Famed clothing designer Karl Kani, who is celebrating 25 years of success with his international brand, has teamed up with emerging director Sue Vannasing for the documentary “Karl Kani: The Originator” which will chronicle his career. Widely know for fusing hip-hop music and fashion, Kani has paved the way for several urban apparel brands to break into the industry and has been dubbed, “The Originator,” hence the film’s title.

The documentary will feature rare footage of Kani during his many years of building his fashion empire, with Kani sharing his personal story of breaking racial barriers, surviving ordeals of entrepreneurship and BECOMING the role model to so many of today’s A-list hip-hop influencers. Many celebrity friends of the Kani brand will make appearances throughout the documentary, discussing the impact Kani had in their lives firsthand personally and professionally.




“I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to visually bring the Karl Kani story to life. Karl has made an enormous contribution to not only the “urban” fashion industry, but also the fashion industry as a whole. Many do not know his full story or the challenges he’s faced. The inspiration and motivation this documentary will deliver is unparalleled,” said Vannasing.

Sue Vannasing is set to direct and produce the project through her company Dream Cloud Productions along with producers Darryll C. Scott and Luc-Richard Elie.

Karl Kani will serve as an Executive Producer on the documentary

Vannasing founded Dream Cloud Productions in 2015 to focus on producing projects that tell real stories about the under-represented.