I need some baby back tomorrow I love Tamara I love baby fat I love this style I love how
it's funky and sexy and still really fashion forward you know it's everything that a clothing
line needs baby fat was one of the most popular fashion brands of the 2000s and one of the first
to elevate Urban women's wear to high fashion the brand sought to uplift the very women that took
inspiration from and was worn by regular women and famous ones alike the company was headed by Kimora
Lee Simmons a former model who used her own life experiences as inspiration for the Brand's ethos
at the time of baby fats Inception Kimora Lee Simmons was married to Russell Simmons
a successful record executive manager and entrepreneur he was the owner of fat Fashions
a collection of streetwear brands from the late 90s the Brand's most popular line of
clothing was Fat Farm a menswear line that farm was among other popular black streetwear brands
at the time like apple bottoms FUBU and Rocawear in 1999 Kimura launched baby fat a parallel line
to Fat Farm which would be geared towards women with this iconic rhinestone cat logo
the brand featured tops low-rise jeans and the classic puffer jacket with the fur hood
Kimora designed many of the clothes for Baby Fat herself and by 2000 was named creative
director for the brand baby flat perfectly captured the ghetto fabulous look that was
popular in the 90s and 2000s the style was heavily influenced by hip-hop culture and
other Trends popular in the black community about the inspiration for the brand Kimura said it's
the only way to make it girls a little class a little Hooch how do you think I made it so far
she knows how to dress women and she really accentuates the female form so well I would
imagine the people that follow me have a passion for fashion which is what I'm about I'm about
passion and fashion Kimora herself was from humble beginnings she was born in Missouri
and when her father went to prison she was raised by her mother her life changed when at 13 Kimura
signed a modeling contract with Chanel by age 14 she was officially Carl lagerfeld's Muse Kimora
was one of the it girl models of the 90s going on to model for Brands like Valentino Dior and YSL
the first people I ever saw was Chanel it started when I was 14 and I was the youngest bride of to
ever be with Chanel and I was the youngest Couture model ever in Paris in Europe really
baby fat had their first official fashion show in 2000 because her husband Russell Simmons was owner
of Def Jam fat Fashions was a popular brand in the hip-hop Community multiple Dove gym artists turned
up to the fashion show to support and many of Def Jam's female artist rock baby fat at the show
honorable mentions include Aaliyah who sat front row as well as Lil Kim because Def Jam and fat
Fashions were both owned by Simmons it was given that baby fat would become popular especially
with female hip-hop and R B artists and their fans at the time streetwear Chic was the name
of the game mixing opulent jewelry and accessories with otherwise Urban inspired clothing maybe found
offered a stylish interpretation of this creating Looks That Could simultaneously be worn in a music
video and in the streets of one's hometown baby fat embrace them more as More Design philosophy
of the 2000s by including bling textured fabrics and faux fur in multiple pieces by 2001 the baby
fat label alone grossed 30 million dollars by 2002 the brand netted over 265 million dollars
babies not partnered with Motorola to create a pink baby fat flip phone that was
sold exclusively of Bloomingdale's and if that doesn't give early 2000s I don't know what does
fun fact this iconic picture of Cam'ron and his all-paint newer Fashion Week outfit was
taken right outside of the 2002 baby fat show the flip phone he's holding up is the baby fat phone
so in a way we have baby fats to thank for this cultural artifact baby fat expanded even further
when in 2004 fat fashion was purchased by the kelwood company Kimura stayed on as president and
creative director of fat Fashions which included baby fat fat farm and children's clothing brands
she was one of the first black women to lead a billion dollar company Kimora expanded baby fat
Beyond apparel to swimwear jewelry fragrances and lingerie one could easily be dress head to
toe and baby fat and finish the look off with a baby fat bag fragrance or watch baby fat quickly
evolved into a Lifestyle brand selling items from headphones to eyeglasses to lunch boxes
baby fat quickly became one of the most profitable brands of the 2000s it was seen on the likes of
Lil Kim Beyonce and Mary J Blige the most popular attire for artists and video girls alike I think
her work is excellent I'm wearing baby fat I think it's comfortable it's sexy you can get every look
that you want and you know the average the working woman can go get it and and look nice in it it's
affordable baby fat was also extremely popular amongst American teens particularly black teen
girls it was sold in malls and department stores achieving Kimora's desire of keeping it accessible
and affordable baby fat wasn't pretentious or exclusive but rather it was representative of
everyday Urban fashion with just a touch more bling baby fat not only democratized fashion but
fashion shows its over the top shows you an artist like Aaliyah and Missy Elliott our shows are
iconic we're known all over for great production great music hot girls that's what fashion is
