Like it or not, Y2K style has dominated the catwalks and street style scene for the past few years—meaning, suddenly, low-rise jeans, graphic tees, and extremely mini skirts are in again. And now, one of the most popular brands from the decade is also making a comeback. Today, Kimora Lee Simmons officially relaunches Baby Phat—the 2000s label that became a hip-hop sensation, not to mention a worldwide billion-dollar empire at its peak, complete with fashion, jewelry, and fragrances (remember Goddess?).
Simmons—an American model-turned-designer and entrepreneur—launched Baby Phat in 1999 with an emphasis on baby tees with bedazzled logos. “Me and my friends would buy kid’s T-shirts and wear them, so I started making them for Baby Phat,” Simmons tells Vogue. In the 2000s, the brand picked up momentum, with Baby Phat’s figure-hugging jeans and fur-hood bombers further putting them on the fashion map.
Photo: Courtesy of Baby Phat
Their splashy runway shows—a New York Fashion Week highlight—became a celebrity draw as well, and it didn’t take long for some of hip-hop’s brightest stars, including Missy Elliott and Lil’ Kim, to start wearing the line. “It was a really great time in terms of originality, flair, and coolness,” says Simmons of the era. “I like to call it my graduating class: Everybody was cool; the socialites, singers, movies stars, models. It was a time!”
Though Baby Phat ceased operations in 2010—due mostly to Simmons’s departure from the brand, and fashion moving on from the blingy, maximalist fashion of the 2000s—the designer repurchased the brand back from an anonymous seller in 2019.
While Baby Phat has since released capsule collaborations with retailers such as Forever 21 and Macy’s, today Simmons unveils the label’s first fall collection, available on its own e-commerce website. “I wanted to reconnect with the customer about what they want and what they love,” says Simmons. “It’s a small, intimate ode to our originals—our velour suits, baby tees, and denim. It’s timeless, classy, and sexy: You can wear it from the beach to the club.”
