I got so much insight about music and fashion and culture at the highest level. I hung out with all these huge moguls, people of color who made it to this successful status in life. Growing up, I had Russell (Simmons) and Andre and Puffy and so many other amazing people to learn from, which really gave me the confidence to create in the way that I do. He believes in everything he does and believes that everything is possible. Sean is a powerhouse and a marketing genius. I was around all these tastemakers, taking in so much knowledge and just observing.
It changed the trajectory of my life and what I was doing. How did that environment influence you creatively?
Tell me more about your time spent at Uptown Records. Here, the self-proclaimed fashion architect reflects on pivotal moments throughout her career and her lasting impact on hip-hop culture. She’s since worked with the best in the business (50 Cent, Elliott, Faith Evans, Kimora Lee Simmons, and Beyoncé), mentored top celebrity stylists (Wouri Vice, Mariel Haenn, and Marni Senofonte), and launched a nonprofit that helps make the fashion industry more accessible called the Misa Hylton Fashion Academy. Blige, I had made it, right? But when Kim came along, that took me to the next level of my career,” Hylton says. The duo made magic together throughout the late ’90s - from red-carpet looks that got the whole world talking to innovative performance outfits that helped shoot the rapper to superstardom. “Even people who didn’t know which direction they wanted to go in with their style - but knew they wanted to do something unique and special - would call me,” she says.Īnd soon, she found her fashion soul mate in then up-and-coming rapper Lil’ Kim. She became the go-to stylist for hip-hop artists who wanted to have fun with fashion or take risks with their looks. The fresh concept was “hugely successful,” Hylton says, which gave her the opportunity to work with none other than Blige, who was also signed to Uptown Records at the time.īy helping Blige transition to a more glamorous, feminine image and styling her for music videos like “You Remind Me” and “Everything,” Hylton made a name for herself among industry insiders and record-label executives. But Hylton and Combs stood behind their unconventional idea, and Harrell eventually gave in. At the time, R&B singers wore mostly suits and hard-bottom shoes, so getting Uptown Records music executive Andre Harrell to agree to combat boots, baggy jeans, and hoodies took some convincing. Their first job together was styling Jodeci for the band’s “Gotta Love” music video. When Combs started working with R&B quartet Jodeci, Hylton stepped in as his assistant and “right-hand” woman. Photo: Johnny Nunez/Getty Images for The Recording Academy He had just gotten promoted from intern to A&R at Uptown Records, which means he was in charge of not only the sound and the production but also the looks,” Hylton says. “I was dating Puffy (Sean “Diddy” Combs) at the time. So when she got the chance to turn her passion into a legitimate career, she was ready - even though she was just 17 years old. Hylton was essentially styling friends and family before she even knew what a stylist was. The New York native tells the Cut she’s always been fascinated by the idea of shaping someone’s image through fashion, hair, and makeup … yes, she was that girl in high school who made prom dresses for her classmates and did their glam better than the professionals.
In a decade of minimalism and forgettable trends, Hylton’s over-the-top looks - often characterized by casual streetwear pieces mixed with luxe furs, big bling, and bright colors - broke through the noise and became synonymous with hip-hop culture.
Her résumé highlights range from creating Lil’ Kim’s one-sleeve lavender jumpsuit at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards and fur-embellished bodysuit at the Source Hip-Hop Awards later that year to styling music videos for Jodeci, Foxy Brown, and Faith Evans. The stylist turned fashion architect and designer - an early pioneer of the “ghetto fabulous” aesthetic - laid the blueprint for hip-hop style and helped craft the image of its most famous faces throughout the ’90s. Blige, Lil’ Kim, and Missy Elliott, you’ll notice that Misa Hylton is the common thread. If you take a look back at the most iconic hip-hop fashion moments of all time from artists like Mary J. Photo: Steve Eichner/WWD/Penske Media via Getty Images
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