The official start of the awards season has kicked off, once again, with the MTV VMAs.
In the waning light of summer, celebrities and pop stars and social media influencers one can almost remember the name of gathered in New York City for the flagship music video awards show turned media circus. As always, PAPER has the down low on all the looks worth talking about. Of particular note are Sabrina Carpenter's attempts at Cher drag, Ariana Grande's evolving relationship with Law Roach and Katseye's mixed messaging about their sartorial aspirations. Plus, we've got breaking updates on Tyla's "Chanel" jewelry and Doja Cat's continued pop fashion supremacy.
Let's get started!
Doja Cat
Of course this is Balmain. The designer has basically made his staging ground in the '80s forever now, and it's a perfect fit for the look Doja's been trying to pull off this entire era. Everything about this just works for me: the strapless heels, the length of the dress, these earrings and her Solid Gold dancer hair. Even the quilted harlequin patterning is divine, especially in these soft pastels with the shock of pink in the embellishing. It's a cartoonish and weird and thoroughly the best look of the night, down to that rhinestoned lipstick clutch.
Tyla
I saw an unfortunate clip of Tyla where she said her inspiration behind the look was: "Put me in Chanel." Unfortunately, it's just the dress that's Chanel here, as the jewelry is Pandora and the heels are clearly Louboutins. It's not the greatest look we've seen her in either, and that isn't saying much, considering she's usually draped in a few pieces of fabric with a little heel. Perhaps it's the cut of the neckline or the stiffness of the tweed, but something about it trends closer to costume than I'd like.
Still, it's not her fault her team clearly didn't prep her on the look. Perhaps its time that same team undergoes a refresh.
Meg Stalter
It is probably going to read patronizing to everyone involved to go from calling a look "costume-y" to calling a costume "couture-like." Apologies to both parties, because the difference is in the intentions behind both. Where Tyla's look was clearly an ensemble that read like a Halloween order of knockoff Chanel, Meg Stalter came rocking up with a disco ball Dunkin cup looking like she just walked the Thom Browne show.
For the uninitiated, Stalter's been dressing in beverage related outfits of late. (See her Diet Coke couture at the Las Culturistas Awards here.) When asked what inspired this particular look, she simply said "coffee." Simple enough, but she pulled off something quite fabulous in the process. I love these little biscuit kickers with the white ankle socks and deconstructed hoop skirt. The corseted top fits wonderfully, the wig is hilarious and the shock of white against those multicolor nails really sells the strangeness. It takes megawatt star power to pull this off, and Stalter is practically crackling with it through my computer screen.
Sabrina Carpenter
Up top, I'd like to compliment the designers involved with this look on matching the corset to Sabrina Carpenter's skin tone near perfectly. It takes a few seconds, even with the contrast of the flash, to recognize she's been cinched in with her tits still out. Wonderful! I often grow weary of her vintage cosplay, if only because it feels so played out in a pop era dominated by revival acts and an endless stream of half-baked homages. Thankfully, I never grow tired of Cher, and so this look gets a tentative pass.
The real star is this shawl, which is just so different to the staid ostrich feather shawls we've seen come shedding down the carpet in recent press cycles and Drag Race runways. The contrast of the lavender against the scarlet sequins is exquisite.
Law Roach and Ariana Grande
Law Roach was Ariana Grande's original stylist from her My Everything era into the 2020, when she moved to Mimi Cuttrell. She re-hired Roach recently, and their official red carpet debut is at the VMAs, in custom Fendi. I think they both look traditional, which elucidates a few lingering questions from the Cuttrell era.
The primary criticism of her move from Roach to Cuttrell is her slow-descent into what can only be described as waif-ish fashions: soft gowns, pale fabrics and washed out makeup. Over the last two years, I chalked this up to both Cuttrell's influence and the super-massive Wicked press cycles, which would take place over the course of two years. But here she is in Glinda drag, nearly indistinguishable from Cuttrell's own run of red carpets the past five years. Perhaps, then, the criticisms speak more to the client's proclivities than the stylist's intent.
Zara Larsson
I like that Zara Larsson mostly makes Love Island challenge music, because it's a thankless job and somebody has too. I also like that she's dedicated this era to dressing like a Love Island contestant as well, making the whole thing a sort of meta commentary on the relationship between pop music and reality TV's most influential hit. The appliqués on this dress are gorgeous, as is the burnt orange of this sandal and the peachiness of her glam. I do wish the slip was more opaque, if only because it'd be sexier to see just a peak of this basic bra and panty.
Katseye
There is just about nothing I loathe more on a red carpet these days than Dolce & Gabbana ready-to-wear. It just reads so mall-adjacent, which doesn't help HYBE's assertion that Katseye is a global tastemaking super girl group. It doesn't help that predecessors like Destiny's Child set the bar so high for the red carpets, because every group to come is essentially just Fifth Harmony, if slightly different. The blazer with the exposed bust is bad enough, and then we get to the satin skirt on Megan's dress — meant to pull out the pink in her hair. Daniela's NYE cocktail dress doesn't help much, either.
Conan Gray
Conan Gray, I was not familiar with your... Erik Charlotte outfit! As is obvious, I appreciate camp and costume at the VMAs. This is certainly both of those things. We've seen dresses like this from Simone Rocha to Sister Jane, but it is fun to see it on Conan Gray. The platforms are very Elton John, as is the ensemble itself, but I don't mind really. Better Elton John than any of the other reference points stylists have pulled in recent years for people who aren't women. At least he's having fun up there!
Ice Spice
Everyone has worked themselves up into a tizzy over Ice Spice's vintage Ralph Lauren corsetry. Granted, it does look a bit like something we'd see in the background of an Ugly Betty photoshoot about high art, but at least there's no blazer or mesh or visible bra or tulle! I also love the bees nest of hair they've piled on top of her head, although I still think her team has yet to find a look as signature as the orange.
FKA Twigs
Does it shock anyone that FKA Twigs rocks up to every event like a yassified Xenomorph? It must, because she keeps doing it. Perhaps she shocks herself at her continued ability to invent and iterate around this very specific silhouette. Perhaps they rock this at the raves in Prague she felt so inspired at the advent of Eusexua.
Rebecca Black
What a wildly conflicting VMAs red carpet! Turned off by past favorites, endeared to new friends and old enemies alike. Rebecca Black is both a past favorite, new friend, and perpetual PAPER icon, which means I must now ruthlessly defend this Elizabeth Miller ensemble from the cavalcade of critics and commenters descending on her this morning.
The look is certainly weird. It is certainly off-putting. It is certainly unconventional. But there's a contrast of grotesquerie and whimsy that delights me, from the fur on the heels and leather straps to the lace bustle pulled right off grandma's table. The corseted fur vest is even funnier, if. only because it battles with her soft glam and messy updo. It's all very Ugly Betty of her, which is top of mind today because I fell asleep to it writing this recap last night.
Images courtesy of Getty
