Kimora: House of Fab: Gimme Some Skin

From www.stylenetwork.com

I just finished watching this week's Kimora: House of Fab and I'm feeling very introspective.  My mind is all over the place.  Allow me to share.  In this episode, the JustFab team was busy preparing for the launch of rocker Avril Lavingne's Abbey Dawn line of shoes with the company and planning and shooting the first commercial featuring Kimora as President and Creative Director of Just Fabulous.  Just when I thought the team was growing on me, they got on my nerves again.  I recognize that much of any reality series is scripted and planned...in some way...but, I also have a sense of when the real ish starts going down.  Of course, I have no way of knowing for sure, but let's call it a good use of deductive reasoning. 

Let me start by saying I think Just Fabulous and Kimora Lee Simmons fit together like hand and glove.  It just makes sense.  It's quite obvious that she's had a tremendous impact, already, on taking things to the next level for the brand, with fresh ideas and an insistence that the company continues to evolve and expand.  That's what she does.  That's who she is.  She's done it before.  This isn't her first time at the rodeo.  So, this is why I get a little bothered by watching anybody at Just Fabulous give her some push back when she offers her perspective on which direction she thinks things should go.  I don't mean to say that nothing she says should ever be questioned.  I absolutely don't mean that and I don't think that's what she expects from them.

But, telling a 37 year old mother of three, who has kicked down more doors than most of them will ever even have the privilege of walking up to, in an industry rife with sexism and racism, that the women who follow her won't appreciate seeing her "behind a desk" is absolutely ridiculous!  REE-DICK-YOU-LUS!  In fact, I think most of the women who follow and support her would have preferred to see her in a more professional light.  We've seen Kimora evolve over the years.  We've seen her scantily clad (after all, we were wearing similar ensembles at the time Ha!), we've seen her regal and elegant and we've seen her moving through these fashion streets as the business mogul that she is.

Kimora: The Relationship Whisperer

From www.StyleNetwork.com/HouseofFab

Last night's episode of Kimora: House of Fab was hilarious and perfect timing what with today being Valentine's Day.  I suspect that as meticulous as Kimora is, that is no coincidence. Hey, look, she even has a heart on her tee! 

The team was hard at work on a shoot for a new commercial and in the process Kimora played matchmaker for Lesley, JustFab's Director of Merchandise.  Lesley didn't seem too excited and I'm guessing that it didn't work out, but such is life and Kimora offers some great, sound advice for navigating the dating world on Style Network's website.  As I watched the episode, I reflected upon how delicate a dance it is to work a very demanding job and maintain an active social life.  It's tough, especially when you have great work ethic, but it's necessary.  It's so easy to find yourself feeling guilty about taking a vacation because, "There's so much to do" or "They're just going to mess things up while I'm away" and the list goes on and on.  But, guess what?  If you keel over and die at that job, they'll call 911 to come and scoop your carcass up, mop up the floor, spray a little Lysol and find a replacement for you within a month's time.  Seriously.

Kimora's Pre Baby Phat Influence

Stylist.com has named Kimora Lee Simmons one of the 25 most influential Black models of all time and I couldn't agree more.  Dana Oliver writes:

Before Chanel Iman appeared on the covers of American Vogue and Italian Elle, and before Jourdan Dunn became the first black model to walk Prada's runway in over a decade, women like Donyale Luna, Naomi Sims and Beverly Johnson strutted and posed confidently in the face of adversity.

In honor of Black History Month, we take a look back at 25 African-American models who have helped to reshape the standard of beauty.

Why You HAVE to Boycott Baby Phat

The holidays are here and no doubt, you've either seen some Baby Phat gear that you like, your kids have seen some Baby Phat gear that they like, or just out of habit, you are planning to pick some up as gifts or to give your own wardrobe a little pick me up.  Don't do it.

First, Kimora Lee Simmons isn't there anymore.  I bet you didn't even know that.  She left August, 2010 and it wasn't something that she wanted.  The company that owns Baby Phat, Kellwood Company, pulled one of the nastiest tricks I ever recall in the world of fashion.  Read this to get some background.

