At 20 years old, bourgeoning New York rapper Melii just barely spoke her first words before the '90s were officially a thing of the past. But thanks to the transcendent swagger of that decade, and a culturally rich upbringing in Harlem surrounded by stylish friends, family, and hometown heroes, the “Icey” rapper has always found a way to stay dripped in nostalgia.
Some of that drip comes via Reebok, as the Dominican born millennial traveled from Uptown to Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn last week in a pair of '90s inspired Reebok Aztrek. Bold, bulky, and beautifully vintage, the Aztrek helped set the tone for the day as Melii shared a few takes on style, music, and inspirations borrowed from the culture’s most frequently referenced decade.
melii on style goals
“A few of my style inspirations from the '90s are my mother, the show The Nanny, Whitley from A Different World, and how my uncles and aunts used to dress.”
melii on music
"Lauryn Hill is definitely one of my influences. [Like her], I’m very straight forward about things in my music. Also, I used to listen to a lot of Spanish music from the '90s going back and forth between New York and DR."
melii on nostalgia
"People used to wear a lot of colors and also a lot of patterns. They had more comfortable shoes. To this day, we still have Reebok… our generation tends to tap into the '90s; old dad shoes and knee high socks. Things like that. One trend I don’t want to see return is men in shorts, though. I feel like men in crop tops is a way better option than men in shorts."
melii on matching
“I could date somebody whose style is completely different from mine, because everyone should wear what they want and express themselves—but if I do feel a certain style isn’t for me, I’ll definitely speak up about it.”
Styled by Weyni Elder.
