Originally published to accompany the Black British Style exhibition in the Contemporary space at the V&A in Autumn 2004. The highly distinctive styles adopted by black men and women over the last fifty years have their origins in the African diaspora but they have also been moulded by politics, cultural exchange and the desire of different social groups to forge a distinctive identity. A mix of contributors lends a broad perspective, discussing the contributions of West African, Jamaican, African-American cultures, identities and figures to the black British style scene. Hip-hop music, indigenous textiles, slavery, gospel singers, carnivals and street markets, are all some of the influences cited in the essays. With such wonderful aesthetic diversity and vibrant individual style, the multiple strands of creativity are generously woven together and re-interpreted to produce a style, exhibition and this book, which has its own unique voice.