To deny that most people have purchased Baby Phat over the years in direct response to just how hot Kimora Lee Simmons made it look, seem or feel--the energy she put into making us all feel like superstars when wearing it--even little girls, is just wrong.  You know that's why we all grew so fond of it in the first place.  She helped make us feel like we could take on the world, so long as we were wearing some hot jeans and a cute top...with stilettos.

So, to have Kellwood Company essentially just boot her out the door, not make any announcement to us and continue to push the brand as though she is there, using little girls that look like her own in the ads to try to trick us, is unacceptable.  It stinks of racism. We deserve more than that, she deserves more than that and her team, the supportive force behind her all these years, deserves more than that. We deserve respect.  You think that if the Creative Director behind one of these brands purchased predominately by our white friends was replaced, the owners wouldn't make an announcement to those buyers? Hell yes they would! So, why didn't we deserve the same? 

Don't buy it anymore.  Follow her on Twitter @OfficialKimora and check her website, KLS.com often for updates on what she's up to.  She was recently named President and Creative Director Just Fabulous, an awesome power move, so check them out and support her there.  I know that Baby Phat has held a special place in your heart all these years, but dear reader, it's time that we moved on to bigger and better things.  That we move on into a new present and even better future with Kimora--afterall, she helped make us feel so great in the past.  --Sugar

ALSO: We're trying to convince Madame Tussauds NYC to add a Kimora Lee Simmons figure there! So, head on over there and add your name to that petition!

Join Us on Facebook!

I'm no big fan of Facebook, but there are far too many people using that service for my continued quest to ignore it.  So, we've taken this boycott to the people! Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BoycottBabyPhat and join in the discussion. It's important that we let the world know what Kellwood Company did here. 

Yesterday, a woman said to me on Twitter, "Kellwood kills urban brands". It made me angry.  It's time everyone get angry. --Sugar

Baby Phat Never Stood a Chance

Last week, Kimora sent a tweet about a vintage interview of herself, but today was the first time I was able to watch the video. I love it! I'm not going to ramble on here. Check the video out below and remember do not buy any Phat Fashions (Phat Farm, Baby Phat) clothing! There are more than enough other designers to choose from without buying from those pigs. The brand never stood a chance once Kellwood took over. --Sugar

Who's In Charge?!

This weekend marks a year since Kimora Lee Simmons's departure from Baby Phat and I got some questions for you imps. WHO is in charge over there now?! I did a quick Google search for "Baby Phat Creative Director" just now and the only thing that shows up in the searches is articles about either Kimora's departure or old articles about the fact that she once was Creative Director. Have you not even bothered to name a new Creative Director? Are interns over there cobbling these sorry spreads together? Did the Kellwood Company receptionist put this weak, sloppy display in Macy's Herald Square together, complete with a safety pin big as all out doors in one of the pictures?!

Let me tell you something dear reader. These fools forced Kimora out of there and didn't have a single, solitary plan for how to keep the brand truly viable because they didn't and still don't respect buyers of the brand. They can't possibly, or they would have, at the very least, reintroduced the brand to the world and told us who the new Creative Director is and attempted to win customers over with that individual. But, how could they possibly do that when Baby Phat is synonymous with Kimora Lee Simmons? Today, one year later, there are still people who don't know that she is no longer there. People who contact her via Twitter to either complain about the brand or to express how much they love what she means to the brand.

I'm disgusted by all of this and if you're reading and you aren't on the Kellwood payroll, you should be too. What Kellwood did to this woman, and the disrespect that they've shown to Baby Phat customers is deplorable. Kimora is rebuilding and evolving and it's great! I couldn't be happier for her. I really cannot, but I won't be happy until Baby Phat is done. Let's talk about how you can help with that a little later this weekend. --Sugar

Baby Phat’s Year on Life Support

“The only certain freedom’s in departure.” –Robert Frost

One year ago, on Friday, August 20th, Kimora Lee Simmons responded to questions, via Twitter, about the status of her position as Creative Director at Phat Fashions. She announced that her relationship with Phat Fashions, at that very moment, was over. It was so casual and abrupt all at once that the way it was handled still shocks me--even as I find myself experiencing something so similar it’s a little unsettling. Unsettling because it’s a stark reminder that it can happen to any woman of color, in any industry, at any time.

