The top looks of Brandy Norwood
SLIDESHOW - Click through the gallery to see Brandy's style evolution over the years. What do you think is her best look?
Brandy Norwood, 34, has been an African-American “it girl” since her first days as a fresh-faced actress on the hit ’90s sitcom Moesha. She seemed to peak during that era, but the multi-talented singer and actress has been experiencing a professional revolution in the past several months, which is reflected in the evolution in her personal style and many personal life changes.
Her most recent album Two Eleven was released to popular acclaim in February 2013, soon after the star announced her December 2012 engagement to entertainment executive Ryan Press.
Still flying high, Brandy currently stars in the latest Tyler Perry box office hit, Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor. She has also been making heads turn on red carpets in fresh looks that are chic, yet unexpected, showing that the mother of her 10-year-old daughter Sy’rai is definitely still in a mode of experimentation.
A celebrity stylist weighs in
Celebrity stylist and lifestyle expert Paul Wharton sees her fashion changes as intimately linked to her personal growth.
“It seems in recent years this artist has been on a mission to reinvent herself and I for one am in full support,” the master aesthetician told theGrio over email. “If you haven’t been paying attention, Ms. Norwood is no longer rocking the classic box braids that at one point were synonymous with her name. Her style has been given a much needed update as she can now be frequently seen in the latest fashions ranging from casual destructed skinny jeans on some days and the most risqué of high fashion on others.”
But Wharton, who has worked on shows such as MTV’s Made and the Real Housewives of D.C. lending his style expertise, believes Norwood has successfully taken these “risqué” fashion risks to the next level, thereby setting her apart from other performers.
A red carpet superstar
“Brandy has become a red carpet superstar that even Joan Rivers can’t say anything bad about,” Wharton mused. “She’s shut the critics up, one impossibly fabulous look at a time. It seems that, although she is comfortably in her 30s, she’s making up for lost time spent in her look of yesteryear. It was after her album Full Moon was released in 2002 that we began to see the makings of a style evolution. This new image just keeps getting better and better with time.”
Noorwood has also used her blossoming sense of personal style to make a distinction between the cute girl of the past she was and the fabulous mother she is — plus the wife she will soon become. According to reports, Brandy and Press plan to marry later this year.
“It’s seems as youthful and fun as ‘Moesha’ was, she has finally grown up into the confident and stylish woman we see today. Nothing is off limits to change, and Brandy has shown that a little change, mixed with a sense of adventure, can definitely be a great thing. Brandy has arrived, take note.”
Celebrating the power of beauty
And Wharton, ever mindful of the power of beauty — and with his own line of beauty products to boot — gave a “big-up” to the glam squad behind the star, which helped her go from adorable youth to sexy, powerful diva.
“It takes a village and Brandy’s hair and make-up team totally helped pull it all together. She looks fabulous!”
Click through the gallery above to see Brandy’s style evolution over the years. What do you think is her best look?
Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.
