The Fashion Of Eve: Ruff Ryders’ First Lady

From the minute she arrived on the scene in 1999, Eve carved out a place for herself in the male-dominated hip-hop landscape. As the first female artist signed to Ruff Ryders, the Philly native brought a certain grit both to her music and style, fusing an androgynous, hard-edged street style with feminine touches.

Prints, furs, camo, and throwback jerseys, Eve carried the proverbial fashion torch of early-aughts fashion proudly and made it look good.

Like her flow, her style is singular and unmistakable. From donning a latex road suit to a siren-red fur to match her punkish pixie cut, Eve had everyone asking, ‘Who’s That Girl?” after dropping her landmark album Scorpion.

Like many of the female emcees who came before her – Trina, Lauryn, and Missy – Eve adapted the around-the-way girl look and brought it to the red carpet. She could rep Philly projects and Chanel couture, sometimes in one outfit. For this self-proclaimed “pitbull in a skirt,” subtlety was never Eve’s thing.

In this photo essay, we celebrate some of Eve’s most iconic looks, from her Ruff Ryder days to her red carpet realness.

Explore Eve’s trailblazing tracks and crossover pop hits with the best Eve songs.