Erykah Badu’s Booty Suit Was More Than a Bold Fashion Statement — Let’s Talk About It

From ancient art to modern Black identity, Erykah Badu’s viral lbooty suit at the Billboard Women in Music Awards is packed with meaning — if you know where to look.

The crocheted suit was stuffed with padding to create exaggerated curves.Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images

Okay y’all, we have to talk about Erykah Badu’s booty suit from the Billboard Women in Music Awards. I mean… what a moment. She didn’t just perform — she made a statement, and depending on who you ask, it was everything from empowering to controversial to deeply historical.

So here’s what went down (and why it’s got everyone talking):

The Look That Broke the Internet

When Badu hit the stage to perform “Annie Don’t Wear No Panties” (yes, that’s the actual title and yes, it’s a vibe), she was wearing this wild, hand-crocheted bodysuit — brown, curvy, and dramatically padded in the bust and booty. Think exaggerated femininity in 3D form. The designer called it the “Full Figure Form,” but fans quickly dubbed it the “booty suit.”

It wasn’t just a quirky outfit. This thing moved with her — her behind practically had its own rhythm section. It was surreal, theatrical, funny, and deeply layered. Just like Badu herself.

The piece was created by fashion student Myah Hasbany.Michael Buckner/Billboard/Getty Images

Meet the Designer: Myah Hasbany

The suit was created by Myah Hasbany, a young, non-binary fashion student at Central Saint Martins. And get this — the whole piece was hand-crocheted using vintage yarn found on eBay. Myah spent nearly a year making it, stitching together eight custom pieces plus matching boots. The padding gave it that bold shape, but they still kept it light enough for Badu to dance in. Impressive, right?

What makes this even cooler is that Myah’s work is often about playing with form, identity, and the way we interpret bodies — especially through the lens of gender and queerness. The suit wasn’t just fashion; it was a wearable sculpture with a purpose.

Was It a Statement on BBL Culture?

Of course, the internet had opinions. Some folks saw it as a parody or critique of the Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) craze — that aesthetic of ultra-curvy bodies that’s dominated pop culture and Instagram feeds over the last decade.

Others thought the suit was a celebration of Black women’s bodies, or maybe even a call-out of how society fetishizes and profits off them. As one user put it, “I thought of Sarah Baartman the entire time.”

If you don’t know, Baartman was a South African woman exploited in 19th-century Europe, put on display for her body — specifically her large behind. Her story is tragic but important, and she’s become a symbol of how Black women’s bodies have been exoticized and dehumanized throughout history.

Or Maybe It Was Art History?

Then there were the art nerds (hey, I see you) who connected the suit to the Venus of Willendorf, a prehistoric fertility statue from around 28,000 BCE. That tiny stone figure is all curves — belly, boobs, hips — and scholars believe she represented femininity, fertility, and strength.

One person even tweeted, “It’s Venus. Oh my god, please put art education back into schools.”

Honestly? Same.

Some social media users theorized that the bold one-piece engages with Black history.Christopher Polk/Billboard/Getty Images

So What Did Badu Mean?

Here’s the twist: Badu hasn’t spelled it out. She dropped some goddess energy on Instagram and hinted at Venus imagery, but she hasn’t fully explained the outfit’s meaning — and maybe that’s the point.

Even the designer, Hasbany, said they left the interpretation up to her. “There were a lot of different reference points,” they said in an interview. “It’s amazing to see discourse around femininity and how people interpret feminine bodies, especially for Black women.”

Badu did say this in her speech while accepting the Icon Award:

“This night is for us! … The womb of the world. The wisest, the most invincible, sexiest, purest, finest. The woman.”

And honestly? That says a lot.

Final Thoughts: More Than Just a Meme

What I love most is that this moment — this big, bold, booty-popping moment — turned into a real conversation. About race, gender, art, beauty standards, and power. About how we see women’s bodies, and especially how we see Black women’s bodies. And that’s what fashion should do, right?

It should shake us up, make us think, make us talk.

Whether you saw a statement, satire, celebration, or something else entirely — Erykah Badu’s booty suit wasn’t just a look of the week. It was a moment in culture.

And honestly? She slayed. Period.