Complex have been lucky enough to get a exclusive interview with Kenya Ware, about the challenge of capturing the look and essence of ‘90s hip-hop style, as the costume designer for All Eyez on Me. Kenya isn’t just any stylist they picked for the monumental task, she was married to a That Dogg Pound member & Snoop Dogg’s cousin, she even styled Tupac himself before he was killed in 1996. In this interview Kenya divulges in what it was like working with Tupac, what she wanted to accomplish with the wardrobe for All Eyez on Me, and why Tupac’s style will always be imitated.

What was it like shopping for Tha Dogg Pound?
Shopping for Tha Dogg Pound and Snoop was always fun because I got to create something different than gangster wear. They were in love with Guess shirts but still wanted the baggy Karl Kani jeans. It was a slow process to get them away from the Dickies uniform. I had to make sure that whatever I bought for them was oversized and was in either blue or grey, which were Tha Dogg Pounds’ and the Crips’ colors.

Why do you think Tupac’s style was copied so much in the years after his death? What do you think he would’ve thought of that?
Tupac was a pioneer of rap, period. This man created history and set a tone in just 24 years of life. He will forever be copied because his style was genuine. If he were alive today, at age 45, he’d probably teach the youth to be original and create their own style.

Watch the full interview below, or head over to Complex to read the transcript