Viewers could be forgiven for wondering why the 64th Grammy Awards looked downright stately Sunday evening. Tuxedos and grand ballgowns ruled the red carpet at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, from host Trevor Noah in double-breasted Gucci to Chrissy Teigen’s voluminous pink strapless gown by Taiwan-based couture house Nicole + Felicia. Lady Gaga, meanwhile, looked supremely elegant in Armani Privé and then changed into a pale blue Elie Saab gown for her loving and emotional tribute to Tony Bennett.
While they and other attendees acquitted themselves well in a show heavy with haute couture, some fashion and music fans may have found themselves wondering: Where were the crazy moments we’ve come to expect from the Grammys? Gaga has evolved into an exceptionally chic woman who favors custom looks from Armani and Valentino and one-of-a-kind jewels by Tiffany & Co., but her fans adored her equally when she arrived at the 2011 Grammys in an egg to celebrate the debut, or “birth,” of Born This Way. And it’s conceivable that her most talked-about look may always be the dress made of raw beef, which the triple-threat actress/singer/songwriter wore to the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, a look so legendary it possesses its own Wikipedia page.
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Ultimately, what was missing from Sunday night’s fashion parade were watercooler moments precisely like these. (P.S., remember watercoolers?) That’s not to say audiences didn’t witness some moments of great style — and with that in mind, here’s a healthy assortment of the night’s best looks. But the Grammy Awards have been appreciated in the past for transcending fashion to create terrific moments of theater; as A-list stars align themselves more than ever with the ne plus ultra among fashion and jewelry houses, are those days gone forever?
Lady Gaga in Armani Privé
The five-time nominee alongside Bennett — the duo won for best traditional pop vocal album — looked the part of a classic Hollywood star, wearing a black silk one-shoulder gown with a white silk train that wrapped around the column skirt, a custom design by Giorgio Armani Privé. Gaga paired the dress with Tiffany & Co. jewels from archived Jean Schlumberger designs, including a Potager Leaves necklace crafted of morganites and diamonds set in platinum and 18-karat yellow gold, from the house’s recently debuted 2022 Blue Book Collection.
Halsey in Pressiat
The nominee for best alternative music album channeled old-Hollywood glamour in an aubergine velvet belted corset bustier and skirt by Paris-based designer Pressiat, paired with diamonds by Tiffany & Co. and shoes by Stuart Weitzman. On Instagram, stylist Law Roach called Halsey “My Pretty Little RockStar” and noted that the vintage Pierre Cardin hat was from his personal archive.
St. Vincent in Gucci
The night’s winner for best alternative music album went for the drama of a look from Gucci’s Love Parade collection, which debuted on Hollywood Boulevard in November 2021. The pink silk teardrop-neckline gown was fully embellished with sequins and featured wide long sleeves and a lush pink organza ruffle around the cuffs and hem. The look was finished with python-print platform sandals and a gold metallic clutch, also by Gucci, and an assortment of diamond and gemstone rings by Bulgari.
Dua Lipa in Versace
The 2019 best new artist went with her go-to label, Versace, wearing a vintage gown designed by Gianni Versace for his Fall/Winter 1992 collection. This bondage-inspired look from Versace’s then-provocative “Miss S&M” collection featured a transparent bustier highlighted by straps finished with gold buckles, over a silk skirt. An abundance of Versace fashion jewels were paired with diamonds by Bulgari.
Giveon in Chanel
Pharrell Williams no longer holds the exclusive on wearing great Chanel menswear looks on red carpets, as “Peaches” nominee Giveon opted for a custom black sequined bomber jacket and matching pants, both in the French label’s iconic bouclé tweed. The R&B singer-songwriter finished the look with a layering of necklaces and a ring in diamonds and white gold by Chanel Fine Jewelry.
Lil Nas X in Balmain
The “Montero (Call Me by Your Name)” nominee — born Montero Lamar Hill but adopting the stage name Lil Nas X — loves a powerful look, and for the Grammys he and his stylist/creative director, Hodo Musa, worked with Balmain’s Olivier Rousteing to create a variety of looks for the evening. Nas’s red carpet look was a stellar example of handcraft, a suit featuring a high-collar jacket embroidered with butterflies, while both the jacket and pants were fully embellished with pearls.
“For his Grammy red carpet moment, we looked to a Balmain design that’s very special for me — one that I originally presented 10 years ago, during my second runway for the house. For that Balmain Fall 2012 collection, I was inspired by the ornately embellished Fabergé egg that Richard Burton once gave to Elizabeth Taylor as a very special gift,” Rousteing said in a statement. “Since neither Montero nor I would ever be content with just one Balmain look, we decided to work together to create an entire Grammy evening’s worth of one-of-a-kind Balmain designs for the special night. And I am so very pleased with the final result.”