about maybe fashion shows were loud and fun and a celebration of Black Culture through fashion
the fashion show centered black Womanhood a rarity at the time one of their most iconic fashion show
moments was when Lil Kim walked the runway and a sheer black bathing suit at the time baby fat was
one of the only fashion brands that made a point to invite black guests to the show and invited
writers for black Publications to do press baby flat wasn't just an inclusive brand because of its
affordability and appreciation of black Aesthetics babyfell also hired models of color to walk in
their shows back when Runway modeling was even less diverse than it is now Kimora sympathized
with the racism and tokenization a lot of models face as being a black Korean and Japanese Heritage
she was familiar with it Kimura herself said that she and her team cassador shows with diversity in
mind it models from the 2000s like Devon Aoki and elec wek were some of the models of color
hired to walk for baby fat in addition Kimura was intentional about hiring models of different
sizes and body types so that her consumers could feel represented and see themselves in baby fat
about this she said it's very deliberate it includes people who are sometimes forgotten
but are Great models they have Fierce walks and bodies strong girls but they might sometimes be
a size bigger than the one who was a size zero they have more hip more color more bang to their
personality it's what I represent culturally in society all colors all women all shapes and sizes
rare for the 2000s baby flat was also rather size inclusive Missy Elliott praised the brand
for their size inclusive denim line Kimura also made a point to walk the runway with her daughters
at the end of every show as a reminder that aside from being an accomplished businesswoman
she was also a mother the gap between regular people and Celebrity Fashion wasn't as wide in
the 2000s it was completely normal for a celebs red carpet outfit to look like they just bought
it from the local Dillards and their looks were much easier to replicate since these
styles are a lot more accessible Celebrity Fashion had a much more profitable influence
after all this was the era of celebrities having clothing lines in Walmart and Kmart so their fans
could look like them Celebrity Fashion at the time had much more of a direct and immediate impact on
the fashion of everyday people than it does now for example Kim Kardashian wearing a Balenciaga
outfit doesn't do much to influences the masses immediately most of us can't just go to the mall
and buy that same outfit and it's usually a little while before a cheaper version becomes accessible
however if it were the year 2000 and I saw Aaliyah wearing a cute baby fat top it's likely I could
just go to the mall with my friends and we could buy the same one now I know luxury Brands don't
want the average person wearing their clothes and that's why they're not affordable but my point is
that attainability was a much more common theme with the 2000 celebrity Fashions there was also
something special about a lot of the fashions that had previously been called ghetto being portrayed
as fashionable and not in the way that the styles are appropriated unaffordable and far removed
from their Source material the brand was widely supported by black artists showing an appreciation
and love for black fashion much of which had come out of the same communities these artists had
grown up in and their fans still lived in while Brands like kitson and Juicy Couture intended to
appeal to the wealthier consumers and celebrities baby fat remain loyal to girls who couldn't spend
a ridiculous amount of money on their clothing to compare a Juicy Couture tracksuit sold for 155
dollars in 2001 while a baby fat tracksuit sold for around eighty dollars what most people don't
know though is that baby fat actually came out with the velor tracksuit first in their initial
collection released in 1999. two years later in 2001 Juicy Couture released their tracksuit even
with its cheaper price point baby fat still made girls feel fashionable and on Trend while giving
them access to a brand celebrities also wore while reflecting on the brand Kimura said she
felt that baby fat was aspirational but not in the sense that it was unattainable and everyday girl
could wear her baby fat pieces and creative looks similar to what was considered luxury
at the time specifically in the streetwear realm those who could afford more luxurious items could
still wear them with their baby fat and create a cohesive look in this way Kimora created what was
later called a democratic brand that appealed to multiple women of different backgrounds and
incomes the iconic Diamante cat became a badge of honor for many young women showing it off proudly
on coats tops necklaces and of course the backs of their jeans Kimura Incorporated influences from
her Heritage and some of the looks her baby fat creating a brand for young girls to see themselves
in a way she hadn't thought represented as a child in 2010 Kimora Lee announced she would be leaving
both baby fat and fat Fashions she said after 14 years of conceiving and nurturing baby thought
it's time for me to move on and further expand my other businesses and create a new phenomenon
I adore all those who have Faithfully been with me since the beginning it seemed like an odd
