The Grammys Looks Worth Talking About

The Grammys Looks Worth Talking About

BY Joan Summers | Feb 03, 2025

The red carpet was rolled out last night in Los Angeles, a city recently spared a worsening fire season by unseasonable high rains. Against the backdrop of the Grammys Fire Relief step-and-repeat, stars walked up and down in everything from haute couture to tank tops. Some wore the latest fashions, some pulled from the archive and all walked gingerly around the massive shadow left by Lady Gaga’s voluminous black dress.

Generally, we categorize the looks from these awards shows into categories like "best" and "worst," broadly defined, but the new year calls for change. With so many PAPER stars present at the ceremony this year, who were heavily awarded at that, we’ve decided to go in a different direction. Rather than arbitrary definitions, our ongoing awards season coverage will instead focus on the looks worth talking about.

After all, fashion is communication. It is a transfer of ideas between the designer, society, its wearers, the entire world around them and history itself. Bad looks inspire just the same as good ones do, and some of the most technically executed looks spur just about nothing in me at all. As such, each of the following looks was cause for conversation, heated or full of praise. They inspired debate, sparked new ideas, burned themselves to memory and most importantly, gave me a reason to get up at the crack of dawn and right this very blog.

Shall we get into the Grammys now?

Lady Gaga

Fashion’s latest it-kid Samuel Lewis has popped up everywhere in the last year, whether it’s on Lady Gaga in her "Disease" video, Julia Fox’s wardrobe on OMG Fashun, Chappell Roan’s viral nun outfit or Lady Gaga again, at the Grammys. The Australian-Taiwanese designer has a sick and twisted mind, much like Mother Monster, and their ongoing collaboration for the Mayhem era is proof of her self-professed artistic renaissance.

Her imperial phase, which lasted between The Fame Monster and Artpop, was defined by fashion that was deeply grotesque; it was a reign of weirdness that felt exhilarating. Each new look in that time was a rush like no other, and the friction it caused with her surroundings lit sparks the industry still chases today. Nobody has ever come close to replicating it, and they never will — not even Lady Gaga herself. But in Samuel Lewis she has found someone who understands how she got there in the first place. Not in voluminous Valentino tulle and ostrich feathers, Brandon Maxwell pantsuits or paint-by-numbers Armani gowns, as we’ve grown accustomed to. Finally, after a decade defined by relative normalcy, she’s popped up at a major awards show looking freakish. Among the baby bangs and the structured shoulders and asymmetrical bustle skirt and peak of skin between her breasts and deconstructed Kevyn Aucoin beat, there’s simply too much here that excites me.

Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter

The pop diva trio of 2024 each took home major wins last night, with looks that personified their artistic visions for pop music in this mid-decade. Literally! The genius of each look is in how they perfectly distill the wearer down to their individual essence. Sabrina is the anthropomorphic vintage glamour Instagram account in JW Anderson. Charli XCX is the dance commander of modern Jean Paul Gaultier, Kelly Rowland style, at last reborn. Chappell Roan is the camp harlequin, fittingly dressed in archival Jean Paul Gaultier Haute Couture.

Of the three, Charli’s is perhaps my favorite, only because the leather gladiator boot is silly against her beautifully gray Jean Paul Gaultier corset dress. One can almost imagine her as the ringleader of the circus, sans top hot, that Chappell and Sabrina work at. She struts around the ring while Chappell jumps out a burning clown car and a magician is sawing Sabrina in half. The lack of accessories is also divine, especially in contrast to Chappell, decked to the nines in various accouterments. Of all the details in her look, the western boots are the ones I remembered in the morning, just like that drop pendant along Sabrina’s back. For a look that leaves nothing to the imagination, and nearly reveals her ass crack, it’s the drop pendant that’s sexiest. The way that V cuts her back? Divine! I just hope she escapes that magician’s trick.

