From the music to the drama to the fashion, Monday night’s highly-anticipated Verzuz rap battle between R&B legends Brandy and Monica did not disappoint.
Monica, 39, turned heads during the Instagram Live event — created by producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz at the beginning of quarantine — in a Fendi ensemble embossed with the Italian label’s iconic logo.
She paired the matching corset top, cropped jacket and beret with beige vinyl pants that sparked a conversation online because fans couldn’t tell if they were actually pants, or just very tall boots. (Solange Knowles even posted a poll on Twitter to settle the debate.)
Gilbert Carrasquillo/Getty Images; Prince Williams/Wireimage Brandy; Monica
On Wednesday, Monica’s stylist Kollin Carter set the record straight about the bottom portion of the singer’s look, sharing a full outfit breakdown on Instagram alongside a series of black-and-white behind-the-scenes photos.
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Carter — who also works closely with Cardi B — explained how he managed to dress Monica is something totally “unique” while still incorporating the nostalgic designer logos she wanted.
Verzuz/Youtube
“@monicadenise was very adamant about doing logos! I wanted to of course make it something unique that you couldn’t just go in a store and buy. I wanted it to feel nostalgic,” he wrote alongside a series of behind-the-scenes snaps. “I went with a classic Fendi print, came up with the design and had my favorite @braudelinillustrate it! It was all about the silhouette. I worked with my seamstress @sirbabajagne to bring this vision to life.”
Carter also shared that he created the custom design using fabric from a classic trench coat.
“It started with a full Fendi trench that we deconstructed to create the cropped jacket and we used the rest of it to wrap an amazing @garosparo boned corset! We then took a Fendi skirt to create the beret hat,” he wrote, admitting it’s “always scary destroying very expensive pieces to create new ones.”
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As for the vinyl piece, the stylist cleared up confusion, writing, “We finished the look with an extended leather pant with exposed splits (seen in sketch).”
Kamala Harris Twitter
“And the answer to the BIGGEST QUESTION of the night lol pants or boots ( @saintrecords @feliciathegoat )? We wrapped a @gianvitorossi sandal in the same leather! The pant just extended over the ankle and laid on the foot,” he said. “SHOUT OUT TO THE GOAT @DAPPERDANHARLEM !!! Styled and Designed by me. Assisted by @v.msmith x @jennijenu Seamstress @sirbabajagne |photo by @cyndiibee_”
The stylist’s famous friends were impressed by his out-of-the-box ideas in the comment section.
“so incredibly talented ❤️” model Duckie Thot wrote. “Obsessed!! 🔥🔥🔥 you did that!” Golden Barbie added. Celebrity makeup artist Sir John said, “You killed that s***!!!”