As I write this, I realize that I’m as exhausted as I’ve been in weeks and I wonder, why do Black women have to catch so much hell? That will be the theme for this weekend…this anniversary weekend…of Kimora’s departure from Phat Fashions, i.e., the devil’s lair. I know that Kimora is half-Asian. I know that. But, it is that other half…her blackness and her…woman-ness that were most likely the reason for the majority of the crap that led to the unraveling of one of the most iconic brands the fashion world has ever known. And, I absolutely do not intend to imply that it was simply Kimora’s race and gender that caused this. For certain, it was a combination of things tossed at her, and Baby Phat customers, by some racist, sexist scum. I hope that I’ve done a fair job of discussing many of those over the past several months. This weekend, we’ll take a little trip down memory lane and make sure that there isn’t something that we’ve missed, and let these MFers know that we will continue to boycott that tainted brand.

But, back to this one year “anniversary” before now I lay me down to sleep and pray the Lord my soul to keep! I remember that night (that Kimora confirmed the split) almost like it was yesterday. Well, maybe not yesterday, but I remember it pretty well. I was pissed! Nothing seemed to add up, and Kimora’s tone in those tweets said it all, she was not happy about the split and that infuriated me so much, words can scarcely describe.

Now, one year later, the brand is just laying there, flat, on life support, trying one desperate measure after another to restore things to their former glory. It’s pathetic and this weekend, I think it only makes sense that we remind the world about the travesty of what Kellwood Company did to Kimora, Baby Phat customers and the fashion industry itself. I have some other items that I’d like to point out this weekend and I have some questions that I’m hoping one of the Kellwood snoops might be capable of answering for me. Let’s see if we can’t get a little closer to pulling the plug on this bitch. --Sugar

Style Network Hearts Kimora Lee Simmons

And, the hits just keep on coming. Friday morning, I saw a commercial on Style Network with Kimora Lee Simmons offering style tips. In the spot, she said that she was Style's Fashion Editor and I'm not sure if I missed this or what, but it was great news. I was all smiles, because that means another nail in Baby Phat's coffin and even bigger things for her. Kimora is everywhere and Baby Phat is drifting further and further into obscurity. I love it.

Check her out below in one of the spots that's running on Style Network, then head over to the site to check out more of her great style tips. Remember, do not buy any Baby Phat clothing items. That's including Phat Farm. Do not be led to believe that Kimora's separation from Phat Fashions was some fond farewell. Those pigs that own Baby Phat and Phat Farm seemed to believe that they could run a brand, that Kimora built, better than she could so they made this grimey move and seem to think that the people of color who buy it are stupid.

The quality of the apparel has degraded almost overnight with people sending tweets to Kimora regularly to complain about zippers breaking, material ripping, just all types of chicanery. As though she's still there. So, don't even waste your money on the crap. Check out Kimora's website for updates on her product lines, what she's up to and if you just need a lil laugh or two. She's great. These bastards are not. --Sugar

Kimora Sheds More Baby Phat

I'm not going ramble on and on here because the video below speaks for itself. The universe has a way of repaying dirty deeds very aggressively and very effectively. So, there's no question about what's happening. Not even a year ago, Kimora Lee Simmons broke the news via Twitter that she and Kellwood Company, owners of Phat Fashions (Baby Phat, Phat Farm, etc.) since 2004, were parting ways.

The sudden break-up and subsequent slimy "leaked" information (claims that Kellwood was tired of spending money airbrushing Kimora's pictures because she was "fat") that showed up in gossip rags was proof that Kellwood had lost its damn mind and failed to handle the separation properly. They disrespected Kimora, considering all that she did to make that brand, and they disrespected us, her supporters, by not giving us the courtesy of a notice that she would no longer be heading up the brand.

