Misa Hylton (previously known as Misa Hylton-Brim)
is an American stylist and fashion designer. Known as a pioneer in the fashion industry,
she has styled many hip-hop and R&B artists since the 1990s, most notably
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
and
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
. Hylton's style, referred to as "hip-hop glamorous," has been credited with influencing fashion trends in popular culture. Hylton is a global creative partner for
MCM and was the centerpiece of the 2019 documentary ''
The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion''.
Early life
Hylton was raised in
Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of Founding Father, commander of the Continental Army in the Revolutionary War, and the first president of the United States George Washington and his wife, Martha. The estate is on ...
, New York to a mother who is of Japanese and Jamaican heritage, and a father who is African American. She enjoyed fashion from a young age and was also a hip-hop fan.
Hylton listened to hip-hop radio stations and envisioned what the artists might be wearing.
Her future boyfriend,
Sean "Puffy" Combs
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent direct ...
, also grew up in Mount Vernon and lived close to one of Hylton's childhood friends.
Career beginnings
Hylton began working in fashion when she was a 17-year-old high school student,
when she assisted on a
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...
music video.
Her boyfriend and
A&R intern,
Sean Combs
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
, invited her to the set, and together they convinced
Uptown Records
Uptown Records is an American record label, based in New York City, founded in 1986 by onetime rapper Andre Harrell. From the late 1980s into the early 1990s, it was a leader in R&B and hip hop. During the 1990s, aided by its A&R worker Sean ...
founder
Andre Harrell
Andre O’Neal Harrell (September 26, 1960 – May 7, 2020) was an American music executive and multimedia producer. In 1986, recently a rapper, he formed Uptown Records, soon a leader in R&B, rap, and their fusion, "hip hop soul" and " new ...
to let the group members wear combat boots, hoodies, and backwards hats. Combs later introduced her to other artists at Uptown Records, who became some of her first clients.
Hylton most notably dressed
Lil' Kim
Kimberly Denise Jones (born July 11, 1974), Those giving 1974 include:
*
*
*
*
* better known by her stage name Lil' Kim, is an American rapper and reality television personality. Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, she lived much of he ...
and
Mary J. Blige
Mary Jane Blige ( ; born January 11, 1971) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Often referred to as the " Queen of Hip-Hop Soul" and " Queen of R&B", Blige has won nine Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, four American Music Award ...
, who she considered her muses.
She began to design clothes due to the difficulty she experienced finding clothes for Lil' Kim, who was 4'11" and wore a size 4.5 shoe.
Hylton was the designer and stylist for the purple jumpsuit and pasty that Lil' Kim wore to the
1999 VMAs.
She stated that she focused on innovation and risk-taking with her early styles, and connected that pattern to being a member of the "hip hop generation".
Hylton took inspiration from ''
The Wiz
''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a Musical theatre, musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown (writer), William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's childr ...
'' for the fashion in Lil' Kim's
"Crush on You" video.
She also styled Lil' Kim for her solo debut album, ''
Hard Core''.
When she was 21, Hylton founded Chyna Doll Enterprises and provided stylists for video shoots, magazine covers, and public appearance.
Chyna Doll Enterprises styled artists such as
Aaliyah
Aaliyah Dana Haughton (; January 16, 1979 – August 25, 2001) was an American singer and actress. She has been credited for helping to redefine contemporary R&B, pop and hip hop, earning her the nicknames the "Princess of R&B" and " ...
,
Faith Evans
Faith Renée Evans (born June 10, 1973) is an American singer and actress. Born in Lakeland, Florida, and raised in New Jersey, she relocated to Los Angeles in 1991 for a career in the music business. After working as a backing vocalist for Al B ...
,
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...
,
Q-Tip,
Foxy Brown, and
Dru Hill
Dru Hill is an American R&B group, whose repertoire included soul, hip hop soul and gospel music. The group was founded in Baltimore in 1992 and is still active. Dru Hill recorded seven Top 40 hits, and is best known for the R&B number-one hits ...
.
By age 25 Hylton had made one million dollars as a stylist.
