Baby Phat's Skin Game: Crooks



Baby Phat Ad Post-Kimora

Why is Kellwood Company working so feverishly to transform Baby Phat, a successful, urban lifestyle brand, into something more along the lines of an Abercrombie & Fitch or J. Crew? Why are customers of color being ignored after years and years of supporting this brand?  Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons sold Phat Fashions, which includes Baby Phat and Phat Farm, to Kellwood Company in 2004. Kimora stayed on until August, 2010 as Creative Director, but it is Kellwood that has benefited most financially over the past 7 years where Phat Fashions is concerned. 

This is why, the way these jerks separated from Kimora and this new, "Look at us all of you white girls and boys! We want your money!" crap is driving me insane!  Here's the thing.  Baby Phat has never only appealed to customers of color.  A quick search of Kimora's Twitter mentions alone will show a wide section of loyal supporters of all backgrounds and ethnicities--from all over the world.  Wherever she goes in the world, hundreds of supporters show up!  This has never been only about appealing to customers of color, but the respect for those buyers has always been at heart, because that's where Kimora and Russell first launched this thing--among hip hop junkies and connoisseurs--I belong to that group, so I know what the hell I'm talking about.  And, Kimora was always conscientious about making sure that Baby Phat's ad campaigns represented that fact--that it was not just a brand that catered to customers of color, while still maintaining its edgy, urban roots. 

So, what all of a sudden makes Kellwood Company think that they can just give customers of color its ass to kiss?  The quality of the brand has plummeted.  The ads are about as lifeless and uninspiring as anything out there now and this overnight switch in focus in the ad campaigns is insulting to say the least. If you think we're going to go for this, you've got another thing coming, Kellwood.  Scores and scores of people still don't know that Kimora isn't heading up the brand anymore--though I can't imagine how they can't figure out that something is woefully missing with just a quick glance of the Baby Phat website--so, it's well past time that we expand this "campaign" to bring you jerks down.  Brace yourselves. --Sugar

Is Baby Phat Selling Wet Concrete?

These idiots can't seem to figure out what direction they want to take this company.  It's quite obvious that they don't want to be bothered with customers of color, as they've been slowly phasing out the clearly African American models in ads for months. But, now it seems that they're having a slight change of heart, adding some models of color back to the site.  In time for the holiday season? I'd say yes. I'd also say, get out of here with the bullshit.  We are not stupid!

What is it going to take for you fools to realize that you can't keep toying around with us?  And, what's with that "new" tagline? "From Runway to Pavement" PAVEMENT?! Of all of the words in the English language, you idiots chose Pavement in an attempt to inspire a desire for fashion? That sounds like the tagline for a concrete pouring company! You are just ruining a brand that it took over a decade of heart and soul to build and it disgusts me.  Not to mention, it's very reminiscent of Dereon's first tagline, "Where the Sidewalk and Catwalk Meet". That didn't go over well either. Maybe that's why you damn near need the Hubble Telescope (Go look at it! It's tiny!) to read the tagline on your site. Because, you know that it sucks.

And, this! At the foot of the screen on the Baby Phat website:

Sparkle and sizzle is what Baby Phat is all about. Whether you are a size 4 or a plus size, Baby Phat offers you a lifestyle collection that features everything today's metropolitan women needs....date-worthy dresses and blouses, bold pairs of sling back pumps and boots, designer women's jeans (including skinny jeans, low rise jeans, and jeggings), sleek accessories, stylish designer handbags and satchels. And with Baby Phat Kidz, mom can share her passion for fashion with her little princess or rock star in the making.

Sparkle and sizzle?! I could be ABsolutely wrong, but I don't believe this was there when Kimora was still heading up the brand. It is horrible. Terrible in fact.  The grammar, the punctuation, the wording, just all of it. Terrible!  This is what you think we deserve, Kellwood?!

Dear reader, please join the rest of us in a TOTAL boycott of all Baby Phat apparell. Kimora still owns the fragrances, so shop to your heart's content.  But, do not buy those other items.  Kellwood Company has no respect for us and we need to show them how we feel about it with our dollars. We don't have to take this bullshit from them and we can join together to bring them down.  It's the only way we will.  Check out Kanye and Jay Z's "Murder to Excellence" below for some inspiration.  Enough of this poor treatment we receive from these companies.....  --Sugar

Baby Phat: Death By 1,000 Cuts

This week, Kimora Lee Simmons landed in New York City and quickly reminded city-goers that she is much more than just a pretty face.  She paid a visit to New York's WPIX to talk about her latest initiative with Bounty--this time giving teachers recognition for all of their hard work. She stopped by CNN's Headline News to give some perspective on current Hollywood hot topics.  She made an appearance on BET's 106 & Park to talk about her new role as President and Creative Director of JustFab.com, AND she gave an awesome talk about what it takes to be a successful woman in business at an event sponsored by Verizon.  Total domination and I love it!