Well, the joke's on you, bitches. Check out the video below, then head over to Kimora's site, http://www.kls.com/ and let her know what you think about her banging new body. Remember, don't buy any Baby Phat or Phat Farm clothing items! None of it! The fragrances that still have "Baby Phat" on them are Kimora's, so spend all you want on those, but don't.buy.those.clothes! No respect, no dollars!!! --Sugar

Baby Phat's Days Are Numbered

The more I think about how foolish and desperate Kellwood Company, owners of Phat Fashions, which includes Baby Phat (for several years now) looked with that "anonymous" comment posted here a few days ago, the more I realize how close Baby Phat is to "the end". The picture at the top of this post is from the stats for this blog, which show how feverishly Kellwood was scouring this itty bitty little site last week, and then got so pissed, called me a "fucking whack job" and posted such vile words anonymously. Only, I was able to prove it was them with just a few clicks of a mouse.

Let me tell you something. "Whack job" I am not. If you thought I was a "whack job", you wouldn't be visiting this site so often, including this Monday. Yeah, I saw you. I told you from the very first post here, I think this one makes 46, that I was not going to stop telling this story. And, I am not. You can take that to the bank. Which, pretty soon may be the only thing you are taking to the bank.

You messed up. Kimora and her team and we, her supporters and buyers of Phat Fashions, did not deserve the disrespectful way you handled this situation. Someone conveniently leaked back in August that Kellwood was tired of paying to have Kimora's pictures airbrushed and that she was too heavy at a size 10. A woman who'd given birth just over a year prior at the time. What world are you living in? I'm sure you all had been meeting and brainstorming and trying to figure out how you were going to handle disseminating the news that the partnership, if that's what you want to call it, was being dissolved. Well, whomever decided, "Let's say nothing," should be fired because it was the wrong move. A very wrong move. Your visits here tell me, now you know.......and, your ass is BUSTED. --Sugar

Baby Phat Owners BUSTED at Boycott Baby Phat Blog

(Click on the image to enlarge it.)

I'm always busy with work for my job. Always. Not a week goes by that isn't crazy. So, I don't get to check in here as often as I would like. So, imagine my surprise when I saw this comment just now:

Anonymous said...

you are a fucking whack job!!!! seriously you need to get a life and chill out. Stop taking things so seriously and realize that life is not about hating, its about living. Really, are you someone who is so obsessed about Kimora that you cant possibly see that she is a business woman and in business, things happen.

April 14, 2011 3:11 PM

I knew right away who it was from and my suspicions were confirmed with just a quick check of my Statcounter. The photo you see above shows the exact times that some fuck from Kellwood Company, owners of Baby Phat and Phat Fashions, visited this blog on the 14th and look at the time of the comment.

Let me tell you fucks something. I'm not going to stop telling people about what you did to Kimora or to us, her supporters. You will not intimidate me. Had you handled this properly, there would be no need for this site. I think I've stated here that had you fucks decided that you simply wanted to go in another direction with the company, that was certainly your right to do so, but IF that were simply the case, you would've certainly said so. It happens everyday. That a company decides to take things in a different direction. But, they certainly don't handle it the way you fucks have, because that WASN'T your intention. Your silence betrays your desire to hide your true motives.

You can get as angry as you'd like. The spreading of this message will continue. You should've handled this like professionals. And, you certainly should've realized that black and brown people are sick and tired of being sick and tired. This time, you won't just get away with it. And, you know what you've done with your little smart ass comment? Now, you've pissed me the fuck off so I WILL post something new here more often each week. No respect? No FUCKING dollars. --Sugar

Kimora Lee Simmons: Baby Phat's Worst Enemy

When the news broke nearly 8 months ago that Kimora Lee Simmons and Baby Phat were parting ways, it is not an overstatement to say that all over the globe, people were shocked. Heck, some people still don't know, so the shock a thon continues. I was very disappointed in the way Kellwood Company, owners of Baby Phat (Phat Fashions) since 2004, handled the situation, but my how the tables have turned.

Before the split, I don't think I've ever seen Kimora receive so much love from the media in years. I mean, this woman is everywhere! She's so kind to take us along for the ride, always sending tweets to let us know what she's up to, and she seems happier than she's seemed in years.

