baby phat breaks barriers in the early 2000’s
By Zuza Gaboush
Image via The Root
Women of color are often under-represented or represented not at all in the fashion industry- particularly in streetwear. Even today, the comparison of male to female designers is staggeringly disproportionate. The institution of fashion has a long history of being designed and dictated by men, despite the vast influence that women -especially women of color- have contributed to the culture. In 1999, Kimora Lee Simmons would found a brand that was revolutionary for its time and has been one of the largest influences for women’s Y2K fashion and streetwear; the elegant, bougie and alluring clothing brand, Baby Phat.
Originally conceptualized in 1998 by Kimora Lee Simmons’ husband, Russell Simmons, Baby Phat was originally released as a women’s clothing offshoot under the menswear brand, Phat Farm. Unsatisfied with the basic, toned-down version of men’s athletic wear, Lee Simmons saw it necessary to revamp and feminize the clothing collection. Adding her signature cat silhouette (inspired by her siamese cat, Max), Baby Phat was launched in 1999 and reborn under the name ‘Baby Phat by Kimora Lee’.
Baby Phat was unafraid to show where it originated from and who it catered to, explicitly celebrating black culture and fashion, particularly black women. Because of the brand’s authenticity (unapologetically made by a black woman for black women), it was branded as ‘ghetto fabulous’ and pigeonholed as an ‘urban’ fashion label. Despite these racist write-offs, Baby Phat dominated every aspect of culture- especially in the early 2000s. Lee Simmon’s bedazzled cat adorned everything, from prepaid Visa cards to a bright pink diamond studded Motorola flip-phone.
The confidence and fearless femininity that Baby Phat flaunted was irresistible. To be a woman of color owning a business pulling in $30 million at the height of its success was beyond rare, and to bridge the divide between the feminine and streetwear (a genre dominated by masculinity) is even more groundbreaking. Baby Phat was a pioneer in the streetwear industry, not only breaking gender barriers but extending its label beyond clothing and into lifestyle. Baby Phat infiltrated popular culture and became a way of life, a lifestyle of luxury lived by those who are the most underrepresented and disvalued.
Baby Phat underwent a make over and relaunched almost a decade after being taken off the market. On International Women’s day in 2019, Baby Phat was back. The brand was received with critical acclaim and the nostalgia of its past legendary status was reinstated, along with a modern take that stays true to the label’s roots. According to Lee Simmons, the brand was a necessary creation. "Women — especially women of color — had no voice in the streetwear industry. It's in our DNA; this brand is created for women, by women."
