The streetwear brand Patta has announced its first collaboration with BLKNWS, the innovative art project created by Los Angeles based filmmaker and artist Kahlil Joseph. Following the presentation of the BLKNWS installation at Patta Amsterdam during the Warmoe Biënnale.
The collaboration consists of two co-branded T-shirts featuring the signature Patta script logo alongside BLKNWS branding and the phrase “i.i.w.i.i.”, an initialism that invites interpretation while reflecting the project’s open-ended approach to meaning. Standing for “it is what it is”, the statement leaves room for personal perspective, mirroring BLKNWS’ ongoing examination of information, identity and contemporary culture.
BLKNWS Reimagines the Language of News and Media
Created by Kahlil Joseph, BLKNWS is a constantly evolving two-channel video installation that challenges traditional ideas of journalism and broadcast media. Blurring the boundaries between art, news, cultural criticism and visual storytelling, the project examines how information systems shape our understanding of race, history and society.
Rather than following a conventional news format, BLKNWS presents a constantly shifting stream of imagery, combining pop culture references, archival footage and everyday moments into a dynamic visual archive. Each installation remains connected to Joseph’s studio in real time, allowing new material to enter the work and ensuring every presentation becomes a unique, evolving experience.
Through this approach, BLKNWS transforms the idea of a news broadcast into something more fluid: part artwork, part cultural platform and part living archive.
Exploring Black Culture Through Art and Storytelling
Kahlil Joseph’s wider practice has consistently explored the relationship between music, memory, technology and identity. His debut essay film, BLKNWS: Terms & Conditions, expands on the original installation through a hypnotic combination of documentary, fiction and digital culture.
Inspired by W.E.B. Du Bois’ Encyclopedia Africana, a project with personal significance to Joseph’s family, the film explores Black history, creativity and contemporary life through an energetic montage of different media forms. TikTok clips, memes, music, academic discussions and archival references exist alongside a fictional Afrofuturistic narrative, creating a layered reflection on how stories are created and shared in the modern world.
This ability to connect different generations, formats and perspectives is central to BLKNWS, making the collaboration with Patta a natural meeting point between fashion, art and cultural commentary.
Patta x BLKNWS Release Information
The Patta x BLKNWS collaboration will be available exclusively at Patta Amsterdam on 17 July 2026. The limited release continues Patta’s ongoing commitment to collaborations that extend beyond fashion, bringing together communities across art, music, design and social conversation.
