streetwear

Baby Phat Is Coming Back This Summer

Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner. Photo: Carlo Buscemi/WireImage

Oh what’s that, The early 2000s are coming back? It wouldn’t be complete without Baby Phat. The brand, launched by Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner in 1999, defined women’s streetwear for a generation in the early 2000s with distressed denim and signature cat logo. And it’s coming back, Leissner told Bloomberg on Friday (coincidentally, International Women’s Day.

Leissner repurchased the Baby Phat label and will be rolling out a new collaboration this summer, focusing on accessories. Fans of Baby Phat may remember Leissner’s daughters, who often accompanied her on the runway. Ming and Aoki Lee are now teens and will be helping at “the helm” of the relaunched brand. Which gets back to what Leissner says was her impetus for relaunching the brand — supporting women in executive positions.

“It’s very important that you have women on both sides: women as the end user, women as the creator,” she said. “We need to take more of that responsibility and own it.”

And Leissner is a great businesswoman — in the early 2000s Baby Phat did over $1 billion in sales. It filled the void of streetwear for women (which now is a thriving market). This time around, the brand will be focused on “mainstream sportwear” with “retro” elements, per Women’s Wear Daily. Bring on the low-rise jeans.

Baby Phat Is Coming Back This Summer