Doechii and JT

If there was a theme at the Grammys, it’s gray, and besides Charli, the best examples are JT and Doechii’s contrasting looks. JT wore Grace Ling while Doechii wore Thom Browne. Of the two, I prefer Doechii's, as the body mod breastplate is a bit played out by now. That’s not to say I don’t feel moved by JT’s fit! I love the way the breastplate mimics the folds of fabric across her breast and stomach, although I wish the skirt felt more seamlessly executed. Its flat draping is just a bit too high contrast for what the breastplate wants to achieve. The real winners are the chunky accessories, which have made a big play across fashion’s various outlets of late.

As for Doechii, this Thom Browne moment is a big swing — big enough that I felt moved to revisit the collection last night, during which I remembered much of my initial reaction to it. No matter the venue, no matter the time, a white collared shirt can be deeply inelegant. Not that elegance is necessarily the point here, and perhaps that’s why I enjoy it so much. She’s dressed for something only she was invited to, much like she operates in a category all to herself at the moment. (I mean, did you read PAPER’s cover story on her last year?) We should all be thankful she entered that recording booth in the first place, let alone showed up in something worth talking about.

Troye Sivan and Shaboozey

The boys were out in fashion last night! While I’m generally averse to both looks on the basis of their tailoring, it’s impressive to see this many big swings from major men in the industry, each in their own lane. Besides, what did I say about gray?

Troye’s look is interesting, as a silk organza Prada suit often is. The colors are sensational on him, even if the rise on his inseam and the questionable tailoring on the blazer give him wonky proportions. I also wish the buttons had been similarly covered in organza, or at least not the white buttons used for the shirt. They cheapen the whole thing, which itself should not read cheap. Really, the whole thing hinges on the black shoes, which shows the problems here are primarily in the styling and less in the design. All the pieces are there for something phenomenal. Just look at the way the purple comes through the blazer! It’s so delicate and subtle and makes me sad the rest wasn’t up to snuff.

As for Shaboozey, the breakthrough country star wore a custom Diesel ensemble. I’m a fan of the square toe loafers and the glen check on the blazer, which seems to be made out of something thick and slightly reflective. I’m also told the scarf is also custom Diesel, made from this ribboned fabric that’s been tucked into the blazer. I’ve never seen something like it on the carpet, even if it’s been styled a bit too long. In still shots, rather than the live feeds, the effect is lost. Still, I’d love more information on what its unstyled form is — how weird and fascinating!

Miley Cyrus and Olivia Rodrigo

I’ve grouped these two together because, through a twist of fate, they wore similar outfits to the Grammys. Beyond the played out sameness of cutouts and keyholes, I’m more interested in the thematic resonance between the two: both Disney stars, both making big swings at rock music at different points in their careers, both currently attempting to revitalize and change their public image.

It feels cheap to say this is Olivia’s most sexed-up look to date, but it’s a notable departure from the more girlish rock chick image she’s so carefully curated the last few years. Gone are the bows and purples and sequins and platform boots. Here she is, snatched beyond belief in Versace, makeup smoked out, hair down to her ass, talons on and most importantly, tits out. Miley, as she often does these days, showed off her bangs and abs in a coincidentally matching Saint Laurent gown. I prefer Olivia’s Versace, if only for the slight train, but it’s still interesting to think about how these dresses are emblematic of their parallel careers. Olivia is carefully tailored and precise, while Miley is more roughed up and weird, which requires the same amount of effort and thought, for the record.

J Balvin

The real star of the menswear circuit was J Balvin, who wore a voluminous Dior coat and suit. It’s hard to underscore just how much I love everything about this. From the slope on the shoulders to the material, to the boots, to the sheen of the fabric underneath, teased in small peaks to photographers. It’s totally sensational, while also being a triumphant showcase of the possibility of menswear to move beyond “deconstructed” suits or cheap “gender bending” suit dresses. Play with form! Experiment with overcoats and capes! Showcase interesting materials!

Photos via Getty Images