NEW YORK – Victoria Monét walked the Grammys red carpet Sunday in a bronze Versace goddess body-hugger, her adorable 2-year-old and fellow nominee, Hazel, in a matching color as music's big night unfolded on the wildest and wackiest red carpet of awards season. Dua Lipa went for low-cut silver while Taylor Swift walked in classic white.
Swift, the last on the carpet, wore custom Schiaparelli Couture, working the train on her draped corset strapless look for the cameras. She accompanied the dress, which had a high side slit, with long velvet black gloves and multiple necklaces.
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Swift's fans, always on the Easter egg hunt, saw nods to her Reputation era in her black and white look.
Monét's custom corset look was stunning, strapless and symbolized Old Hollywood amid a sea of bold color, shimmer and shine at Crypto.com Arena in rain-drenched Los Angeles. Hazel, also in Versace, had a shy attack in the chaos, turning her head away from the cameras while in her mother's arms.
“I feel expensive,” said Monét, who finished off her look with a Bulgari serpent necklace.
Lipa's look, by Courrèges, was all-around chunky embellishment with long sleeves and subtle cutouts at the hips. Around her neck was a Tiffany & Co. fish-like necklace of diamonds, orange sapphires and other gems. In all, it was 23 carats.
If Monét was a Grammy statuette, Miley Cyrus was a golden warrior in a sheer, chain mesh look, her hair giving a ’70s bouffant vibe. It was custom Maison Margiela by John Galliano.
Bianca Betancourt, digital culture editor for Harper's Bazaar, called Cyrus' look the “type of over-the-top camp we love and want from the Grammys.”
Newcomer Tyla, meanwhile, “perfectly nailed her Grammys debut in a mint-green cutout gown from Versace that didn't deter from the playful, sexy looks she regularly wears,” Betancourt said.
The favorite look of the night for Claire Stern, Elle's digital director, wasn't worn on the red carpet.
"It's Miley Cyrus celebrating her first-ever Grammy win by performing ‘Flowers’ in a beaded Bob Mackie mini-dress,” she said.
Billie Eilish donned a Barbie jacket, a vintage piece reworked for her by Chrome Hearts. She was fresh from her win for her “Barbie” song “What Was I Made For?” during the non-televised Grammys Premiere ceremony ahead of the big show.
Bright yellows, pinks and on-trend reds were on display, though classic black was the choice for many. The ladies of boygenius, Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers, and Lucy Dacus, wore matching white Thom Browne tailored suits, their trousers and jackets cropped, with pink carnations on their lapels. Menswear for women was a mini-trend on the carpet.
“Much of the best menswear we saw on the carpet was worn by women. Boygenius in their stark white Thom Browne suits, Brandi Carlile in a killer yellow ensemble with a silky pink blouse, Billie Eilish polishing off her Chrome Hearts look with a shirt and tie,” said Yang-Yi Goh, style editor at GQ.
Janelle Monáe, always a fashion standout, went classic in a Giorgio Armani Privé liquid sequined gown that plunged at the neck and had a large rosette at the waist.
“I'm feeling classic, timeless, futuristic," Monáe told E!. “I'm standing in Black pride, in a state of joy.”
Some on the carpet definitely went wild, but there were far more traditional looks than usual for the Grammys.
“The Grammys seems to be in transition, at least fashion-wise. What used to be the loudest red carpet of the year was noticeably more subdued this year. On the one hand, that’s fantastic. It lets quieter looks shine. On the other hand, well, it’s the Grammys. A bit of bombast is always fun, after all,” said Jonathan Evans, style director for Esquire.
Self-expression was still the name of the Grammys fashion game. Slipknot's Sid Wilson decided to do that in a gas mask-looking leather helmet for his red carpet debut with a purple-haired Kelly Osbourne. Maria Mendes also went for head gear, hers in gold that fell to her eyes as a complement to a champagne-colored gown.
Singer Dawn Richard's red dress was a literal tree, branches towering high above her head. The look was by Khosrov, harkening back to Botticelli's “Primavera” painting. Rebecca Lovell and Megan Lovell of Larkin Poe went for matching suits in circus stripes.
There was some memorable man jewelry as well, around the neck of Rufus Wainwright and a lapel of reggae artist Collie Buddz. Wainwright wore a party of gold necklaces. Buddz went for a grouping of jeweled brooches. Josh Groban opted for a single brooch. Babyface included a couple of crosses among the multiple necklaces he wore with a Versace logo tux. All were right on trend.
Betancourt had her favorites among the men.
“Peso Pluma, Jon Batiste and Lenny Kravitz embraced their signature looks — avant garde suiting courtesy of Louis Vuitton, Versace and Rick Owens, respectively,” she said.
Batiste wore a Versace kilt with pants underneath and a high collared jacket.
Along with classic red, baby blue emerged on some: Coco Jones (in Celia Kritharioti) and Ayra Starr among them. Starr had a ball on the carpet in her two-piece midriff look, fluttering her flowy skirt for the cameras. Kylie Minogue stuck with red, a corset look with a train. Her look was custom Dolce & Gabbana.
Olivia Rodrigo scored a vintage Versace look worn by Linda Evangelista in 1995. It was timeless white studded with crystals.
Lainey Wilson represented for country in a custom Balmain black bell-bottom look. Bell-bottoms are among her signatures. This time, she wanted to honor Johnny Cash, the man in black.
A nervous newcomer, Coi Leray stood out in an archive pantless one-piece look from Saint Laurent. She carried a neon green feather jacket, clearly excited at the company she was keeping for the night.
Ice Spice earned some fashion fans in a custom Baby Phat look of denim and fur. The vibe, said music writer Matthew Ruiz, was “authentic `Bronx Mami' in LA.” Betancourt was also on board.
“Ice Spice brought her tried and true New York style sense to LA, a fun and unexpected addition to the carpet.”
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This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Brandi Carlile.
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For more coverage of this year’s Grammy Awards, visit https://apnews.com/hub/grammy-awards