I'm sure she and her team are working their asses off. That's probably an understatement. But, success only comes with a lot of hard work and she and her team are getting it done! She just launched her 6th fragrance (Luv Me), is getting ready to launch a skincare line (Shinto Clinical) and new children's line (Miyoki), is expanding her signature brands, KLS and Kouture by Kimora and generally appears to be asking, "Baby who?" as host after host after host shows her great respect and admiration as she goes on the media tour of all media tours. I LOVE it!

Take a look at just a few of the appearances from the past two weeks (below) and then head over to her still fairly new website to check out the rest, including a look inside one of those yummy Birkin bags she keeps on her arm. Even better things are over the horizon for Kimora. I know it. Kellwood Company screwed up. Kimora was Baby Phat. I think that they really thought that they were going to force her into obscurity. But, they can't possibly have ever had any interaction with her, and I don't know how that could be the case, because if there's one thing that any true KLSH supporter can attest to, it's that she doesn't do obscurity.

The more Kimora does these interviews and appearances, the more she chips away at Baby Phat's integrity. Pretty soon, the only place you'll be able to find it is at flea markets in Tijuana. I can hardly wait. Remember, do not buy any Baby Phat or Phat Farm clothing items. They didn't respect us enough to properly announce that Kimora was leaving, they don't deserve our dollars. Fugg em. Kimora's got more than enough ways for you to spend your money without giving Baby Phat a penny. --Sugar

On WPIX New York Talking About Luv Me

On Black Enterprise talking about Successes, Failures, Giving Back and Loving Her Tweeps

(Click the header for the Black Enterprise piece. I can't imagine why they wouldn't allow it to be embedded.)

Sending the Troops a Special Message

Kimora Speaks Out

I was tweeting a guy on Twitter Saturday, wondering whether Twitter was making me read less. Then, we started talking about being informed via information shared on Twitter. I told him that I felt like I was getting more from Twitter than I did from regular, mainstream media. Another guy agreed. So, today, Kimora Lee Simmons shared this tweet:

As a mother+a designer I take real issue w the sexualization of our young girls! Wth?! http://t.co/hicys4d #shame #fauxfab #fb

Instantly, that peaked my interest. So, I clicked the link and found myself just as disgusted as she was. It was an article about new padded bikini tops for girls as young as those in the 2nd grade. You read that right, the 2nd grade. Just appalling. What have we come to in this world that we are telling girls as young as 7 that they need more cleavage in order to be acceptable? It's just terrible! But, what is awesome is Kimora's willingness to say that's it's appalling.

Kimora could have just pretended to never have even seen that article. Never sent a tweet about it. I'm sure there are some folks at Abercrombie & Fitch who would take issue with her saying she has a problem with the tops. But, in the same manner that we all have come to know and love, she said, eff it and let us know what she thinks about the situation. This is why Kellwood Company's poor handling of their relationship separation with Kimora is going to cost them. She is as real as it gets and her supporters know it.

Kellwood's phony attempts to emulate her style will always fall short. Hell, some people first realized she was gone from Phat Fashions after that faux Ming Lee and Aoki Lee ad showed up in People Style Watch a few weeks ago. As soon as they saw that phony ad they knew.

I won't stand by and watch as Kellwood tries to get away with this and I hope that you won't either. Do not buy any Baby Phat or Phat Farm clothing! None of it. Check out all of the great new things that Kimora is working on at her newly designed site www.kls.com, including a new skincare line, new children's line and greater attention on her flagship brands, KLS and Kouture by Kimora. --Sugar

Baby Phat's Con Game

I think it's disgusting that Kellwood Company, owners of Phat Fashions (which includes Baby Phat) for the past several years, is kicking out shoddy goods, causing people to think that Kimora Lee Simmons is behind those poor products. We are pushing the 7 month mark since Kimora announced that she was no longer going to be creative director at Phat Fashions. Kellwood remains silent.