Chrissy Teigen in Nicole + Felicia Couture
Sisters Nicole and Felicia Chang of the Taiwan-based fashion house Nicole + Felicia crafted this pink taffeta ballgown with ruffle detailing and a pleated skirt for their Fall/Winter 2022 collection. Teigen’s color choice was among the night’s trends, also seen as one of Saweetie’s looks and on Billy Porter (both Valentino). Teigen finished her look with diamond statement earrings.
BTS in Louis Vuitton
All seven members of the world’s hottest boy band wore Louis Vuitton to the Grammys, a label they often favor. But this time the looks seemed especially coordinated, in both color and cut, creating an overall look that felt decidedly polished. The band members’ sneakers also were by the French label.
Jon Batiste in Dolce & Gabbana
Nominated for 11 Grammys — and winner of five trophies, including album of the year for We Are — Batiste and his stylist, Ugo Mozie, worked with Dolce & Gabbana to create a mind-boggling number of looks for the evening. He kicked it off on the red carpet with this double-breasted suit fully embellished with gold and black paillettes to create a harlequin pattern. Batiste completed the look with a white silk shirt and black patent-leather derby oxfords, also by the Italian label.
Olivia Rodrigo in Vivienne Westwood
With seven nominations and three wins — including best new artist — Rodrigo was ready for her star-making moment at her first Grammys in a Vivienne Westwood gown embellished with Swarovski crystals, paired with opera-length gloves, black diamond studs by Anabela Chan, and a necklace and cocktail ring also by Swarovski.
Diplo in Tiger of Sweden
Nominated for best dance/electronic music album, the celebrity DJ and music producer looked sleek in a suit by Stockholm-based menswear label Tiger of Sweden. He didn’t take home a trophy, but he knew he looked good: “When you lose another Grammy,” he posted to Instagram with a shot of himself on the red carpet.
Snoh Aalegra in Atelier Versace
The nominated singer-songwriter wore a custom Atelier Versace strapless gown crafted of silver metal mesh, which was constructed around an internal corset and, with details that included chain and crystal finishes, required roughly 800 hours to complete. She completed the look with Serpenti jewels by Bulgari.
Chloe Bailey in Valentino
“Ima disco ball baby,” Chloe Bailey posted on Instagram about her silver-sequined strapless gown and matching cape, from Pierpaolo Piccioli’s Pre-Fall 2022/2023 Promenade collection for Valentino. The look was paired with platinum jewelry by Tiffany & Co., including a bracelet set with diamonds and a tourmaline of more than nine carats.
Saweetie in Oscar de la Renta
The best new artist nominee started out on the carpet in a fuchsia design by Valentino, but before she had reached the arena entrance, Saweetie changed into a second look, a black taffeta gown with a sheer bodice (inspired by the Elie Saab gown Halle Berry famously wore the night she won her Oscar in 2002), designed by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim for Oscar de la Renta. The rapper changed into a custom backless halter gown by Etro for inside the arena, while diamonds by Messika completed Saweetie’s trio of looks.
John Legend in Zegna
Kudos to the 12-time Grammy winner — including a trophy for best R&B album of the year for Bigger Love in 2021 — for not only creating one of the night’s most compelling moments, but also modernizing an evening suit for the red carpet. Following a surprise video appearance by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky, Legend took the stage to perform his new song, “Free,” and was gradually joined in the number by Ukrainian artists, including Siuzanna Iglidan, a musician born in Odessa. For that number, Legend wore a blue suit that matched the hue seen on the Ukraine flag, while earlier on the red carpet, the EGOT winner sported a navy velvet jacquard tuxedo with shawl lapels and a black cotton button-down shirt, both by Zegna.
That latter detail was key: Wife Chrissy Teigen’s dramatic pink ballgown was among the night’s strongest looks, but if Legend had opted for a more traditional tux with white shirt and bowtie, the overall affect would have felt too stiff and traditional — that is to say, very non-Grammys.
Megan Thee Stallion in Roberto Cavalli
Perhaps better than anyone, Megan Thee Stallion understood the assignment. The rapper wore a leopard-print gown trimmed in gold beading along the one-shoulder neckline, a custom design by Fausto Puglisi for Roberto Cavalli. From its sexy cut to details such as the contrasting animal print for the lining and a jeweled leopard head perched at the top of the gown’s high slit, this felt like a fierce Grammys look. Bold gold jewelry, including statement serpent earrings, and Giuseppe Zanotti’s Catia strappy sandals completed this look.
Trevor Noah in Gucci
The Grammys host wore a pair of well-cut Gucci looks Sunday evening, starting with this look on the red carpet, a double-breasted peak-lapel evening jacket in mauve pink silk faille, paired with classic elements like striped tuxedo pants, a white dress shirt and black grosgrain bowtie. On the breast pocket, Noah sported Boucheron’s Noeud Diamants brooch, set with 229 round diamonds on 18-karat white gold and black lacquer, from the jeweler’s “Histoire de Style, Art Deco” high-jewelry collection, released in 2021.
