Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture is shining a well-deserved spotlight on the trendsetters of hip-hop! The museum just opened Styled by the Streets: Black Women in Hip-Hop Fashion, a vibrant new long-term exhibition honoring the cultural and political force of hip-hop fashion created by and for Black women.
Now on view since September 19, 2026, the show is a love letter to icons like Mary J. Blige, Cardi B, Doja Cat, Lil’ Kim, and Missy Elliott — the bold women and girls who have set trends and shifted culture with their style. The exhibition brings together 30 unique artifacts spanning streetwear, couture, hair, jewelry, and iconic photography, all bathed in the colors, textures, and finishes of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Highlights include Lil’ Kim’s famous zipper wig by Dionne Alexander, custom designer grillz created for the museum by mother-daughter duo Dr. Melissa “Melz” and Ariel Jones of Melz Grillz, custom nail sets inspired by Saweetie, original prints of hip-hop legends, and rare editions of Honey magazine. As MoPOP CEO Michele Y. Smith put it, “Black women have always shaped and reimagined style.”
A must-see for music lovers, fashion fans, and anyone who loves Seattle’s creative spirit — plan your visit to MoPOP at Seattle Center!
Photo: Burley Packwood via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
