When it came down to choosing an outfit for her first Grammys red carpet, Ice Spice knew she had to pay tribute to the New York City borough she calls home.
The “Princess Diana” rapper—who was nominated in four different categories last Sunday night at the 66th Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Best Rap Song, Best Song for Written for Visual Media, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance—ended up opting for an early-’00s mainstay for music’s biggest night, in the form of a custom denim ensemble by Baby Phat by Kimora Lee Simmons. Constructed from the brand’s signature deep-indigo denim, the two-piece outfit consisted of a fur-lined cropped jacket and a floor-length, high-slit maxi skirt—both, of course, adorned on the back with the instantly recognizable embroidered cat logo. The look included a sustainable element, upcycling a vintage vest from Daniel’s Leather for its textured trim. Within minutes of Spice’s appearance on the red carpet in the nostalgic look, it was being declared a favorite of the night on social media, and applauded by her loyal legions of “Munchkins.”
“I brought that Bronx swag to the carpet in my custom Baby Phat look,” she tells Harper’s Bazaar. “It’s one of my favorite looks I’ve done.”
The outfit was also a clear homage to early-’00s hip-hop icons like Lil’ Kim and Missy Elliott, who rocked Baby Phat on and off the red carpet, and a perfect sartorial expression of where Spice is creatively, considering her upcoming debut album is titled Y2K. The rapper says she’s “the most excited” to share it with fans later this year.
The Grammys represented both the culmination of Spice’s whirlwind 2023 (who can forget that perfect Dunkin’ commercial with Ben Affleck? Or the collab with PinkPantheress!) and the start of a new era with her first full-length’s release. For the moment, though, she is still relishing the impact her work has had not just within the Recording Academy but on the culture at large. Only a handful of women in hip-hop have ever been recognized by the Grammys, and Spice knows it’s an acknowledgment she deserves. (“Barbie World,” her hit with Nicki Minaj and Aqua, did define 2023, after all). It is also something she doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s still unreal to me that ‘Barbie World’ is my second collab with Nicki [Minaj], and now it’s gonna forever live in the Barbie movie,” she says. “I’m overjoyed to be recognized and awarded for my talents, because four nominations is a win in itself.”
It all circles back to Ice Spice wanting to celebrate the city and culture that raised her—whether it be via her music, her fashion, or anything else. Accolades are appreciated—and warranted—but it will also always be about the creative journey that has brought the rapper to this very moment—and what comes next.
“I’ll always think about what it took to get here,” she says. “And no matter what happens, I’m forever grateful.”
Stylist: Timothy Luke | Makeup: Karina Milan | Hair: Self-styled by Ice Spice
