In honor of International Women’s Day, Fashion Bomb Daily Editor-In-Chief Claire Sulmers chatted with their March 2017 cover girl Brandy in an exclusive interview about womanhood, motherhood, confidence, new music and more.
Spending the majority of her life in the spotlight, and starting her career at such a young, pivotal age, Brandy has experienced and gone a lot of difficult times and situations. However, over the years she has learned to understand exactly whom she is as an individual, and through inspiration from her own mother, and being a mother herself, she has become the definition of a strong woman.
To go along with the conversation, Brandy posed for a stylish photoshoot with Tyren Redd, wearing fashionable threads and shoes from brands and designers like The Kooples, Iijin, Teatum Jones and more.
Read some excerpts from the interview, and check out the photo spread below.
ON THE DEFINITION OF A STRONG WOMAN: “[The Definition of a Strong Woman is] when you can hold your ground and you can be firm about your life and the things that you want and the things that you deserve; [It’s when you know] what you’re worth and how you value yourself. Having that kind of poise and having that kind of strength. I’m so glad that I’ve been able to find my own strength because it hasn’t always been like this. I’m thankful that I’m very very strong. I wouldn’t lose that for the world.”
ON HER MOTHER’S INFLUENCE: “She has always been there for me. She has always shown so much strength in so many different circumstances in both of our lives together. She’s always tried to remind me that I’m here for a reason and I’m here for a huge purpose. [She tells me to not] let anyone try to diminish just why GOD created me. It took me a while to really get that. But, I have it now. I am grateful, and humbled and thankful to her for waiting for me to get to this point. Because it’s hard to watch your daughter go through things and then watch her have to be strong for herself. And then when [I] finally get that strength and get that power [I’ve] been working so hard to get, it’s a relief for her. She can exhale knowing that I have my best interests at heart.”
ON MOTHERHOOD: “Being a mother has completely turned me into an example. You can’t be a hypocrite. You can’t teach your children anything if you’re not doing it yourself. I lead by what I do. I remember what it was like to be a child. Mixing those two things together means you can get a great relationship with your children. You can help them to be strong and help guide them. One of the things I teach my daughter is that her life is not my life, it’s her life. Her intuition is something that she’s gonna have to learn how to trust. It’s my job to help her to trust and to love herself by using examples of what I’ve gone through and then using examples of what she’s gone through to help her make the best out of her life. I’ve gone through so much and she doesn’t have to go through it because I’ve been through it for her. I just want to continue to be understanding, not abuse my authority, but still be firm enough to check her and help her go down the right path.”
ON HER NEW MUSIC: “The music is definitely happening. I have been fighting for freedom for a while as an artist. That why it’s taken me so long. I’m very very excited for my new songs. These are songs that are a raw truth about a particular phase in my life that I just had to confront. This is going to be some of the best work I’ve ever done. Because I know who I am.”
