Summer Nostalgia: A Style Resurrection to Warm Your Heart
You haven’t heard? It’s gonna be a hot girl summer.
As most of us know: fashion is ever-evolving and what’s considered “old” eventually comes back returns. It’s likely that whatever you’re wearing now has been en vogue before, will die-down and arise again. And this year’s reinvented styles do not disappoint in the least. In fact, my inner pre-teen self is full on, jump-for-joy, ecstatic at what’s to come.
First, can those of who were alive (and yes, I will proudly age myself with this) take a minute to reminisce on the dope era that was the 2000’s and living in it as a teenager? The music groups, the throwback jerseys, WordUP magazine collections, and who could forget 106 & Park.
Mya, Bluesoul Magazine (2001)
WordUp Magazine 2007
I mean, of course you look back now and you’re probably asking yourself what the hell were we thinking? WHY did I think that was cute? Where the hell are my eyebrows?!
For sure, it was a time of questionable style choices but a few brands have proven to stand the test of time and one of them is the unforgettable gem Baby Phat. I remember vividly the first silky Baby Phat jacket I saved up my coins to buy. I had to have it and once I got it you couldn’t tell me s*** (for about a week or two). By that point we’d been a exposed to a good amount of other urban-wear or “street wear” brands: Phat Farm, Enyce, Roc-a-Wear, FUBU, Sean Jean etc. These brands were unique to our culture and representative of the creativity we continue to breathe into the world. Our music influenced the brands and the music videos were saturated with street-wear looks. But nothing was the must-have, it-girl item like a Baby Phat piece. Especially for a Black girl. The matching jumpsuits, the fuzzy bucket hats, tube tops, the chains! And ladies, I’m here to announce and rejoice in the fact that brand designer, mogul and model Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner is bringing it back for the veterans and the next generations alike.
Embellished Baby Phat Tank
Baby Phat top, mini skirt duo.
Having announced the revamp on International Women’s Day, Leissner (many of us know her as Kimora Lee Simmons from her previous marriage to Hip Hop mogul Russell Simmons) a now mother of two teenagers noted it was her daughters Ming Lee and Aoki Lee who inspired her to bring back the brand she originally started in 1999 saying, “Over the past several years we realized the brand resonates with people and lives deep within their souls.” Leissner teamed up with retail giant Forever 21 to launch the new collection with most items available for under $30. Leissner told Refinery 29 “Now that Ming Lee and Aoki Lee are grown and working on the brand they grew up with, it means so much to me to introduce Baby Phat to a whole new generation who didn’t get the chance to experience it the first go around’.”
