Countless fashion moments have marked the illustrious careers of Brandy and Monica—and they discuss many of them in the latest installment of Life in Looks—but let’s start with the one that has launched a million memes: the tri-strap, block-heeled white sandals Monica wore for 1995’s “Before You Walk out of My Life” video. “Baby, the white shoes? If I could recall who put them out, I would give them a call—do you understand me? They got it right until they got to my feet!” Monica says of the questionable footwear.
A far less polarizing look graced the cover of Brandy’s debut album the year prior. “I wanted to be different, I wanted to showcase my braids, I loved hats at the time, so I wanted to have that hat swag,” she says of the cream separates and brown newsboy cap. “And Brandy’s braids were the thing,” Monica adds.
While both women have flexed their individuality over the years—Monica often in over-the-knee boots (“you could bury me in a pair,” she says) and Brandy donning a durag to an awards show in 2000 (“I thought I needed to be a little hip-hop, she remembers—they’ve also been known to coordinate. Their seminal “The Boy is Mine” video saw them in a range of monochromatic looks, and for the Grammy Awards in 1999, they both wore shades of white.
Monica’s look that evening was especially memorable: fresh from the Chanel runway. The singer had recently spent time in Paris with Karl Lagerfeld and the house team. “A fitting with the Karl Lagerfeld is just something you don’t forget,” she says. Brandy’s response? “I’m lowkey mad that you didn’t take me with you to Paris to meet all the Chanel people,” she says.
Fast-forward to 2020 when the two reunited for a Verzuz performance. Monica opted for a bustier with a matching jacket and hat—all made from the same monogrammed Fendi trench—while Brandy slipped into jeans, a white turtleneck, and an ikat-print jacket. Their cameos in Ariana Grande’s “The Boy is Mine” remake video called for all black, and when they announced their forthcoming tour, they did so by releasing photos of themselves in white straight jackets made from microphone and headset cords—a nod to how they’ve been “wrapped up” in the music industry for 30 years, Monica notes.
“I’m just happy that it finally happened,” Brandy says of the tour.
We all are.
Above, watch Brandy and Monica reflect on their Life in Looks.
Director: Starr Nathan
Director of Photography: Dane Brown
Editors: Michael Suyeda, Katie Wolford
Senior Producer: Bety Dereje
Creative Production Coordinator: Anisa Kennar
Associate Producer: Lea Donenberg
Associate Producer, On Set: Jazz Pitcairn
Camera Operator: Moe LaRena
Assistant Camera: Josh Catubig
Gaffer: Eddie Harold Jr.
Audio: Tony Charles
Production Assistant: Quinton Johnson
Production Coordinator: Tanìa Jones
Production Manager: Kristen Helmick
Line Producer: Natasha Soto-Albors
Assistant Editor: Justin Symonds
Post Production Coordinator: Holly Frew
Supervising Editor: Kameron Key
Post Production Supervisor: Alexa Deutsch
Global Entertainment Director: Sergio Kletnoy
Executive Producer: Rahel Gebreyes
Senior Director, Video: Romy van den Broeke
Senior Director, Programming: Linda Gittleson
VP, Video Programming: Thespena Guatieri
Images Courtesy Of: Tony Bowen, Thomas Leijgraaff
Filmed On Location: The Times Square EDITION