Walmart Doesn't Even Want Baby Phat

I swear, you can't make this stuff up. I was reading an article about Baby Phat's licensor, (NOT Kimora Lee Simmons) BP Clothing, having to file for bankruptcy protection when I happened upon these sentences:

According to court papers, the company has been battling a cash-flow problem that hampered its ability to finance its Baby Phat production. Subsequently, BP Clothing early this year lost its license to sell Baby Phat clothing to Wal-Mart.

When not even Walmart wants you, just give up.  Just give UP!!! The only place left to go is the Slauson Swap Meet and absolutely, you can do that, but I don't think that Erin accepted a job with you morons to promote sales at a swap meet.  The article goes on:

According to court papers, “The debtor seeks to efficiently reduce the substantial debt burden that hinders its ability to effectively compete in a competitive market that has been challenged by overall economic conditions. A successful restructuring will allow the debtor to concentrate its resources on generating revenue and expanding market share.”

Without a doubt, the economy is taking a beating and I'm sure sales in many sectors are down, but the economy is not the reason why Baby Phat is suffering.  Hell, you can buy about 10 Baby Phat shirts for a $1 in Walmart! Okay, that's not true, but it sounds funny.  But, seriously, Baby Phat is not as expensive in Walmart as it once was in say Macy's Herald Square 5 years ago.  It's very affordable and when you can't sell a brand with such iconic appeal in WALmart, Houston, we have a problem!

The reason why sales are down is because karma is ripping you jagoffs a new one.  You so poorly handled your separation with Kimora, I'm guessing under the assumption that she really wasn't as integral a part of that brand as I'm sure you now know she is.  You can't just handle things in such a disrespectful manner and expect for the universe to repay you with wheelbarrows full of filthy stinkin lucre.  It ain't happnin.

I told you fools months ago to fix this and I know you've been reading because I can see you in the stats. From the very moment you so foolishly dismissed Kimora and members of her team without so much as a press release, you had a short window to make it right. Apologize to supporters, give Kimora and her team a proper sendoff and reintroduce yourselves to the urban community and indeed the world.  But, no. You decided to take the less sensible path and now here we are.

I know how these things go.  The suits had probably been giving Kimora and her team hell for months and months on end, pushing them to play ball your way.  But, why?  When she and Russell sold that company to you, that should not have given you the foolish idea that you could do it better, but rather that financially you were willing to take things to a different level. You should have kept your grubby hands off the creative side of things, because as you must now realize, that is not your expertise.  Fools.  Kimora had built that brand into a behemoth, with supporters spanning the globe!  Many of them still don't even know she isn't there any longer!  Oh, but they are finding out--one at a time--and they are not happy about it. This is why you are in freefall right now.  Fools.

It is only a matter of time before Baby Phat, will be no more.  I'm sure that Kimora will consider it a very bittersweet moment.  She didn't put all of her heart and soul into the brand only to have it crumble in such a manner.  And, I'm sure that while she will feel a bit of satisfaction and "I told you so" deep down inside when it happens, she will mourn for the good times that she and her team had while building that brand and honing her business acumen.  I think that we all will.......But, until then? We don't need no water, let the muthaf*cka burn! --Sugar

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!

Baby Phat Owned By Filthy Weasels

I'm going to try to keep my language clean in this post, but everytime I post an update about how well things are going for Kimora Lee Simmons, here come these weasels snooping around this blog. Click the picture above to enlarge it and see how they were crawling all over this site today. It's ridiculous. What are you looking for?! Move along! Nothing for you to see here. I told you I'm going to keep telling people about what you did and letting them know how well the universe is repaying Kimora for having to have dealt with your dirty deeds makes it even better.

You fools could have properly addressed this not only from the beginning, but also maybe just shortly after things fell apart at the seams. But, no. You chose to weasel your way around, trying to make customers believe that Kimora is still heading up the brand so you can capitalize off of everything she is and everything she stands for. Well, you can forget it.

I'm going to call you scum out on everything you do and you're just going to have to deal with it. Kimora is one of the best that ever did it and you morons lost sight of that. Well, too damn bad and it's too damn late. No respect? No dollars. --Sugar

Kellwood, Burned By Sun Capital, Burns Kimora?

As I continue to research this Kellwood, Kimora Lee Simmons and Baby Phat situation, the plot gets thicker and thicker and I'm getting angrier and angrier. I stumbled upon this New York Times article earlier today, Sun Capital Gets Hostile With Kellwood. And, this one, For Sun Capital's Partners, Madoff Losses, Layoffs and Another Bankruptcy, and this one Kellwood Accepts Sun Capital's Takeover Offer, among many, many others about Sun Capital's aggressive attempts to acquire Kellwood Company in 2007 and 2008.

The two guys in the photo above are Marc Leder (left) and Rodger Krouse. They are the founders of Sun Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Pretty young guys to be kicking up so much dust to get their hands on Kellwood. Their reputation preceeded them at Kellwood I'm sure, because they've left a trail of tears behind them in their apparent quest for world domination.

Just over a year after they snatched Kellwood, Josh Kosman wrote this in an article for Lexis Nexis about Sun Capital:

Sun Capital Partners, which just a couple of years ago was among the hottest private-equity groups in the country, has fallen upon hard times of late - a victim of the recession, bad management decisions and - according to critics - outright greed.

Right after they acquired Kellwood, Jason Bernzweig, vice president of Sun Capital said this in a Reuters article:

Jason Bernzweig, vice president of Sun Capital, said the firm is prepared to commit "substantial resources beyond the purchase price to build Kellwood's business" and plans to "work closely with management and employees at Kellwood to strengthen the company and develop its branded portfolio."

Well, we know that's a lie because they got their mitts on Kellwood in February 2008 and before the year was over, Kellwood was trying to give Holly Dunlap and her Hollywould, Inc., maker of handbags and shoes, the boot. Kellwood says that the plans were in place before the takeover by Sun Capital, but I don't believe that either. They did at least have the decency to offer a brief statement about the split, stating that both parties had:

"mutually agreed to explore a range of strategic alternatives for the business".

I'm so sure. What I'm not sure about is why Holly was given the courtesy of a statement when Kimora was not. I have never even heard of any Hollywould, Inc. No disrespect to Holly. Myself and millions of others do know who Kimora Lee Simmons is and she's sent away in the dark of night? The hell?

So, what's the deal? Is Sun Capital a fu*k up that bit off more Kellwood than it could chew, subsequently leading to the untimely dismissal of Kimora Lee Simmons and her staff from Baby Phat/Phat Fashions, or are they both (Kellwood and Sun Capital) fu*k ups who just didn't know what to do with a brand that started out with an urban and African-American slant, but which grew to become so much more, crossing all demographics? Whatever the case, they fu$ked up because I'm going to work hard to see to it that this is a red Christmas for both of them where Baby Phat is concerned. You didn't have the decency to let the customer base know that you've unceremoniously shown Kimora the door, continuing to try to make sales off of unsuspecting buyers. That has to and that will stop. No respect? No dollars. If you want to know how you can still support Kimora, visit her website, KLS.com. --Sugar