Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection

Object Timeline

1984	Work on this object began.
2019	We photographed this object.
2020	We exhibited this object.
2021	We acquired this object.
2025	You found it!

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection

This is a Drawing. It was designed by Willi Smith and made for WilliWear Ltd..

This object is not part of the Cooper Hewitt's permanent collection. It was able to spend time at the museum on loan from Bill Bonnell as part of Willi Smith: Street Couture.

It is dated 1984 and we acquired it in 2021. Its medium is pen and ink, graphite on paper. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.

"Willi and I came up in fashion together. We were like brothers. When we were young, Willi would show me photographs of a shirt, pants, blazer, and I would ask, ‘Why would you want to make that stuff?’ He would respond, ‘Alvin, I want to dress people in the streets.’ Willi created pedestrian clothes—clothes for the average person. He always told me that he strove to be the ‘designer of the people.’"

—Alvin Bell, designer

This object was donated by Bill Bonnell. It is credited Gift of Bill Bonnell.

Its dimensions are

H x W: 27.9 × 21.6 cm (11 in. × 8 1/2 in.)

Cite this object as

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection; Designed by Willi Smith; Made for WilliWear Ltd.; pen and ink, graphite on paper; H x W: 27.9 × 21.6 cm (11 in. × 8 1/2 in.) ; Gift of Bill Bonnell; 2021-35-8

This object was previously on display as a part of the exhibition Willi Smith: Street Couture.

Accession Number 2021-35-8
Object ID 2318802381