Hylton has also styled Combs,
Missy Elliott
Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...
,
50 Cent
Curtis James Jackson III (born July 6, 1975), known professionally as 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, and businessman. Born in the South Jamaica neighborhood of Queens, Jackson began pursuing a musical career in 2000, when he produced ...
,
La La Anthony
Alani Nicole "La La" Anthony (née Vázquez; born June 25, 1979 ) is an American television personality and actress. In the early 2000s, she worked as an MTV VJ on ''Total Request Live''. She was the host of the VH1 reality television reunion ...
,
Mase
Mason Durell Betha (born August 27, 1975), better known by his mononym Mase (formerly Murda Mase and stylized as Ma$e), is an American rapper and minister. In the late 1990s, he recorded on the Bad Boy Records label alongside its founder Sean ...
,
Terrence Howard
Terrence Dashon Howard (born March 11, 1969) is an American actor. Having his first major roles in the 1995 films ''Dead Presidents'' and '' Mr. Holland's Opus'', Howard broke into the mainstream with a succession of television and cinema roles ...
, and Mary J. Blige in the "
Not Gon' Cry" video.
She has spoken on the barriers she faced as a young woman of the color in the fashion world.
The fashion her clients wore was referred to as "
ghetto fabulous
''Ghetto fabulous'' is a lifestyle expression that originated among African American communities living in poor urban areas.
In the media
Ghetto fabulous is a fashion stereotype
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief ...
," which Hylton called "hip hop glam," and was not accepted by the mainstream fashion world.
She would purchase luxury fashion for her clients on her own credit card.
When Lil' Kim gained credibility after a
MAC campaign, Hylton's clients began to be courted by fashion houses such as
Galliano.
Hylton stated in an
''Billboard'' interview that one of her favorite brands to pull for is
Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978 known for flashy prints and bright colors. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as w ...
, in part because they featured
Naomi Campbell
Naomi Elaine Campbell (born 22 May 1970) is an English model, actress, singer, and businesswoman. She began her career at the age of 15, and established herself amongst the most recognisable and in-demand models of the past four decades. Cam ...
as a model when dark skinned models were rarely walked by major
fashion houses
Fashion design is the art of applying design, aesthetics, clothing construction and natural beauty to clothing and its accessories. It is influenced by culture and different trends, and has varied over time and place. "A fashion designer creates ...
.
Hylton frequently collaborates with
Dapper Dan. Together they created custom shorts for rapper
Trina
Katrina Laverne Taylor (born December 3, 1978), known professionally as Trina, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence in 1998 with her appearance on the Trick Daddy single "Nann Nigga".
Trina has been described by '' XXL'' as "the most ...
fabricated from twenty dollar bills, and styled the
Fendi
Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods.
...
Zucca print suits for the
"Let's Get It" music video.
Contemporary work
In 2012 she opened Misa Hylton Fashion Academy with co-founder and stylist Jai Hudson.
Hylton starred in the documentary,''
The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion'', about the role of fashion in hip-hop.
The film premiered at the 2019
Tribeca Film Festival
The Tribeca Festival is an annual film festival organized by TriBeCa Productions, Tribeca Productions. It takes place each spring in New York City, showcasing a diverse selection of film, episodic, talks, music, games, art, and immersive progra ...
.
In February 2020, Harlem's Fashion Row honored Hylton, April Walker, and
Dapper Dan for their contributions to the fashion industry.
Hylton is a global creative partner for
MCM.
In 2018, she designed the fashion in the "
Apeshit
"Apeshit" (stylized in all caps) is a song by American musical duo the Carters, composed of Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The song was written by the duo, Pharrell Williams, and Quavo & Offset from the hip hop trio Migos, with the former three producing ...
" video by
Beyonce and Jay-Z.
She designed custom MCM chaps and a western hat for
Megan Thee Stallion
Megan Jovon Ruth Pete (born February 15, 1995), known professionally as Megan Thee Stallion (pronounced "Megan the Stallion"), is an American rapper and songwriter. Originally from Houston, Texas, she first garnered attention when videos of her ...
's July 2019 ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live!
