WilliWear Ltd. | People | Collection of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

We have 74 objects involving WilliWear Ltd. and this is page 1 of 3

A drawing composed of different shapes and figures which make up one figure. The bottom part of the figure is composed of 4 grey circular shapes which serve as wheels. On top of the wheels there is a burgundy colored rectangular platform. On top of the platform sits a trapezoid figure with a doorway facing the viewer. On the top of the trapezoid there is a cube which is divided into 2 parts. The left side has horizontal and alternatng white and grey stripes while the right side has a photograph of a man with glasses wearing a black and whit striped shirt. On top of the cube there are a half circle and pyramid shape with a blinking red light. Dividing the shapes is a flagpole with a flag divided into black and white squares. The black square has white text which reads WilliWear and the white square has black text which reads Willi Smith

Drawing, Design for WilliWear Store, Paris, France, 1987
black and red marking pen, crayon, collage on tracing paper.
Gift of Ken Friedman.
1997-19-126

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

Drawing, Design for WilliWear Store, Paris, France

Drawing, Design for WilliWear Store, Paris, France
black and red marking pen, crayon on tracing paper.
Gift of Ken Friedman.
1997-19-127-a,b

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.
There are 2 images of this object.

This black and white poster for WilliWear is divided vertically down the center, with the left half showing a stylized, illustrated black figure with a hat on a white background, and the right side shows the same image, upside down, with the same, stylized, illustrated white figure on black. Text on the torso of the left figure reads '19th St.' Text on the torso of the right figure, upside down, reads 5th Ave. At top, 'WilliWear' at left side of center line, and 'WilliSmith' at right. Below, the same text is inverted, and also shown upside down.

Poster, WilliWear Fifth Avenue Store, New York, ca. 1987
lithograph on paper.
Gift of Tibor Kalman/ M & Co..
1993-151-143

This object is part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design collection.

A bold, zebra print blazer on a smooth black mannequin.

Blazer
cotton.
s-e-3716

There are 6 images of this object.

Maquette, WilliView

Maquette, WilliView
collage on board.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-10

Maquette, WilliView

Maquette, WilliView
collage on board.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-9

Khaki-color shorts are partially covered by a white-colored top. Top is long-sleeved, covering torso, with backside extending to knee-length. Headpiece is turban-like and is colored light pink.

Shorts, 1985
cotton.
Created for exhibition.
s-e-3302

A cotton, cream colored, knee-length dress, with a high neck line, accented with a similar colored scarf tied around the neck

Dress
cotton.
s-e-3298

Runway Invitation

Runway Invitation
offset lithograph on paper.
Courtesy of Bill Bonnell.
60.2019.10

This brown blazer part of an entire outfit ensemble. Rich mahogany brown, it has loose lapels and two buttons along the hem, halfway up the jacket. It has horizontally straight, open pockets, and squared off front tails. The design includes brown horizontal stripe line segments all arranged in spaced-out grid. Worn on the outside of the outfit, there is a black beret on top, red jumpsuit, and t-shirt underneath.

Jumpsuit, 1976–80
cotton.
Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and....
24.2019.3

A photograph which is a digital print which shows the inside of a store. From left to right, the walls in the background ranges from different colors such as seaform green with white spots, a curved white plastic form which is connected to an orange door which leads to a plain seaform green wall. In the front of the green seaform with white there is a rack of clothes where different colored pants are located. On the other side, there are wooden shelves hung on the plain seaform wall which are of different lengths. The shelves appear to hold different types of sweaters/tops of all sizes. In the center of the room there is a table which is made up of two parts. The left side of the table is black with a hole cut in the center. In the nearest corner appears to be a TV monitor. This part of the table has two different legs (One made of plastic and brush while the other is 3 purple circular shapes). The right side of the table is a white counter and it has a plastic cutout of a flame attached to it. To the right of the table there is a black Victorian Style chair with the word HELLO emblazoned on the back in the white capital block letters. At the bottom of the photograph is a caption which reads: 'WILLIWEAR, 1987.Partial view of the furniture and interior design for a clothing store in Paris.'

