April Walker

“The person you want to become must be more important than the person you are.”

Trailblazer. Visionary. Culture shaper.

April Walker is a pioneering streetwear designer, entrepreneur, and the founder of Walker Wear, one of the first Black-owned urban fashion brands. Breaking into the male-dominated streetwear industry in the early ‘90s, she outfitted icons like Tupac, Biggie, and Jay-Z, helping shape the look of hip-hop culture. As a trailblazer, Walker paved the way for future generations of designers and continues to influence fashion, entrepreneurship, and culture today.

The Brooklyn native’s entrepreneurial senses kicked in as a teenager when she  started teaching gymnastics and selling t-shirts. At 21, she opened her first custom  shop, “Fashion In Effect” and launched a styling division, responsible for key looks, including what would come to be known as the with her work being donned by icons and she became one with Hip-Hop.

As an author, she’s penned her first five-star book, available on Amazon called “Walkergems, Get Your A$% Off The Couch”. The recipient of several fashion awards, her fashion journey has also been documented in history books and exhibited globally via Netflix’s “The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion”. Now, students at Pensole Lewis College of Business and Design in Detroit find April front-and-center as their muse. The college named an apparel design space after her, unveiling the April Walker Apparel Studio in 2024.