At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the red carpet saw a resurgence of early-2000s spectacle.
Tana Mongeau turned the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet into a full spectacle, pairing matching Nicola Bacchilega thigh-high boots and a body-skimming mini dress with a live albino boa constrictor draped across her shoulders in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, 2019 (Credit: WENN / Ivan Nikolov / Avalon)
Tana Mongeau arrived in a patterned mini dress and matching Nicola Bacchilega thigh-high boots, accessorized with a live boa constrictor—a clear visual nod to Britney Spears’ 2001 performance.
Leaning into maximalist VMAs theatrics, Tana Mongeau styled her reptile-print Nicola Bacchilega look with tiny red sunglasses, layered gold chains, and a sculptural metallic hip piece while posing with the snake
This wasn’t her first bold footwear choice of the year; she previously made headlines at the MTV Movie & TV Awards wearing sharply pointed silver pumps paired with a money-print aesthetic.
Accompanied by a snake handler, Tana told Fox News that it was all for a good cause. “She’s super happy to be here; we’re just chilling,” Mongeau said about her non-venomous companion.
“The snake company that I’m working with, all of the proceeds and the money that they earn goes to rescuing a lot of snakes, especially out here on the East Coast,” she added. “It’s really cool and I’m super excited to be working with them.”
Tana Mongeau sharpened the dramatic silhouette of her coordinated Nicola Bacchilega ensemble with pointed over-the-knee boots that visually extended the leg line beneath the asymmetrical mini dress
Styled by Tyler Lambert, Mongeau’s look leaned into a maximalist Italian aesthetic, featuring matching gloves and a sculptural ceramic gold belt. The choice of over-the-knee boots created a seamless line with the mini dress, a styling technique often used to elongate the frame during high-profile appearances.
Britney Spears’ unforgettable 2001 VMAs performance of “I’m a Slave 4 U” with a live snake continues to shape the event’s red-carpet theatrics decades later.
At the 2019 ceremony, H.E.R. nodded to the iconic reptile moment as well, but approached it through a softer, more grounded styling lens, anchored by towering gold Giuseppe Zanotti platform heels rather than overt costume drama.
H.E.R. arrived at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards with a python draped across her shoulders, pairing the dramatic accessory with oversized round sunglasses and long waist-length braids
With a python draped over her shoulders, the singer opted for gold metallic platform Betty heels by Giuseppe Zanotti to anchor her floral Valentino jumpsuit.
Wearing a floral Valentino jumpsuit cinched at the waist, H.E.R. balanced the relaxed, wide-leg silhouette with towering gold metallic Giuseppe Zanotti platform heels at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey
From VMA Spectacle to Snake-Print Shoe Statements
As this concludes our look back at Tana Mongeau and H.E.R.’s reptile-themed 2019 MTV VMAs fashion moments, the stronger style takeaway is that snake motifs move beyond shock value when carried through the full look—from thigh-high boots and sculptural accessories to platform heels and polished red-carpet styling.
👠 Explore Snake-Print Shoe & Fashion Moments:
- 🐍 Your Next Shoes’ snakeskin dress guide traces how bold reptile prints work best when the cut, texture, and designer heels feel intentional rather than costume-like.
- 👢 Kylie Minogue’s Roberto Cavalli snake-print thigh-high boots turned a matching mini dress into a full statement look with leg-lengthening impact.
- 🤍 Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s snake-print Giuseppe Zanotti Coline heels added sharp texture to a clean white Balmain mini dress.
- 👜 Kim Kardashian’s gray Giuseppe Zanotti snake-print sandals brought a textural finish to her polished white pencil-skirt look at The Ivy.
- 💗 Alesha Dixon’s Kurt Geiger “Belgravia” snake-print sandals gave her soft pink suit a fiercer, more graphic edge.
- 🖤 Anna Wintour’s Milan Fashion Week snakeskin boots show why reptile-effect footwear remains a polished power move across seasons.