Sizzling Swimsuits and Styling by The Carter Collective Shine in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s ‘Bongos’ Video

We chatted with wardrobe director Franceleslia Millien about working with the rappers, as well as her collaborative relationship with head stylist Kollin Carter.

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion performed “Bongos” at the MTV Video Music Awards.Christopher Polk/Getty Images

Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion just dropped their “Bongos” music video, and while the song is ultra-catchy and easy to jam to, the visuals take the art to an entirely new level. 

The two artists, who according to wardrobe director Franceleslia Millien, are “homegirls,” also performed the song and racy dance with an entire team of creatives at the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards. Millien works for The Carter Collective, run by Kollin Carter, who has been Cardi B’s personal stylist for a decade and took the lead on styling the “Bongos” video.

The video features a series of vibrant swimsuits with bold cut-outs and funky prints that pair perfectly with explicit lyrics and not-so-subtle sexual innuendo that makes the whole project super on-brand for both rappers. It might be hard to follow the immense success of “WAP”—which was released in 2020 and not only broke records but also sparked conversations about women taking control of their own pleasure—but “Bongos” is a close second. As a swimsuit magazine, of course we’re obsessed with all of the outfits featured in the video.

Both Cardi B and Megan The Stallion were dressed in various custom-made suits by LaQuan Smith, Julian Mendez, Calechie, Pucci, Michael Costello, Candice Cuoco, The Blonds and Nicolas Jebran. The gorgeous and intricate headpieces were created by Harris Reed, and most of the jewelry was sourced from boutiques in lower Manhattan or Alexis Bittar.

“They’re very much involved in each other’s processes,” Millien said about the two rappers. “That helped make [styling] like a thousand times better because they were like picking each other up so much. And then of course being honest with each other.”

Millien, who has been with The Carter Collective for almost two years, says she has already learned so much from Carter, who styled Ciara for her 2022 SI Swimsuit cover photoshoot in Barbados.

“[Cardi B] is all about the details, which Kollin is too. He’s so so meticulous and that’s why I love working with him. How intricate he is about these details, like he can spot when the tie of the strap of the shoe is different from the tie of the strap of the other shoe,” she explains. “That has changed a lot for me. I learned a lot when I worked with other stylists, but working with him has been a gem. He’s open to ideas. He’s very collaborative. He’s a leader. He’s a teacher. He makes us sharp.”

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Millien says that styling a music video is always an extremely collaborative process. From having the artist, fashion team and creative directors involved, to getting input from choreographers and audio directors to record label executives and safety officials, it’s a big undertaking.

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She says that seeing her work come to life on stage at the VMAs was rewarding. It felt like the blood, sweat and tears were all worth it when the music video dropped and the public loved it.

“All the long nights, all the waking up at 3, 4 a.m., because we’re on the West Coast, and we’re dealing with designers that are in Russia and Portugal. It’s a lot of running around. It’s a lot of mistakes and having the problem solved all the time,” Millien shares. “[Seeing the final product] was so worth it. We did so good. It brings the team together. It brings me to tears. It sends chills down my spine all the time. Like, ‘Wow. We really created this thing and millions and millions of people are seeing this thing and loving it.’ Oh my God, the amount of love that pours in after—that’s f------ amazing.”

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