The 67th annual Grammy Awards were held Feb. 2 in Los Angeles, showcasing the best music talents of today and plenty of fashion looks–from the elegant to the avant-garde. The event is meant to celebrate the singers, but in recent times has evolved into a fashion show, with a statement in every stitch.
Chappel Roan came out in an ensemble by Jean Paul Gaultier. Her yellow printed dress, sheer blue opera gloves, sash, which drew inspiration from drag, and hair accessory were fun. Sporting a vintage-styled makeup look, the outfit was everything you’d come to expect from the icon, who took home the Best New Artist award.
Doechii walked the red carpet in a Thom Browne look, creating an exaggerated silhouette with a perfectly tailored suit-style dress. Taking home the Best Rap Album award for Alligator Bites Never Heal, the musician came out with a bold look. Strikingly, her cornrows and face-framing waves stole the show. Designed by stylist Malcolm Marquez, her waves expertly frame her face with elegant curls.
To the surprise and bafflement of viewers, Jaden Smith took to the carpet in a nice suit–and a castle on his head. The castle, a piece by ABODI entitled “Vampire Castle”, was one of the more avant-garde looks, striking up much conversation online. ABODI shared the inspiration for the piece on Instagram, writing, “The artistic combines the mysterious elegance of ABODI Transylvania with a bold, modern design inspired by Transylvanian history and the vampire legends of the Bathori.”
Cynthia Erivo stepped away from her usual black and green looks, sporting a much more subdued navy Louis Vuitton gown with a plunging neckline, accented with a metallic bustier and bangles on the wrists. It’s a surprising change for the star of Wicked, however not an unwelcome one. The gown gave an almost androgynous feel, while still capturing her feminine beauty and mystique.
Sabrina Carpenter showed up in a custom JW Anderson gown, accented with feathers, all in a soft baby blue. It evoked an almost Cinderella look, without the ball gown silhouette, and was entirely backless, accentuated with a 50-carat gemstone hung on a string of 19 carats. This paired well with her diamond earrings and ring, proving that diamonds truly might be a girl’s best friend–at least for Carpenter–who took home both the Pop Vocal Album and Pop Solo Performance awards.
Perhaps the most talked about look of the evening, and for all the wrong reasons, was Bianca Censori’s sheer dress, leaving absolutely nothing to the imagination. The Australian designer, Kanye West’s wife, walked onto the runway in a thick black coat, but after a quick interaction with West, she shed the coat, revealing her sheer slip dress. Viewers’ reactions have been predominantly of outrage, citing Censori’s apparent discomfort about shedding her coat.
Madeleine Higgins, a second-year Guilford College student, found it hard to watch. “Under the absurdity of it, I think it’s pretty frightening,” said Higgins. “It’s like watching an abusive relationship in real-time. There’s a reason it made so many folks raise their hackles. It was incredibly uncomfortable to watch, and obviously uncomfortable for her as well. Many people are joking about it, which is fair, but I feel like this is a pretty glaring red flag that something is not quite right with their relationship.”
Kanye has since gone on what can only be described as some sort of meltdown on social media, posting to X, “I have dominion over my wife,” among other claims, denying having a “woke” and “feminist” romance. He even went on to blame “dumb” and “lame” haters who called the Grammy look a stunt.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue of Censori’s dress, it’s clear that the look was the most notorious of the evening. Even with the controversies, it’s clear that this year’s Grammy Awards was a smash hit, and once again highlighted some of the best musical – and fashion – talent the industry has to offer.
