Misa Hylton has always existed in the background of hip-hop. Many of the iconic outfits of Jodeci, Mary J. Blige, and Lil Kim are direct products of Hylton. Misa Hylton was initially ushered into the creative space by Diddy. In addition, she's played an instrumental role in redefining feminine appearance throughout the hip-hop industry. However, this isn't to say that she didn't earn her success the hard way. Garnering her first gig at 17 years old, she faced marginalization as a hip-hop stylist amongst her fellow fashion peers.
While still in high school, she was the girlfriend of star intern Diddy, or Sean Combs. The fashion icon recently faced controversy surrounding her and Diddy's son's recent arrest. Although the two are no longer in a relationship, police arrested and charged Justin, 29, with a DUI over the past weekend. Misa Hylton vented out her thoughts on the controversy in a since-deleted slew of Instagram stories aimed at Diddy. Regarding his parenting, she wrote, "This is where the buck stops" for her "after sitting around for years and acting like there isn't anything wrong with you."
Misa Hylton's Family
In addition to Justin Combs, Misa Hylton also has two kids with ex-husband and music executive Jojo Brim. Madison Star Brim is following in the footsteps of Hylton in the fashion industry. After graduating from Howard University, the 23-year-old began her own fashion brand in the form of Madison Star Couture. Their son, Niko Brim is also pursuing a creative career. However, he's opted to go the hip-hop path, seeing a moderate level of success with tracks such as "FEDS WATCHING" eclipsing a million streams on Spotify.
However, when it comes to her son Justin, Misa Hilton went after Diddy and his business ventures in the alcoholic beverage space. His Ciroc and DeLeon brands have been one of his primary sources of income over the past decade. Still, the mother of his 29-year-old son felt that this was a step backward in his illustrious career. Hylton wrote, "How do you go from one of the greatest to ever do it to making all your money off alcohol and suing the damn alcohol company. Sell something healthy that builds people up. I’m sick of it!!!!! NOT MINES." Reps of Diddy haven't yet responded to Hylton's myriad of accusations and statements.
Hylton Has Re-Defined Fashion In The Hip-Hop World
The visual imagery accompanying the music has always been a huge aspect of success for an artist's career, especially in hip-hop. The appearance behind the conceptual goal of the sound is crucial. Misa Hylton has helped bring that to the forefront throughout her multi-decade fashion and design career. More specifically, Hylton has played a hallmark role in popularizing female hip-hop and their iconic looks. However, her early focus on both men and women in R&B certainly shifted how the perception of these artists.
From styling Mary J Blige to Jodeci, the image behind the music has always been a huge aspect of a creative's success. Expanding on her process of the styling of R&B quartet Jodeci, she told Billboard, "At that time, the look for R&B singers were hard bottom shoes and suits, but we had what was then considered a crazy idea: to put these singers in leather, combat boots, hoodies and baseball caps that were turned backward." The transformation skyrocketed the image of Jodeci.
Hylton also faced droves of discrimination, specifically before she had garnered her respect in the hip-hop industry. She was a pioneer, dressing her female creatives in a manner that often went against the traditional look that record labels and creative directors were enforcing. From dressing Lil Kim in a wig and baggy clothes to the lavish look of Mary J Blige, she heard plenty of no's during her early career. However, the lack of boundaries surrounding female outfits today can in part be attributed to Hylton. For her, it wasn't just about commercially her artist in a traditional manner. The fashion mirrored her desire to create an image to complement the artists' sound.
She Owns Her Own Styling Company
Hylton's career remains as prevalent as ever in the fashion space She owns her own styling company in the form of Misa Hylton Fashion Academy (MHFA). She expanded on the program's initiative with Billboard. She stated, "An exciting career as a 'stylist' is available these days, but no one is really preparing and passing down the knowledge and skill set needed to turn this opportunity into a reality." In addition, the documentary The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion captures Hylton's influence in encouraging female creatives to express their femininity in the hip-hop space. A Global Creative Partner for luxury fashion brand MCM, she's currently styling modern-day artists such as Megan Thee Stallion and Flo Milli.