The most scandalous dress of Lil 'Kim
Lil Kim shares her inspiration behind her iconic VMAS dress
After 20 years, the suit continues to attract attention.
The 1999 VMAS brought us an unforgettable moment in pop culture: Lil Kim's lilac bodysuit in which one of her breasts was exposed, except for a small flower covering her nipple. The dress remains an award show classic and celebrities like Miley Cyrus have replicated it.
In a recent interview with People, Lil Kim, one of the most important female rappers of the last decades, revealed the inspiration behind her look, one of the most talked about of the moment. “My nipples always managed to stand out a lot. Missy (Elliot) told me “friend, your nipples stand out a lot. One day you should go out with only one nipple on the outside ”. Missy said it as a joke, but Lil Kim's stylist Misa Hylton took it very seriously and Missy's comment came true.
Missy Elliot's joke inspired her outfit. But another element was essential for the outfit to make an impact: the lavender wig. Initially she was going to be blonde, but the colourist was wrong and she turned out closer to purple. But when Hylton heard what color she was, she said "Kim's suit is lavender, it's perfect." What looked like an accident ended up perfectly complementing the look.
At 46, Lil Kim remains one of the most important female rappers in hip hop and outside of it. Artists like Salt-N-Pepa, The Lady of Rage, MC Lyte and Da Brat were some of her main influences. Hard Core (1996) was her debut album and 9 of 2019 was her last production. In 2005 she spent a year in jail, after lying to a judge about a friend's involvement in a shooting. Kim has sold more than 30 million records throughout her entire career.
