Item 2023.10 - Soul II Soul Hooded Top

Soul II Soul is a British musical collective formed by Jazzie B (Trevor Beresford Romeo) (b. 1963). They opened a clothing and records shop in Camden in 1982. The Camden store was the first of three London locations that sold the Soul II Soul clothing collection. By the mid-1980s, the Camden store had developed into a mecca for Soul II Soul fans, musicians and DJs looking for Funki Dred (an illustration based on a cartoon by Derek Yates that became an identifiable image for the label) clothing, sound equipment and records. Soul II Soul expanded their retail business, adding a store on Tottenham Court Road and one in Camden High Street which sold the brand’s record and clothing stock. These included leather jackets, belt packs and long shirts with a drawstring hood made of a lightweight fabric. In 1990 the group's live shows would often start with a fashion show. In 1992 there were plans to expand the brand’s retail presence by launching a chain of franchise outlets, with plans to open another store in London and one in Manchester before expanding to fifty throughout the UK. However, the London stores shut in the mid-1990s.
The brand was relaunched in 2009 with a small capsule collection for Spring Summer 2010, consisting of T-shirts, sweats, jackets and accessories. In April 2013, Jazzie B launched the Soul II Soul ‘Classics’ Collection at Harvey Nichols in London. The

Classics Collection featured T-shirts and sweatshirts with Soul II Soul’s Funki Dred logo. In 2023 Soul II Soul continue to sell its clothing range online.
Sources: Design Week; Drapers; The New York Times; The Washington Post.