Set yourself on the red carpet. Lights flash and a variety of different artists wearing very dramatic outfits surround you. This year’s Grammys was held on February 2 at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Here, celebrities like Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and more would dress and walk the red carpet as they make their way to the Grammys Awards. Let’s dive into some of the 67th annual Grammy Awards attendees’ outfits that, for better or for worse, were real showstoppers. From Jaden Smith, Bianca Censori and Kanye West to Chappel Roan, Rapsody and Kendrick Lamar, the fashion on the runway was, in a word, stunning. Both good and bad.
Starting with Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori, whose outfits were all black, West had on a short-sleeve t-shirt that showed off his tattoos partnered with dress pants and combat boots. Censori’s outfit sparked more controversy in the community as she wore a large black coat, which wasn’t anything to write home about, but as the couple stopped for photos, she removed her outerwear to reveal a sheer bodysuit the same color of her skin, making her appear nude on the red carpet. This sparked controversy and immediately led to countless comments online shaming her for appearing nude and being too revealing to the public as a celebrity already married to a problematic musical artist. Some, however, were not so quick to take the bait.
“I think the whole Kanye and Bianca drama was very irrelevant and made up,” Kaylin Salinas (11) said. “There definitely has been someone [who has done] this same thing or similar and it wasn’t this big.”
Salinas is correct, as racy outfits on the red carpet have been a staple in pop culture since Cher wore a similar outfit back in 1974 at the Met Gala. The MTV Movie Awards also famously featured revealing looks from Rose McGowan, Halle Berry and more in the 90s and 00s.
The next outfit we’ll be highlighting was a very unique outfit sported by actor and musician Jaden Smith. Wearing a black suit, white shirt and a black tie to wrap around the collar, if the camera caught Smith only from the shoulders down, it would be a classic and traditional, if bland, look. But with a white heart sticker on the lapel and a jaw-dropping headpiece, Smith was sure to catch everyone’s attention. An oversized black castle with dark gray shutters with a cut-out hole to show his face. Smith’s designer said to the press of the avant-garde accessory that it was “a bold, modern design inspired by Transylvanian history and the vampire legends.”
Next up is pop star Chappell Roan, who personally had my favorite outfit of the event. Roan absolutely popped with a headpiece that looked like large pieces of yarn hanging off the side of her head. Her trademark wavy reddish hair along with her drag-inspired makeup made her face look very exaggerated. Roan also had on black shoulder straps worn like a cape paired with bow tie shapes on top. A pair of nearly arm-length white gloves completed the look, but Roan’s dress was the reason why I loved the outfit so much. The dress was a lone piece that cascaded down to her feet and covered her legs with all different shades of yellow. An image of painter Edgar Degas’s ballerinas on the front of her dress was a very beautiful centerpiece too. Additionally adorned with little blue accessories and a black and yellow high boot, Roan’s Jean Paul Gaultier outfit is amazing to look at.
Song, music video and rap performance of the year winner Kendrick Lamar was truly the star of the Grammys 2025, though, taking home a total of five awards. Lamar’s red carpet look in a full head-to-toe denim outfit begins with an upturned stonewashed hat matching the rest of his outfit. Ensconced in a perfectly form-fitting jean jacket with a white shirt underneath to layer, the monochromatic style helped accentuate his jewelry, a statement necklace of a silver Jesus Christ with a gold crown of thorns both shimmery and mesmerizing. Lamar of course had jeans on to complete the denim-on-denim and completed the outfit with simple black shoes.
“Kendrick Lamar’s outfit makes me think of his song “HUMBLE.” because [it] wasn’t big or showy,” Iris Bergan (11) said. “He is just being comfortable with his five Grammy wins.”
Lastly, Rapsody, a newer hip hop artist whose music I’ve just found this year, had a very stunning look too. She wore a long white corset that traveled down to her legs. Prominently featuring shells affixed to it, her dress exuded a unique texture. More interesting is that towards the bottom of her dress, an image of the late, great fashion model Grace Jones was sewn onto the dress, clearly an inspiration for the rapper. On her hand, a bracelet with a strand of shells connected complemented her white and blue nails decorated with glitter, almost matching it. Rapsody’s braided hair plus a hat sparkling with beautiful black jewels was just the icing on the proverbial cake.
In total, there were 67 different red carpet looks, fittingly, for the 67th year of the popular awards ceremony. Obviously, there isn’t enough room for everyone to showcase, so these are just one fashion freak’s picks for the most memorable looks of the night. After the Grammys, many of these artists received tons of feedback on their “controversial” outfits, but Bianca Censori and Kanye West in particular would not take offense to the backlash. Censori laughed and giggled to the press, saying she was praised for her outfit, not derided. Smith’s response to the bewilderment over his castle cap seemed to also not concern him, as he said that was a way of expressing himself and would wear it again. Roan said many times that she came to the Grammys prepared for walking down the red carpet. She looked ready and was clearly eager to give the cameras what they deserved. Lamar was positive and amazing to watch perform in his faded blues, and he went on to thank the 90s West Coast artists who inspired him (both musically and fashion-wise) and the city of Los Angeles for supporting him. And Rapsody turned heads so much that she gained at least one new follower: yours truly. If I had to crown one of these six showstoppers as Best Dressed Queen, though, the achievement would go to Roan. Her luscious look on the red carpet is even something I would buy for myself.
