Crush on Misa
The word iconic gets thrown around a lot, but for stylist Misa Hylton, it’s just her resumé.
Mary J. Blige’s oversize menswear suit in the video for “I’m Goin’ Down” Puffy and Black Rob in coordinating black-and-white Fendi Zucca looks created with Dapper Dan. Jodeci’s industrial heartthrob fits, consisting of combat boots, loads of leather, and gallons of baby oil. And who can forget the custom candy-colored furs created with Nija Battle for Lil’ Kim’s “Crush on You,” not to mention the most notorious of all red carpet getups: the mermaid fantasy, titty-out catsuit and matching purple pasty worn by Kim at the 1999 MTV VMAs.
These legendary ensembles were the brainchild of Misa Hylton, the premiere stylist for Blige, Lil’ Kim, Foxy Brown, Puffy, and the whole Bad Boy Records roster, who created the countless daring styles that have come to define the Jiggy Era. “I don't really have a favorite, believe it or not,” says Hylton. “Each moment is really special and has a story to tell.”
We are still playing catch-up to looks that Hylton created almost 25 years ago. Hylton cut her teeth at the tender age of 17, synthesizing the worlds of hip-hop and high fashion with the subculture of old-school Harlem hustlers and traditional Japanese aesthetics—her matrilineal side is of Japanese descent—to create a new visual language.