Misa Hylton field of work fashion
Misa Hylton (previously known as Misa Hylton-Brim) is an American stylist and fashion designer. Known as a pioneer in the fashion industry, she has styled many hip-hop and R&B artists since the 1990s, most notably Lil' Kim and Mary J. Blige. Hylton's style, referred to as "hip-hop glamorous," has been credited with influencing fashion trends in popular culture. Hylton is a global creative partner for MCM and was the centerpiece of the 2019 documentary The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion.Career beginnings
Hylton began working in fashion when she was a 17-year-old high school student, when she assisted on a Jodeci music video. Her boyfriend and A&R intern, Sean Combs, invited her to the set, and together they convinced Uptown Records founder Andre Harrell to let the group members wear combat boots, hoodies, and backwards hats. Combs later introduced her to other artists at Uptown Records, who became some of her first clients.Hylton most notably dressed Lil' Kim and Mary J. Blige, who she considered her muses. She began to design clothes due to the difficulty she experienced finding clothes for Lil' Kim, who was 4'11" and wore a size 4.5 shoe. Hylton was the designer and stylist for the purple jumpsuit and pasty that Lil' Kim wore to the 1999 VMAs. She stated that she focused on innovation and risk-taking with her early styles, and connected that pattern to being a member of the "hip hop generation". Hylton took inspiration from The Wiz for the fashion in Lil' Kim's "Crush on You" video. She also styled Lil' Kim for her solo debut album, Hard Core.When she was 21, Hylton founded Chyna Doll Enterprises and provided stylists for video shoots, magazine covers, and public appearance. Chyna Doll Enterprises styled artists such as Aaliyah, Faith Evans, Jodeci, Q-Tip, Foxy Brown, and Dru Hill. By age 25 Hylton had made one million dollars as a stylist. Hylton has also styled Combs, Missy Elliott, 50 Cent, La La Anthony, Mase, Terrence Howard, and Mary J. Blige in the "Not Gon' Cry" video.She has spoken on the barriers she faced as a young woman of color in the fashion world. The fashion her clients wore was referred to as "ghetto fabulous," which Hylton called "hip hop glam," and was not accepted by the mainstream fashion world. She would purchase luxury fashion for her clients on her own credit card.When Lil' Kim gained credibility after a MAC campaign, Hylton's clients began to be courted by fashion houses such as Galliano. Hylton stated in an Billboard interview that one of her favorite brands to pull for is Versace, in part because they featured Naomi Campbell as a model when dark skinned models were rarely walked by major fashion houses.Hylton frequently collaborates with Dapper Dan. Together they created custom shorts for rapper Trina fabricated from twenty dollar bills, and styled the Fendi Zucca print suits for the "Let's Get It" music video.
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