While she's crisscrossing the country, and the globe, making some serious moves, the name Kimora Lee Simmons keeps popping up everywhere. Meanwhile, Baby Phat is slipping further and further into obscurity.  They are mocked now for having separated from Kimora and the rapidly degrading quality is pissing customers off, creating even further disgust and brand abandon.  It's great!  I sent them a tweet this morning, "Death by a 1,000 cuts..." because that's what's happening.  It's more enjoyable to watch too because you just know they are suffering--fully aware that the end is nigh--trying one dumb gimmick after another!  Fools!  I wanted Baby Phat to crash and burn the week after Kimora announced the separation, but that was just my hot-headed response to how they'd treated her and the customer base.  There are people who are STILL only just finding out that Kimora isn't there anymore, because she works like a damn machine and she'd put her mark on every corner of this globe.  So, it was never possible for them to crash and burn right away.  But.....it's coming. A 1,000 cuts.

Check out a clip from Kimora's appearance at 106 & Park (below) and then head over to KLS.com to see more clips and see what else she's up to! Remember, do not buy any Baby Phat clothing!  The Baby Phat fragrances still belong to Kimora, so happy shopping, but don't buy those damn clothes!  And, tell your friends!  The holiday season is upon us.  Just say NO to Baby Phat! --Sugar

Meet Kimora Lee Simmons...AGAIN!

I think this is great. It's a nice video introducing Kimora to the JustFabulous community as the new President and Creative Director.  I watched it on the JustFab.com site the other day, but I had no idea there was a YouTube Channel!  I'm not sure if this is the JustFab.com commercial that's airing on television, but it's fantastic. I think it shows so much growth for Kimora and it's very well-done. A true KLSH production. Enjoy! --Sugar

JustFab Welcomes Kimora, Guests on Red Carpet

Last night, Kimora Lee Simmons and a great mix of her family, other celebrities and supporters were welcomed to a lavish event at Sunset Tower in West Hollywood, California to celebrate her new role as President and Creative Director at JustFabulous.  By all accounts, including the boss herself, the event was a smashing success!

Head over to KLS.com and check out the great write-up that Kimora posted today about the party, along with some terrific photos that highlight the evening! See those smiles in the picture above? Baby who? --Sugar

Win One of Kimora's Swag Bags!

From sea to shining sea, and points to the left and to the right of those vast pools of possibilities, people are still talking about Kimora Lee Simmons being named the new President and Creative Director of JustFab.com.  Even some Kellwood Company vermin was crawling over this blog the week the news was announced.  It's so funny to watch it all play out.  Kimora is well-known for taking a cat by the whiskers having the savvy for taking an entity like this by its very roots and breathing new life into it like nobody imagined possible.  She did it with Baby Phat, building an international powerhouse in the fashion world with an urban-inspired line of apparel and accessories when she was only in her 20's.  Imagine how much more she'll do with JustFabulous (and every other thing she touches going forward) as a woman in her mid-30's, having already learned valuable lessons from those previous experiences?  She is a force no one should dare fail to reckon with. 

I almost forgot why I started writing this post. Check out the poster (from KLS.com) above for information about how you can win one of the great swag bags in the JustFab.com giveaway as a part of the festivities surrounding Kimora's new post at the retailer!  And, be sure to head over to KLS.com and tell her congratulations and check out some other fun stuff. Remember, do not buy any Baby Phat or Phat Farm clothing. Can't you see what's happening right before your eyes?   

This fashion revolution is not only being televised and broadcast via radio, it is being announced via Twitter, Facebook, KLS.com and almost anyplace else you care to look. In your face suckas. --Sugar

Kimora Lee Simmons Takes Helm At JustFab.com

Can't stop! Won't stop! I decided I'd check in here to see what the stats were looking like and to see if there were any new comments and I glanced at the news headlines in the right sidebar only to see a snippet of an article from Women's Wear Daily that said this:

Fashion mogul Kimora Lee Simmons is ramping up her life in the fab lane by taking the helm of online fashion retailer JustFab.com. The Manhattan Beach, Calif.-based...

I thought, "What the?!" I clicked the link and it was to a subscription only article, so I did a little surfing and found a blog post over at Blaq Vixen Beauty with the details.  I am elated!  I'd love to run down a number of expletives to Kellwood Company right now, but I won't do that in order to preserve the sanctity of this moment.  But, take THAT, Kellwood!

Everytime I hear "JustFab.com" I think Kimora and in a few years, she might give Imelda Marcos a run for her money where her shoe game is concerned.  This is fantastic!  Check out Kimora's site for more details on this new development and remember, do not buy any Baby Phat or Phat Fashions clothing items!  There are far too many other designers to choose from and the disrespect that Kellwood Company has shown to the customer base and to Kimora and her staff is unacceptable.  It is racism and sexism at its very core. 

Oh, and don't call this a comeback.  She's "been here for years", and I'm sure there is much, much more to come.  Pow!  --Sugar