Karl Kani

Carl Williams founded Karl Kani in 1989. Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, Williams’ personal style was heavily inspired by hip-hop culture but he wasn’t always able to find the clothes he was looking for. Instead of simply switching up his look, Williams began making his own clothing. Soon enough, friends and neighbors began to take notice and ask that he make pieces for them as well. As the orders increased, Williams felt more confident that he could start his own brand. Eventually he changed his name to Karl Kani and moved to Los Angeles in order to commit to the project and pursue his passion seriously. The move proved to be successful as Karl Kani became one of the biggest streetwear brands in hip-hop, with a variety of stars supporting the brand—including Tupac Shakur. The fact that the brand was Black owned helped Karl Kani became the brand of ’90s hip-hop and inspired many Black entrepreneurs to follow Kani into the streetwear space, which led to the creation of FUBU, Rocawear and Sean John, among many others. While it has been many years since Karl Kani was in the spotlight, the brand has made a return in recent years thanks to nostalgia for the style of the ’90s and early-2000s.

How old is Karl Kani?
Karl Kani was born on May 23, 1968.

What year did Karl Kani come out?
Karl Kani was founded in 1989.

Who owns Karl Kani?
Karl Kani remains the owner of the brand Karl Kani.