Los Angeles is facing a major disaster, not the fire, but the Grammys: America's elite annual music awards. The music and musicians are all fine, but what's not, are the red carpet looks. While the Grammy Awards have a history of pushing the envelope, this year, it felt like it ripped the envelope apart entirely. Celebrities turned the red carpet into a theatre of bizarre costumes, making bold and mostly odd and puzzling choices, which left their fans scratching their heads.
Making a bizarre statement
From the artists' point of view, they were probably trying to say something (if anything at all) with their controversial fashion choices. For instance, Bianca Censori presented a daring show, making her fashion mantra clear: less is more, but none is best. The wife of Kanye West made a striking entrance in a full-length, voluminous black faux fur coat. Bianca later removed the coat only to reveal her almost bare stocking dress. Not surprisingly, Bianca was escorted out of the event.
Kanye West took to his Instagram account to defend his wife and said, "We beat the Grammys." He wrote, "For clarity: February 4th 2025 my wife is the most googled person on the planet called earth. (sic)," the rapper wrote in one of his posts. He also shared his photo with Bianca after the Grammy 2025 appearance and wrote, "Me and my wife are the most googled people on the planet. (sic)."
Joy Villa arrived wearing a golden full-length strappy bodycon dress and teamed it with a red cap. An ardent follower of President Donald Trump and an immigrant to the United States, she wore a Trump-inspired cap. She paired her dress with a massive dog necklace, resembling Elon Musk's recently launched cryptocurrency Dogecoin.
Exaggerated concepts
Markos D1 (a recording artist in Los Angeles) on the other hand, brought a diamond-studded snake with him as a necklace – clearly off the fashion charts. Actress and model Julia Fox wore an almost naked sheer black dress and paired it with cleaning gloves, appearing like she was running to the Grammys straight from her kitchen.
The Smith siblings too did not leave any stone unturned to appear their weirdest with Halloween party costumes. Willow Smith wore a black bathing suit with gemstones all over the two-piece and on her teeth. On the other hand, Jaden Smith wore a black suit and carried a Wednesday Addams spooky dollhouse on his head, which failed to impress anyone. Social media users in India related his look to a Hindi idiom, "Bachche ne poora ghar sar pe utha rakha hai" (a child who creates a ruckus in the house) coming true. Rapper J French called Jaden 'retarded' on his face.
Cynthia Erivo was a stunner on the red carpet in an elegant navy gown with a cut-out at the bodice and silver detail, her signature sculpted nails were the spotlight. She called them as a "hint" to the iconic song Fly Me to the Moon. "I feel like the nails are also a hint,” she said, showing the camera her manicure. “What do you see there? Moon and stars.”
Fashion went too far
Although fashion at the Grammys has always been theatrical and over-the-top, this year, the line went from avant-garde to absurd. Fashion designer and stylist Dhara Prajapati says that there is a line between making a fashion statement and exaggerating the concept. "At the Grammys, the message was lost with what the designers wanted to convey. The costumes were creative but their artistic intelligence was overshadowed."
On social media, users are split in their opinions. Some admired the boldness, others criticised the artists for being weird for the sake of seeking attention. Fashion critics say the outfits didn't translate well in the real world, rather many of them were best for museums than for a live event.
Pushing boundaries
Despite the controversies, these bold choices were not completely abandoned. For many artists, the Grammys are a chance to express their artistry beyond music. It is also their way to express their personality and opinions in a rebellious and bold way.
"The outfits were meant to provoke conversation and challenge societal norms. They also reflected personal struggles," says Dhriti Saxena, a fashion designer based in Gurugram. "Not every dress is meant to look beautiful, it's also about expressing a designer's creativity and pushing boundaries," she adds.
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