Photograph, WilliWear Store, Paris, France, 1987
digital print on paper.
Courtesy of Ken Friedman.
s-e-3238

This outfit ensemble includes a pair of shorts, plaid jacket, and magenta sweatshirt. Despite each piece being a different color, the overall look has a pastel theme. The shorts have pockets and pale, yellow vertical stripes, the sweatshirt included is a hoodless, solid magenta-pink, and the jacket on top is multi-colored and colarless, almost resembling a cardigan. The shorts have no visible front buttons, but a visible left pocket. Included in the written description: “One day, Willi and I were driving in Bombay [now Mumbai], when he suddenly asked the driver to stop at a traffic circle: he loved the shorts the traffic policeman was wearing. He asked me to get the shorts for him and adapted these humble shorts, called the ‘Bombay Short’ in his next collection.”—Vijay Agarwal, chairman and founder, Creative Group Inc.

Shorts
cotton.
Courtesy of Doreen Ford-Wilde.
66.2019.3

There are 2 images of this object.

This outfit ensemble includes a pair of shorts, plaid jacket, and magenta sweatshirt. Despite each piece being a different color, the overall look has a pastel theme. The shorts have pockets and pale, yellow vertical stripes, the sweatshirt included is a hoodless, solid magenta-pink, and the jacket on top is multi-colored and colarless, almost resembling a cardigan. The shorts have no visible front buttons, but a visible left pocket. Included in the written description: “One day, Willi and I were driving in Bombay [now Mumbai], when he suddenly asked the driver to stop at a traffic circle: he loved the shorts the traffic policeman was wearing. He asked me to get the shorts for him and adapted these humble shorts, called the ‘Bombay Short’ in his next collection.”—Vijay Agarwal, chairman and founder, Creative Group Inc.

Jacket, 1984
cotton.
Courtesy of Doreen Ford-Wilde.
66.2019.2

This outfit ensemble includes a pair of shorts, plaid jacket, and magenta sweatshirt. Despite each piece being a different color, the overall look has a pastel theme. The shorts have pockets and pale, yellow vertical stripes, the sweatshirt included is a hoodless, solid magenta-pink, and the jacket on top is multi-colored and colarless, almost resembling a cardigan. The shorts have no visible front buttons, but a visible left pocket. Included in the written description: “One day, Willi and I were driving in Bombay [now Mumbai], when he suddenly asked the driver to stop at a traffic circle: he loved the shorts the traffic policeman was wearing. He asked me to get the shorts for him and adapted these humble shorts, called the ‘Bombay Short’ in his next collection.”—Vijay Agarwal, chairman and founder, Creative Group Inc.

Shirt, 1984
cotton.
Courtesy of Doreen Ford-Wilde.
66.2019.1

At the center, a white female with her face turned to her right side is smiling and caught in a dance-like motion, lifting her layered ankle-length skirt to keep her from stepping on the garment. She is dressed in a sleevless grey and white dress, partly layered (from the waist down) with a dark grey fabric. Accessories include an oven mit on her right hand and atop her head is semi-dried grassland flora. In a dimly lit setting, the white woman is surrounded by tall dried grass, 2 conga drummers behind her, 2 african-americans sitting on the floor beside her, and another black individual happily observing, all of which are dressed in clothing that compliments the main subject.

Runway Video, 1984
9:51 minutes.
Courtesy of Jorge Soccaras.
s-e-3292

This object was made by WilliWear Ltd..

Runway Video, 1983
15:52 minutes.
© 2019 The Museum of Modern Art, New York/ Scala, Florence.
s-e-3264

This object was made by WilliWear Ltd..

This object has not been digitized yet.

Model, WilliWear Harrods Boutique, London, England, 1983
wood, metal.
Courtesy of SITE.
61.2019.7

A long, wide-neck red shirt contains black graphics. Graphics are mostly inanimate objects displayed with smiling faces. This includes half-moons and kites, as well as other random vertical and horizontal and lines and circles, all black. The tan skirt covering it folds just above the waist and extends down, not quite the length of the shirt underneath it.