Several times a week, in what seems to be a growing trend, someone on Twitter contacts Kimora to say that they picked up some Baby Phat item that was either falling apart at the seams, had a zipper break shortly after purchase or just plain didn't look worth a damn. These people are contacting Kimora because the scumbags at Kellwood have never, to this date, announced that she isn't there any longer. I think it's disingenuous and I think Kimora should sue the hell out of them for the trouble. She is still building her other brands and the last thing she needs is for people thinking that she no longer has the "touch" when it comes to creating brands that sell.

So, if you just stumbled upon this blog in a quest to find somebody to complain about Baby Phat gear, you need to contact Kellwood Company because Kimora doesn't have a damn thing to do with it. Let me know if you have a hard time finding a live person to speak with and I'll give you a direct number to the PR heffa up in there. Do not buy those products! No respect? No dollars. Visit Kimora at her newly designed website, www.kls.com. --Sugar

Kimora's New Start IS Her Best Start

I just finished watching the season finale of Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane and I just HAD to blog right afterwards. In this episode, Kimora and her team were putting together a flash mob as a part of another promotional effort and there were some bumps and hiccups along the way. Including a horribly rainy forecast on the day of the event, a feed that seemed as though it wasn't going to go live and what looked like only a sparse crowd. But, just like always, things came together. Kimora danced, the team danced, Ming and Aoki and Kenzo danced, it was just all love. I'm so happy for her. That she and her team are finding new footing and moving..."onward and upward". It's just great. Check out a clip from the show below:

At the end of the episode, Kimora said a few words about how tough the past few months have been, yet how much they've been able to accomplish, and I can only imagine. It makes me so angry to think about how things appear to have unravelled during her parting from Baby Phat, but God knows what he's doing. I try to keep that in mind, but it's tough. I'm sure it's that much more difficult for her. But, the future is bright!

Kimora's website is all shiny and new, she's about to release a new skincare line called Shinto Clinical, a new children's line called Miyoki, has those great fragrances and Hello Kitty merchandise and she is, I'm sure, feverishly working on making her flagship brands, KLS and Kouture by Kimora, more robust. I don't even know her, but I feel her pain, and because she shares so much with us via Twitter :), in moments when I say prayers for my other family and friends, I toss a little request to God to look after KLS and her peeps too.

If you stumbled upon this blog for the first time, hey! :) I don't update it daily, sometimes not even weekly, but I try to keep it fresh with the big things. But, in case there's any wonder about it, I believe that you should refrain from purchasing any Baby Phat clothing items. The way they handled this situation with Kimora and we fans is just deplorable. At the very LEAST they could have sent out a press release announcing her departure. The very LEAST. They think that we are fools and Kimora and her team deserved more respect than they were given.

So, check out http://www.kls.com/ often, and leave her some comments! Feedback! That's what she's putting those things up there for! Follow her on Twitter, @OfficialKimora, and most of all, buy her brands!!! I know that you love Baby Phat. I know that it has a special little place in your heart, but continuing to support them is foolish. I'm sorry, but it is. Stand on principle. No respect? No dollars. Let's show Kellwood company that they don't get to disrespect a woman of color this way and they damn sure don't get to treat us like brainless robots. If you missed it, take a look at the flash mob below. I dare you not to smile. :) --Sugar

Baby Phat Without Kimora is a BUST

Sunday night's episode of Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane stated very plainly that Kimora is no longer at Baby Phat/Phat Fashions. The episode was very tastefully put together (cause I might have done a little too much on the f*ck em side of things) with great scenes of Kimora's team reminiscining and working to help her move forward in the days and weeks after the disgusting thing that Kellwood Company (owners of Baby Phat) did to her. It was very touching.

I'm not going to belabor the point here, so let me cut to the chase. If you stumbled upon this blog. Good. Kimora is not at Baby Phat/Phat Fashions anymore and it is for some very foul reasons. See articles here, here and here for some insight, but the bottom line is that she and Kellwood parted ways in August, 2010 (with allegations swarming that it was because of her weight!), Kellwood made no public statement or announcement, refuses to answers questions about why the partnership dissolved and yet allows customers to continue to buy, assuming that they are supporting Kimora in the process.

