Color wheel of couture
Lizzo wowed in a bright orange Dolce & Gabbana opera coat adorned with flowers and a huge hood as the wild and wacky Grammys red carpet did not disappoint ahead of the Feb. 5 ceremony in Los Angeles. Tattered streetwear, T-shirts and denim mixed with blinged-out couture, wild patterns and plenty of skin.
Lizzo walked gingerly as she navigated her heavy coat with a long train. After awhile, she dropped the coat to her shoulders to reveal a busty sequin corset gown underneath in a softer orange. The coat was entirely embroidered with handmade silk flowers, and the gown was silk with crystal mesh Swarovski details. She accessorized with crystal embellished heels and sheer fingerless gloves.
Taylor Swift, channeling her “Midnights” era, wore a long two-piece sparkly skirt with a high-neck, long-sleeve crop top, all by Roberto Cavalli. They were, yes, midnight blue. She added statement diamond earrings by Lorraine Schwartz, her hair in an updo.
Fashion lover Harry Styles walked the carpet in a rainbow harlequin pattern jumpsuit adorned with Swarovski crystals. He was shirtless underneath. His low-cut, multicolored Egonlab look drew cheers. Egonlab is a young brand out of Paris.
Cardi B, meanwhile, wore a bombshell, sculptural electric blue gown with huge shoulders and a headpiece over one eye. Cardi’s look was from Gaurav Gupta’s latest collection.
“I’m trying, I’m trying,” she told photographers as she carefully walked down the carpet.
To present the award for best rap album, Cardi B donned a silver metallic
assemblage from the archive of Paco Rabanne, who died Feb. 3. The top and skirt were done by Julien Dossena in 2021.
The matching hood dates to 2020.
Sam Smith appeared in fire engine red. They were accompanied by Kim Petras and drag queens Violet Chachki and Gottmik in the same color. Smith wore a top hat with a veil. They, too, wore matching gloves, a trend of the night.
The marathon carpet kicked off with some notable looks. Doja Cat, always pushing her fashion envelope, showed up in a vinyl, one-shoulder and skintight black gown with long matching gloves from Atelier Versace. Bebe Rexha sizzled in hot pink with twists from head to toe and a va-va-voom halter bodice, proving that Barbiecore is going strong. The look was Moschino by Jeremy Scott.
Kacey Musgraves, in Valentino, also took the Barbie note with a feathery cape in a lighter pink hue over a catsuit.
There were golden crowns (Matt B), glittery mouth bling (Alligator Jesus) and epic tattoos
(Alisha Gaddis). And lots of slouchy and roomy looks that spoke to many of the men, as did an embroidered denim shorts ensemble for Benny Blanco.
Shania Twain wasn’t up for a Grammy. That, she said, freed her to have fun with fashion. Twain’s hair was red and her Harris Reed wide-belled pantsuit was adorned with huge black polka dots against white. She topped it off with a towering, matching wide-brim hat.
“Here I am with all my new fun things to wear,” she said. Reed is a young British American designer she wanted to support. Her goal: “I just wanted to add some pop and cheer.”
Laverne Cox was “Wakanda Forever” in her custom strapless leather Kim Kassas embellished warrior figure dress and African-inspired jewelry. Cox’s leather dress by Kim Kassas honors the vision of the late fashion editor Andre Leon Talley.
Prabal Gurung whipped up a custom sunny yellow chiffon look for Kelsea Ballerini with lightas-air back pieces she unfurled on the carpet. Amanda Gorman was in a top color of the night: black. Gorman, wearing Prada, twirled her long, sheer overlay worn over a minidress on the red carpet.