Shirt And Skirt
cotton.
65.2019.7a,b

A cotton, cream colored, knee-length dress, with a high neck line, accented with a similar colored scarf tied around the neck

Coat
cotton.
65.2019.5

There are 3 images of this object.

Khaki-color shorts are partially covered by a white-colored top. Top is long-sleeved, covering torso, with backside extending to knee-length. Headpiece is turban-like and is colored light pink.

Duster
cotton.
65.2019.4

This tri-color striped shirt is tucked into corduroy pants part of larger outfit ensemble. Its stripes are thick and a dark blue, beige, and black. Its collar pokes out from the top and bottom left front is untucked, falling in front of the pants. The torso of the shirt is underneath a plum sweater. The full outfit itself includes corduroy pants, a dark plum-colored sweater, a baby-pink scarf around the neck, with a long coat as an outerwear piece.

Pants
cotton.
65.2019.3

This tri-color striped shirt is tucked into corduroy pants part of larger outfit ensemble. Its stripes are thick and a dark blue, beige, and black. Its collar pokes out from the top and bottom left front is untucked, falling in front of the pants. The torso of the shirt is underneath a plum sweater. The full outfit itself includes corduroy pants, a dark plum-colored sweater, a baby-pink scarf around the neck, with a long coat as an outerwear piece.

Coat
waxed cotton.
65.2019.2

A cotton shirt and skirt ensemble. The shirt is a cream colored, button down with a standard collar, front pocket and with three quarter sleeves. The collar is open to the second button, and the overall fit is loose. An overall pattern of mint, mustard, forest green and maroon squares with contrasting two-tone capsules seems to float on the surface of the cream background. The shirt is gathered at the waist by a belt made of silver loops. A full, white, cotton mid-calf skirt with a bottom ruffle completes the outfit.

Shirt And Skirt
cotton.
65.2019.1a,b

There are 2 images of this object.

Vest
cotton.
64.2019.1

There are 5 images of this object.

Poster
offset lithograph on newsprint.
Courtesy of Bill Bonnell.
60.2019.9

A black and white drawing made with pen and ink. The interior of the boutique shows materials (such as wood planks, cabinets and ladders) that will be used to build storage spaces for materials and finished products, On the exterior there are images in white looking into the inside of the boutique. It gives the impression that the boutique is at street level.

Drawing, WilliWear Harrods Boutique, London, England, 1983
pen and ink, brush and wash on paper.
Courtesy of SITE.
61.2019.4

Narrow black lines run through the middle of the poster. Some are cutout pieces of paper, others are hand drawn. The word 'Couture' appears in black on the middle left side, the word 'Street' appears in the bottom right corner, in white lettering with black background. Both have a battered quality in their font. 'WilliWear' appears on the top left corner and 'WilliSmith' appears on the top right. Both have a more formal, clean quality in the font.

Poster, Street Couture, 1983
offset lithograph on newsprint mounted on board.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-2

This is a runway video by RB/Mavericks Motion Graphics, produced by Paul Garrin and photographed by Stephen Gary Wallis for WIlliWear. Running length is ten minutes and eighteen seconds.

Runway Video, 1984
10:18 minutes.
Courtesy of Smithsonian American Art Museum.
55.2019.2

This object was made by Paul Garrin.

In this black-and-white sketch, the subject has large, opaque sunglasses, rendering the eyes invisible. Subject looks to the left, donning a smile and revealing teeth. Subject has dark skin and a white, v-neck t-shirt.

Print, Portrait of Willi Smith
lithograph on paper.
Gift of Mark Bozek.
2021-28-3

There are 3 images of this object.