announcement considering baby fat was kimura's most profitable and most popular brand in an
interview Kimura later revealed that her split from the company had been abrupt and left her
shocked some sources allege that Kimura been fired from baby fat for being careless with company
money allegedly Kimura had spent unreasonable amounts of money on retouching herself and
campaign shoes for baby fat she also allegedly paid herself and her daughter's High fees for any
modeling they did for the brand and often went over budget Sims is my baby's mama's babies you
know you got to put the children to work so that you can pay the bills Kimora was fired by kellwood
the parent company that owned baby flat since 2004. she'd even stayed on with their company
when she and Russell Simmons divorced in 2009 as they had remained amicable business partners
the news of Kimora's departure was hard for customers to swallow as Kimura essentially
was baby fat her influence was visible at the brand and she'd always been very vocal about her
involvement baby fat would lose the influence and representation of being a brand led by a woman of
color Kimora spent her time away from baby fat focusing on her other businesses which included
a fragrance and another line called Couture by Kimura unfortunately in the 2010s baby Fat's
popularity decreased in favor of other streetwear brands like Rick Owens and Alexander Wang though
many of these streetwear Brands weren't black owned they appropriated black Fashions and put an
exclusive uninviting spin on streetwear designer streetwear became expensive and took inspiration
from minorities without making it easy for them to participate in addition in the mid-2010s fashion
took on a more minimalist Spin and bling fur and velor fell out of fashion luckily by the end of
the decade Whispers of 90s and 2000s Trends resurfacing were on the horizon pieces like
tube tops baby tees and high-waisted jeans were becoming popular again Kimura aptly realized this
meant a possible Resurgence of baby fat in the near future on International Women's Day 2019 she
announced an interview that she'd repurchased baby fat and a relaunch would be coming that summer
in June of 2019 baby fat officially returned to stores in a collaboration with forever 21.
Forever 21 was happy to collab with baby fat as it was one of the most popular streetwear brands of
its time and the current fashion climate indicated high potential for it to be popular again Kimura
along with her daughters MinGa nayoki modeled the clothing hoping to make it a favorite among
a new generation they were joined by P Diddy's daughters Jesse and Delilah the Forever 21 baby
fat collection would feature 18 size inclusive pieces all priced at 25 or less pieces from The
Limited collection would include tube tops and biker shorts some in the same classic velor fabric
the first collection was just apparel with the promise of jewelry and other accessories being
released later that year Kimura set her goal with the capsule collection was to maintain the spirit
of aspiration and accessibility and keep the looks as close to the originals as possible this meant
that girls who had been too young to wear baby fat the first time around including her own daughters
could finally have access to the brand too by 2019 size inclusivity as well as lifestyle Brands were
more popular than they'd been 20 years ago but it was still nice to see a comeback from one of the
first Brands who successfully popularized those Concepts for the most part The Collection was well
received but a lot of OG baby fat fans complained that it didn't include some of the more iconic
looks like the rhinestone jeans or cut out tops personally I can see where they're coming from the
clothes seems to suffer from the minimalism that plagued a lot of later 2010 Fashions yes the cut
color and logo of a lot of the tops were the same but it seemed like the essence of baby fat and the
rhinestones are missing regardless The Collection sold out online within 24 hours baby file also
relaunched its online store with the homepage displaying photos of Kimura Ming and Aoki that
looks straight out of a 2000s catalog December of 2019 marked baby Fat's official relaunch as
an independent brand outside of any collaborations Ming and Aoki modeled for the campaign wearing the
iconic bubblegum pink and black Aoki thinks social media for allowing her family to connect with the
very women they hope to represent and for making it easier to Market baby fat to a new generation
the revamp baby fat by Kimora Lee Simmons collection included windbreakers joggers and
the classic logo tees the initial pieces from the relaunch were on the pricier side ranging
from 70 to 300 the velor joggers and Hoodie sold at 120 and 150 respectively the collections Legacy
hoodie sold for 300 still The Collection sold out probably helped in large part by Nostalgia for
the brand in 2020 Kimora rebooted the baby flat tracksuit back by popular demand with many young
women working from home it seemed the perfect time for a relaunch most of us were wearing
Lounge clothes 24 7 and were looking for ways to innovate wearing sweatpants and a hoodie every day
Kimora said she released the tracksuit to help women switch up their work from home looks but
undoubtedly it was also because the Resurgence of Y2K fashion was in full swing the price point was
