Baby Phat is gearing up for the debut of its direct-to-consumer line sometime this week, according to a Teen Vogue interview with Ming and Aoki Lee Simmons.
Upcoming offerings are described as “full of throwbacks but sleeker.” Fans of the brand will be happy to hear that the direct line will also include Baby Phat’s famed velour sweatsuits plus stretch denim jumpsuits. Additional items include crop tops, plus thigh-high stiletto boots plus lots of sparkle, neon and reflective fabrics. Prices according to The Cut will range from $85-$450.
Kimora Lee Simmons Leissner created a stir earlier this year when she announced she had bought back the brand she founded with plans to relaunch it with assistance from her two daughters.
While Baby Phat is queuing up more pieces true to the original line, the brand’s path to revisiting its glory days won’t likely be a straight one.
For one, weirdly enough it appears Simmons Leissner doesn’t have sole ownership of the U.S. license. The label’s official name is Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons, an addition needed to distinguish it from urban chain Citi Trends, which also holds the license and is not shy about broadcasting that fact. In June, when Forever 21 sold out of collaborative offerings, Citi Trends gleefully let it be known its stores were stocked with Baby Phat clothing and shoes. Just his week the chain posted a Baby Phat tracksuit.
And while Citi Trends doesn’t sell online, its bargain basement pricing and lower-quality offerings will make it difficult for Lee Simmons Leissner to elevate the brand.
Still, longtime fans of the brand who’ve been craving a modern-day version of Baby Phat’s most memorable silhouettes will finally find a fix this week. Perhaps not a perfect trip down memory lane, but close enough.
