Carl Kani
May 23, 1968
CEO and Founder of Carl Kani Clothing and Accessories
Award-winning Hip Hop Urban Fashion Designer
Carl Williams, the son of a Costa Rican mom and a Panamanian dad, comes from a modest family in Brooklyn, New York.
The Company was founded in 1989 in Los Angeles California by Carl Williams. He was the first black man to launch a Hip Hop Fashion brand. Doing so with his vision and passion for the art of fashion it made him one of the 100 richest African-Americans in 1996 according to People Magazine.
Karl began a trend of merging hip-hop with fashion. He spotted an area in the market that was completely ignored and not taken seriously as a major fashion statement. Incorporating this design with high fashion paved the way for luxury urban fashions today.
Karl inspired many others to follow in his footsteps and be entrepreneurs.
In 1994, Williams used $500,000 in profits to launch his company Karl Kani Infinity a sister brand, Kani Ladies was launched in 2001.
Karl Kani Big & Tall
The idea for the Big & Tall line came to Kani after numerous conversations with NBA stars, who complained that they could not fit into much of his merchandise. Big and tall people are just as fashion-conscious so Karl launched his line in mid-1995 in Big & Tall stores around the country.
Carl went into a major deal that almost made him go into bankruptcy. He purchased back the rights to his name with full ownership and reinvented the Carl Kani Brand. Through his perseverance, he pulled through. He gained the respect even more for the brand has withstood the test of time. The majority of his business is international. He is focusing on the domestic market today.
To his note Kani, the last name which he took on meaning was “can I make it”. Well he did leave New York inner-city relocating to LA with only a few thousand dollars by his vision and passion, Many major artists have supported his looks from Tupak, Biggie Smalls, Allyiah, and many more. He is still today respected as the Godfather of Hip Hop Urban Streetwear and accessories which is valued approximately at 100 million.
A Bio Documentary is in the works and will be coming soon.
Awards
Black Enterprise Magazine named Karl Kani-Infinity Corporation the most successful African American-owned firms worldwide in 1996.
In 2002 Carl was honored with an ‘Urban Fashion Pioneer Award’ for his lifetime achievements during the Urban Fashion Awards.
Resource Forbes, Black Enterprise, Ebony, New York Times, WWD, Variety, Associated Press, Barrons, Voice.