As one-third of the beloved ’90s girl group TLC, Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins is one of the era’s pop culture trailblazers. TLC is known not just for their hits like “Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs” and “Unpretty” but also for their daring fashions and activism (who can forget when they wore colorful, baggy outfits decked out with condoms to make a statement about safe sex and AIDs awareness?), and today T-Boz’s daughter, Chase Anela Rolison, is following in her mom’s fashionable footsteps.
Chase recently launched Anela Vintage, an online shop specializing in fabulously over-the-top, TLC-approved ’90s and ’00s looks, and she also works as a stylist and makeup artist. On January 26, Anela Vintage is opening an L.A. pop-up shop with a portion of proceeds going to the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation in the wake of the devastating fires in the area.
Ahead of the shopping event, the dynamic mother-daughter duo spoke to First for Women about their close relationship, giving back and the enduring power of ’90s style.
T-Boz and Chase Rolison on their stylish mother-daughter bond
T-Boz and Chase’s fashionable bond goes back to when she was a baby. “Chase was introduced to fashion before she could walk because I was so excited to be a mom and I had this beautiful baby that looked like a doll,” T-Boz says. In 2005, when Chase was 5, T-Boz opened Chase’s Closet, a children’s clothing store dedicated to her.
“I wanted her to be fly all the time,” T-Boz continues. “She was the first toddler to have a custom Juicy Couture tracksuit”—it doesn’t get more ’00s chic than that! T-Boz says she “opened Chase’s Closet as an extension of her real closet,” and Chase adds that, “I was pretty young, but I remember a lot of it. We would do photo shoots at the store and fly from Atlanta to Houston to go there. Even as a kid, I learned my colors through clothes. I’d be 3 years old, like, ‘Mom, that outfit doesn’t match.’ It’s always been a thing for us.”
20 years after T-Boz opened Chase’s Closet, Chase has a shop of her own, and she cites her mom as her biggest inspiration. “My mom and I are super close. She’s my best friend, and I’m blessed that I have a great relationship with her,” she says. “She’s definitely had a huge influence on my style, and I’m not even being biased, but TLC is iconic for their fashion.”
Anela Vintage has brought a new dynamic to their relationship. “I’ll ask her if she likes stuff in the store, and I literally stop her from buying everything, like, ‘Mom, I have customers!’” Chase says with a laugh. “She’s raided my closet and still does that, but now we do it to each other,” T-Boz says. “I know she’s got quite a few pieces from my closet at her house.”
The closet-raiding has led to some playful banter between the duo. “She always says she’s going to wear things and never does, so I make fun of her. I’ll be like, ‘You have all this stuff that you don’t even wear, but then you’ll just throw on a sweatsuit and call it a day!’” Chase admits.
Why ’90s looks never get old
When it comes to sourcing for Anela Vintage, Chase draws on a mix of her own childhood memories (“I’m a 2000 baby, and I’ve always been drawn to it. I love the whole cheetah-print vibe,” she says) and her mom’s style.
Reflecting on why her ’90s looks still feel fresh as ever, T-Boz says, “I think the ’90s was one of the most creative periods in music and fashion. Artists liked being different and that inspired others. It makes sense that young people would want to go back and pull from that time because the creativity was pure.”
Asked for her favorite of her mom’s many memorable looks, Chase points to a black leather cyberpunk ensemble straight out of The Matrix, though T-Boz says, “We had so many dope looks for our performances and albums it’s hard to pick a favorite.” The singer calls out a recent look for being particularly close to her heart: “Our performance on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve this year was special because Chase helped style me.”
Overcoming obstacles
TLC’s music may have been fun and flirty, but they also never shied away from tough topics. “The thing that was different with us was that our messages, lyrics and images were just who we are,” says T-Boz. “‘Unpretty’ was a poem I wrote that was personal and seeing how many fans still come up to us and share how much that song helped them is amazing, and what ‘Waterfalls’ did to promote education with HIV awareness is something that will always be special to us.”
Chase has learned a lot from her mom’s resilience and outspokenness. “I’ve seen my mom beat a lot of difficult situations that nobody even thought was possible, and she’s overcome a lot,” she says. “She’s been a huge role model to keep pushing.”
Chase also acknowledges that it hasn’t always been easy growing up in the spotlight. “A lot of times, people think that because you grew up a certain way you don’t have any real-life problems or anything wrong in your life, and that’s not at all the case.” Now she’s forging her own path of spreading joy through fashion and making a difference while paying tribute to her mom’s bold spirit.
“I’ve always told Chase to follow her heart and I’m happy with whatever she wants to do and will support her as long as she is committed,” T-Boz says, and it’s clear her daughter is making her proud and carrying on a stylish legacy.