''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on American Broadcasting Company, ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, Los ...
'' performance.
Hylton also styled and provided fashion direction for
''Paper'''s November 2020
Flo Milli
Tamia Monique Carter (born January 9, 2000), known professionally as Flo Milli, is an American rapper. She rose to prominence after her songs " Beef FloMix" and "In the Party" went viral on the social media platform TikTok, eventually leading th ...
editorial shoot, which included a custom denim bustier, panty, pasties, and headwrap.
In 2021, Hylton launched her INC fashion collection for
Macy’s
Macy's (originally R. H. Macy & Co.) is an American chain of high-end department stores founded in 1858 by Rowland Hussey Macy. It became a division of the Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores in 1994, through which it is affiliated wi ...
department stores. This was part of an 'Icons of Style' campaign run by the store to promote and showcase the work of Black American style-makers and designers, including
Ouigi Theodore
Ouigi Theodore (born ) is an American fashion designer and stylist known particularly for his menswear label Brooklyn Circus. During the late 2000s and early 2010s he was also known as "The Bearded Man" due to his distinctive facial hair.
Early ...
and
Zerina Akers
Zerina Akers is an American fashion stylist and costume designer. She is best known for her positions as Beyoncé's personal stylist, costume designer for the 2020 musical film ''Black Is King'', and founder of the e-commerce site "Black Owned Ev ...
as well as Hylton.
Impact
Hylton frequently dressed clients in
Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
-inspired attire in the 90s, such as in Mary J. Blige's "
All That I Can Say" music video.
The trend has been traced to the "Yeehaw" style of 2019.
She is credited with shaping the way women rappers dressed in the 90s, and those styles are thought to influence women artists today.
While women emcees of the 80s wore more masculine fashion, Hylton "encouraged girls in the game to celebrate their sexuality through fashion."
Celebrities such as
Rihanna
Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...
have referenced Lil' Kim, one of Hylton's key clients, as inspirations for their fashion sense.
Cardi B
Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar Cephus (, ; born October 11, 1992), known professionally as Cardi B, is an American rapper and songwriter. She first gained popularity as an influencer on Vine and Instagram. From 2015 to early 2017, she appeared as ...
's gold chained headdress from the video "
Money
Money is any item or verifiable record that is generally accepted as payment for goods and services and repayment of debts, such as taxes, in a particular country or socio-economic context. The primary functions which distinguish money are as ...
" and matching red fur and bob wig from "
Backin it Up" are traced to Hylton's selections for Lil' Kim.
Hylton encouraged her first professional styling clients,
Jodeci
Jodeci ( ) is an American Contemporary R&B, R&B quartet consisting of members DeVanté Swing, Dalvin DeGrate, Mr. Dalvin, K-Ci (singer), K-Ci, and K-Ci and JoJo, JoJo. Formed in 1989 in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jodeci's members began their mu ...
, to wear modern, casual clothing including hoodies and backwards hats instead of the de rigueur formal clothes and hard bottom shoes.
The look went on to influence R&B fashion and is said to remain a point of reference for contemporary artists.
Personal life
Hylton has three children. Rap mogul
Sean Combs
Sean Combs (born Sean John Combs; November 4, 1969), also known by his stage names Puff Daddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, or Diddy, is an American rapper, actor, record producer, and record executive. Born in New York City, he worked as a talent directo ...
is the father of her first son, Justin (b.1993).
She has two children with ex-husband and music executive Jojo Brim: a daughter, Madison Star Brim, who attended
Howard University
Howard University (Howard) is a private, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity" and accredited by the Middle States Commissi ...
and is also pursuing a career in fashion; and a son, Niko, who is a rapper.
References
External links
*
Misa Hyltonon Instagram
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hylton, Misa
1978 births
Living people
African-American fashion designers
American fashion designers
20th-century American businesswomen
20th-century American businesspeople
21st-century American businesswomen
21st-century American businesspeople
American women fashion designers
African-American business executives
American people of Japanese descent
People from Mount Vernon, New York
American people of Jamaican descent
21st-century African-American women
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American women
20th-century African-American people
Fashion stylists