# Cross Colours

> Cross Colours is the Los Angeles streetwear label Carl Jones and Thomas "TJ" Walker founded in 1989 around a deceptively simple proposition: make the oversized clothes Black teenagers were already inventing, color them loudly, and print a social conscience directly onto the garment. Its red, black, green and yellow sportswear became a visual language for early-1990s hip-hop, then the company faltered under overproduction, operational strain and retail concentration before its founders revived it for a second generation. Today it sells apparel and accessories directly online and through retailers, while extending its archive through artist, entertainment and licensing collaborations.

- **Founded:** 1989
- **Headquarters:** Manhattan Beach, United States
- **Founders:** Carl Jones (Co-founder), Thomas "TJ" Walker (Co-founder and designer)
- **Team size:** Approximately 22 employees according to the supplied Apollo record; no current company-confirmed headcount was found.
- **Products:** Retro and contemporary apparel, Accessories and lifestyle goods, Limited-edition collaborations, CXC Atelier
- **Notable:** Turned a subway observation - young people belting oversized pants - into a mass-market silhouette associated with early-1990s hip-hop., Shipped a reported $15 million in orders less than a year after launch and employed 75 people in a 30,000-square-foot facility, according to a 1994 Los Angeles Times account., The founders say a $300,000 personal investment in a MAGIC trade-show presentation produced close to $20 million in orders.

## Products & services

- **Retro and contemporary apparel** — Graphic T-shirts, denim, hoodies, jackets, rugbys, polos, shorts, overalls and women’s styles that combine oversized 1990s references with current fits.
- **Accessories and lifestyle goods** — Hats, jewelry, footwear, underwear, skate decks, basketballs and gift cards sold through the brand’s online shop.
- **Limited-edition collaborations** — Licensed and co-branded capsules involving musicians, films, artists and brands, including Tupac, TLC members, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, LL Cool J, Barbie, Ethika and Boyz N the Hood.
- **CXC Atelier** — Limited wearable-art pieces handcrafted in Los Angeles using painting, photography, stencils, screen printing, embroidery, dyeing, leatherwork and studding.

## Achievements

- Turned a subway observation - young people belting oversized pants - into a mass-market silhouette associated with early-1990s hip-hop.
- Shipped a reported $15 million in orders less than a year after launch and employed 75 people in a 30,000-square-foot facility, according to a 1994 Los Angeles Times account.
- The founders say a $300,000 personal investment in a MAGIC trade-show presentation produced close to $20 million in orders.
- Won CaliforniaMart Rising Star recognition in 1992 and again in 1993.
- Was worn by Will Smith, TLC, Tupac Shakur, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, Stevie Wonder and other highly visible performers.
- Became the subject of the 2019-2020 California African American Museum exhibition Cross Colours: Black Fashion in the 20th Century.
- Returned under its original founders in 2014 after about two decades of dormancy.
- Extended the brand through collaborations and retail placements spanning The Hundreds, Sony Pictures, Nordstrom, Ethika and Barbie.

## Latest updates

- **2024-06** — Cross Colours appointed Licensing Haüs as its exclusive licensing agency to pursue new product categories and territories.
- **2024-02** — Cross Colours and Barbie presented a Black History Month fashion editorial built around diversity, inclusion and the brand’s archive.
- **2023-08** — Ethika and Cross Colours released men’s and women’s styles celebrating 50 years of hip-hop.
- **2021-09** — The brand appeared in a Nordstrom New York flagship pop-up and released a 30-piece Boyz N the Hood anniversary collaboration with Sony Pictures.

## Links

- Website: https://crosscolours.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cross-colours
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/CrossColoursLA
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiry1im1ItWIXq8H6W0qXPg
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crosscoloursla/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CrossColoursLA/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/cross-colours
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-09-16