They think we are fools. Has any other brand with such world-wide appeal been through such a shakeup at the top with NO proper public sendoff for the one who orchestrated the entire deal!? Hell no! So, why in the HELL is this the way this brand was handled?! I'll tell you. A bunch of racist, sexist, scum runs the brand and they have no respect for the customers who make the brand a multi-million dollar a year force.

So, before I ramble on for too long, I urge you to join the rest of us in a boycott of all Baby Phat/Phat Farm clothing items. Don't buy any of it! No respect? No dollars. Enough with this shit. If it were merely that Kellwood wanted to go in another direction with the brand (and, I don't know why the hell they woulda done that when it still has such mass appeal), they would have stated such by now. They are pigs and they don't deserve our support, so don't give it!

Priscilla, a member of Kimora's team sent this tweet earlier Sunday night:

I truly hope every1 understands tht @OfficialKimora created a FAMILY (not a
staff)...Family 1st...& NO ONE can tear us apart! #Fabulosity #fb

Word up, Priscilla and we won't let anyone tear you guys apart.

This is only the beginning of the real beatdown you are about to receive, Kellwood. And, if you think some hastily put together statement or press conference is going to calm these folks down, you can forget it. You fools should have addressed this months ago, or better yet, handled the whole thing like some effing professionals. Well, we got something for that.... --Sugar

Baby Phat MUST Be Destroyed

It looks as though Sunday night's episode of Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane will address the fact that Kimora is no longer at Baby Phat/Phat Fashions. If the whole episode is anything like the preview (see the video below), it is sure to be a tear jerker. And, let me say, that as I watched the clip, which showed Kimora and Sandra speaking after a phone call related to the departure, something really struck me. Sandra appears to not only be a dedicated member of Kimora's staff, but a genuine friend. She looked just as heartbroken about the fact that Kimora was upset, as she was about why Kimora was upset. That was nice to see, because I'm sure there were many people who were and still are happy about what happened. So, Sandra rocks.

It's just all so terrible to me. Here we are going in to SIX MONTHS since the dirty deed was done and Kellwood Company (owners of Baby Phat/Phat Fashions since 2004 I believe) has not offered a single reason for Kimora's untimely dismissal from the brand that she built and nurtured from the ground up. They've taken over the brand's Twitter account and are perpetrating as though the tweets are coming from Kimora, or someone on her team, and never have the decency to even inform people who message them that she isn't there. It's just disgusting!

Kellwood thinks that Baby Phat's customer base, pre their dismissal of Kimora, is made up of fools and morons. They have to or they would have handled this differently. Baby Phat started out as a brand geared primarily towards urban buyers, but soon grew into a behemoth, with customers spanning the globe and from all walks of life. All of it in great part due to Kimora's business savvy. Kellwood, and their puppeteers Sun Capital, wouldn't have purchased Baby Phat/Phat Fashions if they didn't think it was worth it. They bought it because they knew it was a money-maker. It's time out for that shit. No respect? No dollars. Don't buy any Baby Phat/Phat Farm clothing items. We have to show them that not only do they not get to disrespect Kimora, they don't get to disrespect us! WE all deserved to be told this news properly, and you certainly don't keep taking my money under the guise that you are somebody else and think I'm not going to be mad as hell.

I got lots more I want to unload in this post, but I'm going to save it for tomorrow after the episode is done. Watch the clip below and don't miss a second of tomorrow night's episode of Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane at 9pm Eastern on the Style Network. It'll start airing on E! (channel) soon, so if you don't have Style, you should be able to catch it there shortly.

I do hope that you all will join me and the countless others who have decided to boycott Baby Phat. It's going to take a while for us to break this brand. Kimora didn't build it overnight and we aren't going to dismantle it overnight, which speaks to just how deeply she'd penetrated the market! The smart bitch! :) And, while it's tough to have to tell people that she isn't there any longer, and why, and "comfort" them in their anguish and disgust, it must continue. I told you jerks that I wasn't going anywhere and I'm not. Scratch that....WE are not going anywhere, and it's just a matter of time before we break you. You might not have made an announcement that Kimora isn't there any longer, but you damn sure will have to make an announcement, to somebody, soon about the fact that the brand is DONE! --Sugar

She's BACK!

