There have been rumors of a Baby Phat relaunch for quite some time. The iconic Y2K brand, headed up by former supermodel Kimora Lee Simmons, gave us faux fur bombers, dangerously low-rise pants, and rhinestone everything. It was a celebrity favorite, and famous for privileging women of color.
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Now, a Baby Phat comeback has become a reality.
what's the buzz about tho 📟📟📟
✌️more days until the cat is back 🐱👀 stay tuned for 6/13~ ✨ pic.twitter.com/ngjSyxYS3m— Forever 21 (@Forever21) June 12, 2019
Just bought these biker shorts from forever21 and didn’t even knw they were freaking baby phat TF they on 😭😭😭😭 I’m still wearing them pic.twitter.com/H7wSwP3aI1
— Style Me Up Tyi 💁🏾♀️ (@devioustyi) June 9, 2019
Fast-fashion giant Forever 21 has revealed it will releasing a Baby Phat collaboration with Simmons that will echo the brand’s roots of offering women “a way to express themselves and to be a part of the birth of lifestyle apparel that didn’t yet exist.” However, not everyone was pleased with the news. In fact, much of the Internet had thoughts.
Twitter: Baby Phat is coming back!
Me: Yay!
Twitter: But it’s a collab with F21
Me: pic.twitter.com/6YGULFunU0— melissa casas (@melissahouses) June 12, 2019
So forever 21 is having the new Baby Phat? 😐 thanks but no thanks, my dream is ruined
— tiny 🛸 (@clurissa) June 12, 2019
Kimora is really about to make me shop at Forever 21 for this Baby Phat relaunch pic.twitter.com/SlJK1shO56
— LIYA 🧚🏼♀️ (@liyareyess) June 12, 2019
I was actually excited about the relaunch of Baby Phat but I actually hate that it will be in Forever21. Some things should just be for the culture. 🤷🏾♀️
— boretta scott bing. (@_sunkissedtannn) June 12, 2019
I was excited about baby phat’s come back at first but the fact that it’s with forever21 … ehhh idk.
— 🕷XI. (@ALLHAILHEROINE) June 12, 2019
All the companies that baby phat could relaunch with and they chose forever21 pic.twitter.com/Z9myaOmLeJ
— 😇 (@_kisskriss) June 12, 2019
i wanted to be all over baby phat coming back but uh why the fuck would kimora choose forever 21 the partner. smells bad to me… tastes foul. looks,,, unfortunate pic.twitter.com/Sm852D5IwC
— fregley (@fregleybb) June 12, 2019
The news comes just a week after Forever 21 was reported to be flirting with bankruptcy and facing restructuring. No doubt the company is feeling the affects of the collective abandon of fast fashion—especially when it comes to brick-and-mortar stores.
Perhaps Baby Phat will be enough to get people back on-board.