Black and white publicity photograph of two models, a young man and a young woman, in WIlliWear clothing taken by British photographer Max Vadukal circa 1984. On the left, a light skinned male model with medium length brown hair, stands slightly contraposto, looking off into the distance. His winter ensemble consists of a knee length trench-style coat in a salt and pepper tweed with large lapels, adjustable wrist bands and deep flap pockets, a long fringed woollen scarf wrapped loosely and tied at his throat, ribbed cotton or wool gloves and shiny black lace-up oxford shoes. His open coat reveals a medium toned WilliWear suit underneath, double breasted with straight legged trousers. The female model, of medium skin tone with dark jagged bangs, wears dark eyeshadow and is posed with eyes closed, one arm partially raised above her head and legs in a knock kneed position, as though in a trance or mid-dance. Her hair is covered by a scarf, and she wears a slightly baggier version of the salt and pepper tweed coat, with slouchy skirt/pants and top of coarse wool. She wears fabric covered slip on shoes with leather backs and ribbed, slouchy socks. The medium is a digital print on paper.

Publicity Photograph, 1984
digital print on paper.
Photography by Max Vadukul; courtesy of Bill Bonnell papers, Vignelli Center....
s-e-3232

Illustation in black ink on white paper. A man is wearing a causal outfit made up of different articles of clothing. The head is covered by a hat designed in a whipped style. The man is also wearing dark sunglasses that cover his eyes. The top part of the body is covered by a blousy type shirt while the bottom is covered by a pair of pants with big pockets in the front. The man has his hands in both of his pockets. The outfit is complemented by a pair of black shoes which appear to be sneakers.

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection, 1984
pen and ink, graphite on paper.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-7

Loose rendering in pencil and ink of man with a thick mustache and round framed glasses, wearing a winter ensemble including an oversized double breasted trench style coat suggesting a woven wool fabric with with large lapels, cuffed sleeves, hip pockets and an upturned collar. He wears ribbed gloves or mittens, and his open coat reveals a solid medium tone button down suit jacket, a dark shirt and contrasting dark tie, wide trousers, thick scrunchy socks and black oxford shoes.

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection, 1984
pen and ink, graphite on paper.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-6

Frontal view of a male figure in a scrunchy cloth cap, belted safari-style jacket, dark ribbed turtleneck sweater, wide leg pants, thick socks and dark tie leather shoes stands with his right arm extended as though leaning against a wall, his left hand in his pocket, and left leg akimbo, so that his left foot is behind his right leg. The figure looks right, has a thick dark moustach and wears dark sunglasses. The drawing of the jacket is cross-hatched, suggesting a tweed or coarse woven fabric. The thick leather belt has is loosely fastened with a square buckle at the hip, with excess leather hanging down four to six inches. The drawing style is loose and actiive. The medium is graphite pencil, pen and ink, and the drawing is signed Willi Smith in pencil diagonally just below the right knee.

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection, 1984
pen and ink, graphite on paper.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-5

Frontal view of a male figure dressed for cold weather, in hat, scarf, coat, gloves, pants, thick socks and heavy shoes. He stands in a contraposto pose, looking off to the right, has a thick dark moustache and wears sdark sun glasses. The outfit consist of a dark bowler style hat, long plaid scarf wrapped several times loosely about his neck, a medium toned, double breasted loose fitting trench-style coat with large shoulders, heavy gloves or mittens, hip pockets and a dark combination leather belt and harness that stretches up front to back on either side of the lapels. The pants are of similar fabric, baggy and cropped slightly above the dark shoes to reveal thick scrunched socks. The drawing style is loose and actiive. The medium is graphite pencil, pen and ink, and the drawing is signed Willi Smith in pencil diagonally just below the right knee.

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection, 1984
pen and ink, graphite on paper.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-4

Loosely drawn fashion illustration of a man with a mustache and sunglasses, wearing a large belted trench-style overcoat with a adjustable wrist straps and a thick leather belt. The man wears a dark wool scarf and gloves, barely visible under the coat, as well as a plain shirt, striped pants, thick socks and dark shoes. He is drawn in an active manner, walking brisquely towards our left, while looking off to the right. The medium is graphite pencil, pen and ink, and the drawing is signed Willi Smith in pencil diagonally just below the right knee.

Drawing, Menswear Illustration, SUB-Urban Fall 1984 Collection, 1984
pen and ink, graphite on paper.
Gift of Bill Bonnell.
2021-35-3