Misa Hylton and Elevating Black Women
On Aleia's Hot Take, I empower Black women on their journey for self love, healing, and liberation in 15 minutes or less. In my inaugural episode, I discussed the Netflix show, The Remix, and the lessons I garnered from the iconic stylist, Misa Hylton.
MCM Rodeo Drive of Beverly Hills
Image Credit: © 2020, Aleia McDaniel
On Netflix, there's a documentary called The Remix about black women in the fashion industry. In particular it describes how hip-hop fashion ushered in a new culture in a way that was never been seen before. Some of us had heard the story of Dapper Dan, the story of Puffy and Bad Boy, and all of the role that all these artists of the early 90s late 80s reinvented the music game and fashion. But there were many women that were at the forefront that didn't get their shine, and the documentary explores their impact and why their names didn't become household names.
If you grew up at all in the 80s and 90s, you might have known Misa Hylton as Puffy's "Baby Mama" (come on, you know we called him Puff back then!) You might have known her as the platinum blonde girl with Puff in the jacuzzi during Biggie's "Big Poppa" video. What I didn't know was that Misa was the brains and the brilliance behind all the fashion seen during that era, responsible for everyone from Jodeci to Lil Kim and everything in between.
It's women like her that don't get their props. Black women are often the brainchild behind many accolades that are given to men, who get the glory and financial benefit.
Here are the lessons I learned from the inimitable Misa Hylton:
Lesson 1: You cannot be afraid to innovate
Misa tackled innovation head on. She took what were considered a men's industries-- fashion design and hip-hop music- and thought about how she could feminize it while maintaining edginess. She considered how she could use her eye for fashion to give voice to the artist she was styling, but also to the young girls that were the consumers. So literally birthed an era (and continues still) where women emulated the classy "round the way" look of Mary J. Blige, the unapologetic sexiness of Lil Kim, and even the defiant declarative Queen Bee herself (that MCM bustier in the "Apeshit" video? Yep, one of Misa's creations!)
Lesson 2: Playing safe won't protect you
So often Black women are taught how to play safe and how to "get along to go along." They are often afraid of ideating or innovating because they think that they won't be accepted. They think speaking up is going to rock the boat too much. They're afraid of naysayers and of the blowback. But when I look at how Misa dared to speak up for herself, to channel her art and vision in ways that no one else was able to do at the time, I see how she created a not just a trend, but a movement. Misa wasn't alone, but because of her and other that were key female innovators, many others learned how to use their voice and change the fashion and music industry.
So what does this mean for you?
Black women often shy away from praising themselves and telling the world about their offers, talents, and accomplishments. (Raising my hand because I do this too..). They mistakenly believe that the worlds operate as a meritocracy (spoiler alert: it doesn't)and that somehow they will be discovered, somehow they will be given their just desserts. The harsh reality is that if one doesn't elevate themselves, someone else will swoop in and take their ideas, take their knowledge, take their impact, repackaging it all for themselves.
I'm daring Black women to elevate themselves every single day.
That means YOU.
The reality is if you don't tell your story then someone is going to tell your story for you. Don't deny the world the impact of your voice and your unique self. If you're waiting for someone to decide that you are worthy, you will be 89 years old as a "woulda," "shoulda," "coulda."
Black women have so much power. So much power in their expertise, so much power with their money, so much power in their position. The more we elevate ourselves and each other, we can build our collective power as Black women.
That's my Hot Take.
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