. In 2014 they relaunched after noticing a growing demand for their vintage items.