April Walker on Brooklyn Roots, Streetwear, and Building Legacy
This week on Mixed and Mastered, Jeffrey Sledge sits down with April Walker — fashion pioneer, cultural architect, and the founder of Walker Wear, one of the brands that helped define modern streetwear before it had a name.
April traces her journey from Bed-Stuy and Clinton Hill to the clubs, studios, and streets of ’80s New York, where hip-hop, style, and entrepreneurship collided. She breaks down how Walker Wear was built from the culture outward, the story behind her iconic WW logo, and how word-of-mouth turned her designs into a movement — from early hip-hop artists to Mike Tyson making history in the ring.
They also talk legacy: being a woman in a male-dominated industry, protecting her IP, walking away at the height of success, and what’s next as she approaches 40 years of Walker Wear.
This is Mixed and Mastered with April Walker.