There are only a few shows that I watch regularly on television, and then only a few things I'll watch religiously in-season. Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane is one such show and Sunday, January 9th, the stars will align yet again and bring all that television goodness back into my living room when it returns! I can't wait and it'll be interesting to see how Kimora's ridiculous dismissal from Baby Phat/Phat Fashions is addressed.

AND, "sweet baby Kenzo" will make his debut on the Fab Lane! Well, he showed up at the end of the last season, fresh out the womb, but this season it looks like he's making his own push for some camera time. He is so absolutely adorable.

I'm very happy for Kimora, because I'm sure the past several months have been at least a bit jarring. I think the show is a great platform to keep fans updated on what she's working on and I think it allows for a small look at just how hard she and her team work to make it all happen.

I work for a black woman right now who is constantly catching hell even though what she's doing is changing lives and getting results. So, dealing with that and staying attuned to what's happening with Kimora only makes me that much more vigilant and determined to make sure that every single consumer who would even consider buying Baby Phat knows about this situation. It's disgusting and at the heart of it is sexism and racism.

In fact, as a black woman, especially from the South, I've always been aware of my black womanness, but never moreso than at this very moment in time. The parallels between how the woman that I work for is treated and how Kimora is treated would seem uncanny to some. But really, they aren't. Anytime a black woman dares to be attractive and fashionable and have something to say--and the drive and determination to make something happen...somebody's got a problem with her. It never fails. Never does.

So, before I go on for much too long, consider what's actually happened here with the way Kimora was dismissed from Phat Fashions by Kellwood before you buy another single damn clothing item from them. Stand on principle! There are dozens of other brands out there you can choose from, including Kimora's own still growing line! Don't allow your desire for a pair of jeans or a top cause you to spend your hard-earned cash on items from a company that considers you a mindless sheep.

That Kellwood didn't even think the customer base deserved to be formally told, by them, that Kimora wasn't going to be leading the company anymore, after all she did for that brand, is the ultimate slap to the face--ours and hers and they can kiss my ass. No respect, no dollars. Tune in to the show Sunday night at 9pm on Style Network and show Kimora some love on Twitter during and after! --Sugar

Baby Who?

See the title of this blog post? That's what I'm aiming for in this boycott of Baby Phat--for people to utter those words in the near future when asked about Baby Phat. I want them to say, "Baby who?" As in, never heard of em. Wouldn't buy anything from them. Didn't know they existed and don't care if they do. F*ck em.

I scour Kimora Lee Simmons's Twitter timeline daily to see if she's had to yet again inform one of her supporters that she's no longer with Baby Phat so I can then send them here, breaking the news to them about why she is no longer with them. It is such a seemingly never-ending task because Kimora had soooo many supporters and most of them purchased Baby Phat not only because they appreciated the passion she put into the designs, with all women in mind, but also because she makes herself so available to them. Still, over three months since Kellwood showed her the door in such a disrespectful manner, people are still just learning about this and their reaction is always the same, "F*ck Kellwood. I'm not buying Baby Phat or Phat Farm anymore." This will continue.

As I've stated here before, it may take a year to fully spread this information, but it is a task that I am committed to. I've been extremely busy at my job so it's been tough to update this blog regularly, but I'm doing my best to stay on it via Twitter.

I've said it once and I'll say it for an 80th time, DO NOT BUY ANY BABY PHAT OR PHAT FARM CLOTHING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!!! We HAVE to make them feel it or they'll think they can just keep treating not only women of color this way, but the customer base of this and other brands. It's disrespectful what Kellwood did and I'm not going to just sit back and say, ho hum. F*ck that! No respect, no dollars. Support Kimora by purchasing her fragrances, which are fabulous and will make wonderful holiday gifts and by visiting her website, http://www.kls.com/ regularly to see what's new. --Sugar