For this blog post, I wanted to focus on the brand Baby Phat! Founded in 1999 by Kimora Lee Simmons, it was the womenswear division of Phat Fashion and was created after Kimora wanted a brand that was ‘for women, by women’ as she felt they had no voice in streetwear. As Baby Phat’s popularity grew, Kimora became one of the only women of color to show at a major fashion week and had celebrity endorsements from the likes of Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliott, and Aaliyah.

In 2009, Stardoll released a real brand store inspired by their Fall 2009 collection, along with a real celeb doll of Kimora!

Although Baby Phat fell off the radar after 2010, in 2019 Kimora announced that she was reviving the brand. The comeback campaign was fronted by her two daughters Aoki and Ming Lee, and that same year, Rihanna reportedly bought the whole Baby Phat archive from vintage dealer Gabriel Held. The revival ties-in with the current 2000s nostalgia trend, and the relaunch saw ‘00s classics such as baby tees, tank tops, and velour tracksuits (which they originally did two years before Juicy Couture first launched theirs) all bedazzled with the famous cat logo.

Onto my outfits, where I started with a party-inspired look. I chose this draped halter top which is perfect with the Baby Phat cat necklace and paired it with a denim miniskirt. I then added some hoops, a chain belt, gold heels, and a tiny pouch bag clipped to a belt loop. For my next outfit, I chose a pair of jeans with gold embroidery. A ‘00s trend was to pair a dressy top with jeans, so I went with a silky camisole. As the jeans are low-rise, I added a chain around the waist. Then, I went for a pair of heels with colorful crystals, the LV x Murakami speedy bag, some gold hoops, and a pair of purple-tinted sunglasses.

For my next outfit, I wanted to style some more denim as it was such a huge part of the brand. I chose this little cropped black denim jacket and matching jeans, which have embellishments, embroidery, and contrasting stitching. Keeping the outfit casual, I went for a white crop top and sneakers. To accessorize, I thought this bag was a great match with the white stitching, and then added some gold hoops, layered necklaces, and some sunglasses. Continuing with the casual style, I then went for a white tank top and a pair of Burberry print shorts. I then added this gray handbag, which I thought worked nicely with the print on the shorts. ‘00s handbags often had an excessive design, and this grey handbag is a perfect reflection of that, with the gold buckle and hardware, tassel charm, and gathered mini pockets at the font. To complete the outfit, I added a fluffy newsboy cap, some gold word hoops, layered necklaces, and a pair of strappy heels. You could also add a cropped denim or bomber jacket to the outfit, and switch the heels for white sneakers. 

For my final outfits, I decided to move away from the ‘00s style and instead took inspiration from the ‘70s. I chose this top with a print that reminded me of a knit sweater, and styled it as a vest, layering it with a white shirt which I left untucked. I then chose some black flared jeans, but a classic denim wash would also work. To accessorize, I added a purple headscarf, which matches the print on the top, some gold hoops, a black bag, and chunky boots. Lastly, I wanted to style this flared jumpsuit, which has a cowl neck and beaded belt. I paired it with a multicolored fur stole that matches the belt, a gold headscarf, oversized hoop earrings, some tinted gold sunglasses, platform heels, and a mini bag.

Thank you for reading!