Stylist Fatima B has a pretty impressive resume. Her list of clients includes Nicki Minaj, with whom she helped develop Minaj's now-iconic Barbie image. As Wiz Khalifa's stylist, she's With the recent release of Khalifa's Taylor Allderdice mixtape, we couldn't help but notice Wiz's rugged new look.
The rapper's cleaned up his look ever-so-slightly from his Rolling Papers days, and Fatima B's twitter is full of tour pics of Wiz at his flyest. Find out what he's rocking as of late, and get the full story behind his vintage look on the Taylor Allderdice mixtape cover. Here's our Interview: Wiz Khalifa's Stylist Fatima B On The Rapper's Rebellious New Look.
Interview by Jian DeLeon (@jiandeleon)
You’ve worked not just with Wiz, but also Nicki Minaj. Who are some of your other clients?
I’ve done Tyga, Christina Millian, Trina, I’ve worked with Nipsey Hussle, Juelz Santana, Amber Rose, and Soulja Boy, just to name a few.
You had a hand in cultivating Nicki Minaj’s Barbie image, and you also grew up in Japan. Was that influential when you were helping her develop this look?
Yeah, definitely. Japan definitely inspired me as far as the street luxury style and everything. That’s how me and Nicki came up with our whole Barbie look. Because at first she was rapping about it, but she didn’t have the image yet, so we kinda collaborated on that to come up with the image as far as the hair, how the hair should be, how she should be presented, the colorfulness, and things like that.
Wiz Khalifa looks like he’s definitely been changing his style lately, how long have you been working with him?
For about a year and a half now.
How would you say his style and tastes have changed since you came on board and helped him out?
I think it all went with the direction that Wiz was trying to go with his music. I kinda study him, as far as where he’s going with his music, how he’s feeling, his lifestyle, — with the weed and the ‘60s — and who he’s inspired by as far as like Jimi Hendrix and Marvin Gaye, so I went with the whole rebel, hippie route with him.
What are Wiz's favorite brands?
He loves Dolce & Gabbana. His favorite brands are Dolce, Scotch & Soda, and Nudie Jeans. That’s all he wears, and some of the stuff we get custom made as well.
He’s definitely wearing a pair of D&G boots in the “Brainstorm” video, and Timberlands on the cover of Taylor Allderdice. Did you style him for both of those?
Yeah I definitely did.
The “Brainstorm” music videolooks like it was filmed on tour. What kinds of things is he
He’s definitely in tune with fashion, it’s not like I just come in there and I’m like: “here this is what you’re going to put on.”
rocking when he’s on the road?
Yeah, that’s when we were doing our European tour this winter, I don’t know if you can see my little head in the video. That’s like his day to day though, normally people on tour will have like a costume or one set change, but with him he changes everything everyday. Everyday he’s got a new outfit, so in the video you’ll see him in a Scotch & Soda sweater, James Perse hoodie, Nudie waxed denim jeans, and an American flag bandanna, kinda like what you see in the video. That’s Wiz’s day to day look that we do.
What’s the story behind the American flag bandanna?
That’s his signature; we both pick it out. He’s definitely in tune with fashion, it’s not like I just come in there and I’m like: “here this is what you’re going to put on.” He has an idea; he’s aware of his image; he knows what he wants to look like, so we both work together.
Describe a typical day of shopping with Wiz. Do you pick out the stuff, he comes in, tries it on, and picks out what he wants?
It’s kinda like I suggest it to him. I’ll put outfits together or we’ll talk about it beforehand, and I’ll pick it out, and basically show him everything. So if he’s like “I wanna wear these jeans,” I’m like “yeah you can pair these jeans up with this dope leather biker jacket.”
What kind of brands would you say you’ve put him on to?
Wrangler Jeans, Nudie, Prps, Scotch & Soda, Rick Owens.
Where would you say you do most of the shopping?
Atrium — a lot of Atrium stuff. A lot of times we’ll shop overseas, like he’ll send me out, something like that.
Does he still wear a lot of G-Star?
Not as much anymore. In the beginning stage when I first started, I introduced him to G-Star, but not as much anymore. But yeah he still wears it. He wears a lot of TOMS as well.
Really?
Yeah he wears a lot of TOMS shoes. He’s into boots now more than he was with Chucks, but that’s his decision not mine.
So besides the D&G boots and the Timberlands, what kind of rugged footwear is he really
When you look at [Wiz], you feel like he’s a modern day hippie.
into?
He wears Ronnie Fieg boots a lot. He wears the Ronnie Fieg moccasin shoes. Wiz has a pair of boots of his that he loves, and we have these combat boots that we got from the Army/Navy store recently that we customized, so he’s on his boot thing right now.
Tell us about the kind of look you’re tried to convey for him on the Taylor Allderdice cover, and what items and what clothing choices made to bring that into fruition.
We were going for like a rebel type of look. You can see with the army jacket he’s wearing, and the Nudie jeans with the Timbs and the hat and then the Chanel scarf. We were trying to go for the effortless look where he doesn’t look like he’s shining too hard, he doesn’t look overly done when you see him.
Wiz’s sound right now is kind of like that old school, ‘60s Jimi Hendrix. It’s got an old school feel, it takes you back. So we kind of went back with the whole look, it’s kind of hippie. When you look at him, you feel like he’s a modern day hippie. You see the Chanel scarf, you see the rebel, the military jacket, and you get that feel from him. Even the artwork on the cover, it just looks antique.
For sure, it’s got a nice sepia tone to it.
Yeah, that’s the whole feel we were going for.
So who makes the pants and jacket?
The pants are Nudie, and the jacket is Prps, with some Chanel pins, I don’t know if you can see that. The hat is a Nudie hat, and the briefcase we got at American Rag.
The bag looks cool too; it’s like an old school doctors bag.
Yeah it’s huge and its heavy.
Speaking of bags, do you help Wiz pack for tour at all?
Yeah, I do Wiz’s day to day. I do his closet, I travel with him on tour — I’ve been on tour for like a year. So yeah, I do everything, from head to toe everyday.
Does Amber Rose also give feedback on his outfits? Does she tell him “I think you should wear this instead,” or are those decisions pretty much just you and Wiz?
I think she lets us do us, but she loves the look anyway. When she’s around she gives her opinion, but she’s cool with everything.
You’re doing a good job. He’s looking pretty good these days.
Thank you.
