Baby Phat Is Making A Comeback

My oh my: the Spice Girls are touring again, Will & Grace is on the telly and The Lion King will be in cinemas this summer. Sometimes it feels like we’re not just experiencing 90s nostalgia, but reliving the decade. The latest piece of evidence: Baby Phat is making a comeback.

Model turned early-doors reality star Kimora Lee Simons Leissner was the dynamic director of the label some 20 years ago back when streetwear was condescendingly called ‘urban wear’. Originally it was a women’s skewed sister brand to her then-husband Russell Simmons’ Phat Farm label, but soon overtook its umbrella company in terms of popularity and expansion. At its peak, it had catwalk shows, celebrity endorsements, handbag and shoe lines as we all as fragrances, kids wear and interiors categories after Kimora left the brand in 2004.

See: Celebs Supporting Baby Phat

The Chanel model plans on using her ‘amazing personal archive’ for inspiration and tapping into the ‘retro’ elements that made the brand instantly recognizable. Does that mean rhinestone kittens on the pockets of jeans? Perhaps. But, also, ‘new messaging’, she promises.

One thing she isn't messing with is the cast of characters beloved by the house. Inclusivity wasn’t a conscious choice, it just was de rigger for Baby Phat. On the topic she told WWD, ‘That’s always been my message, but it’s never more relevant than it is now’.

Seemingly every 90s style movement has been revisited over the last year. Marc Jacobs has refashioned his first grunge collection, Slackers-style tie-dye was seen on Chloe and Proenza Schouler’s spring runways and By Far has recreated the type of scrappy sandal and baguette shoulder bag that was a stalwart of Sex and the City. Considering the rise and rise of athleisure and the exponential growth of the streetwear market, arguably, the Baby Phat's revival is a natural expression of the times we are living through.