noticeably higher with the jacket being 80 and the bottoms being 70. but at least the tracksuit
cost 150 in 2020 instead of it being 150 in 2000 like the juicy tracksuits personally I
still wouldn't pay that but get your bag Kimura lockdown had also given girls a lot of free time
to DIY clothing and they were using that time to recreate a lot of looks that had been trendy in
the early odds this chain tank top was really popular all over Tick Tock and you can see the
clear baby fat inspiration aside from bringing the clothes back Kimora Lee introduced baby fat
Beauty at the end of 2020 it was a joint effort between herself Ming and Aoki with baby fat Beauty
Kimura said that she and her daughters aim to add a little bit of luxury a little bit of sassiness
and a little bit of Glitz and glitter to the day the first product was the Shimmer dream
set which included a high shine lip gloss hand lotion and a shimmery body spray the set came in
three different scents in retail for 45 dollars each each set had a signature scent curated by
Kimura or her daughters Kimora's Divine scent was sweet and floral and men for a badass woman Ming's
opulence scent was peachy with a note of caramel that represented her love for fashion and Beauty
ayoki's ethereal scent was uplifting and independent and represents her Carefree Spirit
Kimora said that with baby fat Beauty she and her daughters hope to represent female Independence
and Beauty as an expression of confidence rather than shallowness she also said the kit was
indicative of the collective power that women of color have side note but I always think it's funny
when women who are already wealthy start another business and think that somehow makes them a hero
for other women Kimura also said that Kate was representative of the opportunity that women
of color have again if she's talking about her daughters they have this opportunity because of
their famous parents but to be fair I do think it's valuable that Kimura is at least teaching
her daughters how to be entrepreneurs and how to use their platforms to uplift women of color
in December of 2021 baby fat released a Christmas collection to be sold in 50 Macy stores across the
country The Collection contained a wider array of baby fat Classics and it was the first time
she would bring back denim Kimora said that she was proud that baby fat was a multi-generational
brand in a lot of ways her daughters now had a hand in running the brand and other young women
were now reimagining 2000 fashion the iconic puffer coats jeans and tracksuits made a return
Prices range from 40 to 120 as affordability remain one of the pillars of baby fat Kimora
called the holiday collection a celebration of the Y2K comeback acknowledging gen Z was
putting their own spin on the old Trends she relied heavily on her daughter's input to help
her make the collection the perfect reimagining of Y2K fashion through the lens of a Jen's ear
the brand maintain its dedication to being size inclusive as well as of now Kimora said that she's
still working on new collections for baby fat as well as expanding baby fat beauty baby files
an impressive example of creating fashions that are accessible rather than exclusive it's almost
unheard of today that a brand could simultaneously sell at department stores and show a New York
Fashion Week while girls wore their baby fat in the hallways of their Public Schools the hottest
celebrities also wore the label on red carpets and in videos the brand celebrated Urban culture and
gave a lot of minority girls the opportunity to see their clothing and their culture as valid baby
fat connected many young women of color through fashion helping them relate to each other as well
as with their idols in some ways baby fat broke down the money barrier for a lot of young girls
who hadn't been able to dress like their favorite celebrities and see themselves in them Kimura took
a group of overlooked women and gave their fashion style a voice making them feel proud and validated
it's also important that even as her Fame grew Kimora still remained concerned with representing
women of color Yes she put her luxurious Lifestyle on display with things like her reality show but
she framed it as a result of hard work and an attainable goal for the women who looked up to
her Kimura was showing black girl luxury before it even became an internet Trend but was also giving
girls who couldn't afford her lifestyle the chance to feel fashionable confident and seen baby found
was also one of the only Brands popular in the hip-hop community that didn't Center the male gaze
women were at the focus of the campaigns and the brand aimed to empower women rather than objectify
them the company being run by a woman was evident in every threat of baby Fat's existence
now that the Y2K Revival is in full effect I hope this means baby fat is back again to stay and it
becomes super popular again I'm excited to see how the brand evolves and what we can look forward to
now that kimura's daughters are playing a bigger role in the brand too I think it'll do well since
it's always been a brand that celebrated women and emphasized helping black women be proud of
where they came from if you like this video be sure to like And subscribe let me know
down in the comments if you store baby fat or if you've bought anything from the relaunches
as always let me know what you'd like to see from me next and I will see you super soon bye