Saweetie’s Icy Season Holiday Special Was Chic and Shoppable

Saweetie has worn more than her share of memorable outfits, but the hip hop star still gets nostalgic for her teenage wardrobe. Her current “icy bae” style is an unmistakable mix of big-ticket jewels and sultry runway pieces, but long before Saweetie was decked out in diamonds, she amplified her looks with a bit of help from Calvin Klein. “Calvin in the 90s was legendary,” Saweetie shared moments before yesterday’s premiere of Icy Season, her live-streamed holiday special on Amazon Prime. “[When] I was in middle school, everybody had the classic logo bras. I loved wearing them under a cute blazer or coordinating with a set under a jacket. All of my favorite women rocked Calvin Klein. If you had Calvins, you were the one and not the two!”

Fast forward to 2021, and Saweetie is still rocking those iconic bra tops, but now she’s collaborating with the brand she idolized growing up on Icy Season. The special introduced new songs, featured a collaboration with RuPaul’s Drag Race champion, Symone, and allowed fans to send through questions and communicate directly with the star as they shopped and listened to music. Describing her partnership with the brand as “refreshing,” Saweetie was impressed by the synergistic nature of the behind-the-scenes process. “They helped bring my vision to life, and it means a lot how collaborative this experience has been,” says Saweetie. “They worked with me to connect with my audience on a new level.” For the stream, she filled her wardrobe with CK pieces that reflect her current tastes. 

Thanks to Amazon’s e-commerce, every item Saweetie wore during the stream was instantly available to viewers. Going in with that knowledge made the outfit selection process enjoyable. “I built this from pieces I grew up loving but still wear today, curating Calvin’s iconic jeans and underwear styles into looks that made me feel sexy and comfy while performing,” says Saawetie. “It’s a plus that my fans can shop what they see.”

For the uninitiated, the icy girl look is all about freedom, crafting a head-to-toe look that is at once luxurious and unexpected. “As an icy girl, I’ve always considered my style unique,” says Saweetie. “I love playing with colors and expressing myself by coordinating, either my hairstyle, nails, or both into my outfits. I like to be comfortable and feel sexy, [that] makes me feel powerful.” Adding on a Hermès or Balenciaga purse doesn’t hurt either. “I love a good accessory, especially handbags,” she says. “It’s a real problem!”

Over the last year, Saweetie has hit a few fashion milestones, from dazzling at the Met Gala in a Christian Cowan gown detailed with 10 million hand-placed crystals, to making her presence felt in the front row at shows like Tom Ford and Prada. Immersing herself in the industry—in addition to her work with Calvin Klein, she became a global brand ambassador for MAC Cosmetics this August—has allowed her tastes to evolve. “I’ve learned to have more fun expressing myself this year,” says Saweetie. “Your look elevates your performance [and] I feel like I’ve taken things to a whole new level creatively. I’m finding myself gravitating towards choices that are way bolder than what I would’ve tried a few years back.”

That boldness is reflected in the special, which was, in a way, conceived as a gift to her fans. “The whole show is iced out,” says Saweetie. “The sets are all inspired by the holidays and my music. We did new renditions of my favorite tracks, all new choreography with my icy girls, and introduced “Icy Chain” to the world too. The last two years have been hard for everybody, so I just wanted people to tune in, get to ask me questions live, and most importantly, have a good time.”