Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey stepped onto the MTV VMAs stage in 1998 wearing custom gowns by Vera Wang in a moment that defined diva theatrics and camaraderie in equal measure.

L&rsquo;HISTOIRE explores fashion history moments you should know, from what actors wore on a red carpet to celebrities who made cameos on the runway. Some are unsung, and some are better known. Each is part of the fabric of today&rsquo;s fashion world, be it barrier breakers or culture makers.
<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/whitney-houston-style-moments-music-grammys-90s">Whitney Houston</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/mariah-carey-90s-style">Mariah Carey</a> opened the MTV Video Music Awards in 1998 &ldquo;accidentally&rdquo; in the same custom brown Vera Wang gown. The sleeveless, plunge-neck dresses were identical, that is until Houston removed a swath of fabric to reveal a high-low version. Carey pulled her own theatric trick to display a shorter hemline and her legs (which are <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1027037/legs-insured-for-1-billion-and-dogs-that-only-fly-first-class-25-secrets-about-mariah-carey-you-probably-forgot">insured... for a cool $1 billion</a>). A moment that could&rsquo;ve sparked a diva feud instead became a moment of cheeky and comedic genius, proving that even at the height of stardom, there&rsquo;s always room for a little playful shade. The &ldquo;diva-off&rdquo; wasn&rsquo;t just a clash of fashion, but quite the masterclass in charm, wit, and how to own a room.
In a Vogue <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGjwkmx9K6k">video</a> reflecting on her life in looks, Carey shed light on how the iconic face-off moment came to be (and claims the dress is stolen). &ldquo;Vera Wang made these dresses for us both to be matching&mdash;so we could be matching, but have a little bit of a different thing, right? And we were opening the show with this bit, which was supposed to be like &lsquo;Well, here&rsquo;s my thing,&rsquo; and she&rsquo;s like &lsquo;Well, look at mine,&rsquo; We [were] having a faux competition of the look.&rdquo;
The moment has become a point of reference since. At the 64th <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop-culture/grammy-awards-nominations-2025-pop-artists-lead">Grammy Awards</a> in 2022, <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/dua-lipa-best-style-moments-y2k-celebrity-fashion">Dua Lipa</a> and <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/music/megan-thee-stallion-documentary-everything-to-know">Megan Thee Stallion</a> paid homage to this &ldquo;diva-off&rdquo; moment. To present the award for Best New Artist, the &ldquo;Sweetest Pie&rdquo; collaborators stepped onto the stage in matching black floor-sweeping Versace gowns, engaging in similar banter to Houston and Carey. <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/donatella-versace-biography-versace-spring-summer">Donatella Versace</a> herself then joined the pair onstage as a fashion fairy godmother of sorts. &ldquo;Basta, basta, basta,&rdquo; she said of their face-off. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s do this, and this.&rdquo; The Italian designer proceeded to unclip a part of Lipa&rsquo;s dress to reveal a jumpsuit underneath, and then she turned to Megan and unveiled a shorter bodycon skirt under her original frock.

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You simply can&rsquo;t go wrong with a little black dress. But we also recommend opting for a chocolate brown dress (perhaps this one <a href="https://www.revolve.com/nookie-illegal-halter-gown-in-chocolate/dp/NKIE-WD646/?d=F&amp;currency=USD&amp;countrycode=US&amp;deeplink=true&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=PMax:+Product+Listing+Ads+-+PLA+-++Smart+Shopping_All+Products&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=CjwKCAiA9IC6BhA3EiwAsbltOHtJCfGZaZjoGyjAokMGOT-8tQem8VlQHJqqTdFIfSaV1iNeJ7jrfhoCQkwQAvD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds">by Nookie</a>) like the Houston and Carey wore, which has coincidentally been a <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fall-winter-2024-color-trends">must-have color</a> this season. An understated <a href="https://www.thereformation.com/products/maize-platform-sandal/1309778GOL.html?dwvar_1309778GOL_color=BCL&amp;quantity=1">platform sandal heel</a> will pair just right. Take a cue from Houston and Carey by finishing off your look with a glossy, nude lip and a relaxed blowout or bouncy curls for that trademark '90s glow.
That night, two vocal powerhouses&mdash;Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey&mdash;joined forces to deliver a legendary pop culture and fashion moment, forever enshrined in history.
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Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey at the MTV VMAs in 1998. Photography: Getty Images.

L’HISTOIRE: Whitney Houston and Mariah Carey’s 1998 Face-Off in Custom Vera Wang

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