Visual Arts
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The Black Women Who Dressed Hip-Hop Take the Spotlight at MOPOP
A new exhibition explores how performers and behind-the-scenes creatives shaped the genre’s signature looks—and influenced streetwear and couture.
This article originally appeared in the September/October 2026 issue of Seattle magazine.
Opening September 19 at the Museum of Pop Culture, Styled by the Streets: Black Women in Hip-Hop Fashion celebrates the female artists, producers, and creatives who have impacted the genre—both on stage and behind the scenes. This includes well-known names like Cardi B, Lil’ Kim, and Doja Cat, as well as hair stylist Dionne Alexander, celebrity grillz makers Dr. Mel and Ariel Jones, and celebrity nail artist Temeka Jackson.
“These creatives, from stylists to accessories crafters to fashion designers, were the architects of hip-hop fashion, and the styles they ideated became famous, not just as stage costumes, but as wildly popular streetwear, couture, and social media trends,” says Sharon Kong-Perring, who co-curated the exhibition with Dr. Adeerya Johnson. “We wanted to tell their stories through their creations, whether it be the wigs that famous music artists donned for popular photo shoots or custom pieces made specifically for MOPOP.”
Visitors have the opportunity to learn more about the meaningful contributions that women, especially Black women, made to the industry, with fashion artifacts that defined the hip-hop aesthetic (wigs, nail sets, sneakers, grillz, and stage costumes), photography capturing iconic looks and key moments, and videos of the women sharing oral histories in their own words.
“Styled by the Streets: Black Women in Hip-Hop Fashion is an important milestone for the museum and the field,” says Kong-Perring. “As a flagship, long-term gallery, it offers a multiyear space for a narrative that has not yet seen significant coverage within museum institutions.”
Styled by the Streets: Black Women in Hip-Hop Fashion runs through September 19, 2027, at the Museum of Pop Culture.
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