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“The Remix: Hip Hop x Fashion highlights the hidden female figures that have curated and shaped hip-hop’s dynamic streetwear and ultimately swayed the entire fashion industry.” – Vibe
Hip-hop and fashion have always gone hand in hand, but – as highlighted in previous MIFF-screened films such as Fresh Dressed (2015) and Wild Style (2018) – so often the focus has been on the men. The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion flips that script to shine a spotlight on two unsung but incredibly influential women: stylist Misa Hylton, who was responsible for many of the iconic looks worn by Lil’ Kim, Missy Elliot, Mary J Blige, Diddy and more; and streetwear designer April Walker, whose Walker Wear designs have clothed the likes of Jay-Z, Tupac, LL Cool J and Notorious BIG. Combat boots, hoodies and baseball caps? That was Hylton. Tupac’s 1992 Above the Rim camo outfit? Walker’s.
Oscar-nominated director and producer Lisa Cortés and award-winning director Farah X also turn their cameras on men of colour such as rising star Kerby Jean-Raymond and current Gucci collaborator Dapper Dan, whose bespoke Harlem boutique was once sued into the ground by Fendi and other luxury labels. But the heart of The Remix: Hip Hop X Fashion is the women’s stories, ensuring the film is a buoyant reclamation, and celebration, of women’s voices within a space that has traditionally overlooked or appropriated them.
“An excellent reminder … When it comes to fashion in hip hop, women aren’t behind the men, they’re styling them – inextricable from their public identity. Even if the public has no idea.” – Revolt
