Part of the reason – okay, the main reason – we love awards season is the fashion.
Seeing your fave celebs strut down the red carpet wearing the most eye-boggling, awe-inspiring, crazy bits of couture is the reason we keep tuning in. On that level, the Grammys never disappoint. The awards show has a reputation for big, bold and daring looks, and we certainly got plenty of those last night.
For us humble members of the public, they also provide a clear marker of where fashion is headed, especially in the coming months. Here are our biggest stand-out trends from the night.
The naked dress 2.0
The biggest trend by far this year was barely-there. After all, if you’ve seen any photos of the Grammys, it’s been of Chappell Roan wearing that dress: a take on an archival Thierry Mugler piece (spring/summer 1998, to be precise) which came suspended from a pair of (prosthetic) nipple rings. The singer paired the look with all-over body tattoos; the result was sensational.
It wasn’t just Roan, though she was the most obvious candidate. Teyana Taylor wore a Tom Ford cut-out dress, while singer Doechii wore an amazing Givenchy by Sarah Burton number with a flowing red shearling skirt and a bodice made entirely out of carefully hung jewellery. And let’s not forget Heidi Klum, who wore a very odd moulded latex dress that recreated pretty much every curve of her body.
It’s not a new trend, by any means – Margot Robbie was wearing Armani Privé on the red carpet last year, while Lily Allen wore a barely-there bralette for her West End Girl press tour – but this definitely feels like an edgier take.
Feathers are here
We’re calling it: 2026 is going to be the year of feathers and all things textured. Shearling coats are ruling the roost on the streets, but on the red carpet, there was a slightly more elevated take on textural dressing: namely, lots and lots of feathers.
We’re talking Olivia Dean in a gorgeous custom Chanel number with a ruffled, feathered waist; Kesha, who turned heads in a massive, shaggy dress that looked like wearing a cloud (which she paired with, um, no shoes) and (who else) Lady Gaga, who rocked a Black Swan-esque Matiéres Fécales dress on the red carpet and looked sensational (one of three looks she served over the course of the evening).
Capes are in
Copenhagen Fashion Week was full of them – turns out, the red carpet is too. That’s right, capes are back, and this time, they featured in two of the night’s biggest looks.
Sabrina Carpenter wore a tiny cape as part of her Valentino outfit, while Roan’s scene-stealing dress came complete with a massive burgundy one that she then dramatically shed to reveal what was underneath. And while we wouldn’t recommend copying them for an everyday look, the humble cape is certainly a welcome new addition to the layering trend.
Rise of the Gothic
Is it really a surprise that Emerald Fennell’s upcoming film Wuthering Heights has even permeated the fashion set’s consciousness? Of course not, so seeing an influx of dreamy, romantic styles on the carpet feels like par for the course.
Top of the list here has to be FKA Twigs, who wore a custom Paolo Carzano dress that practically breathed whimsy, but Lady Gaga’s ultra-Victorian Sarah Burton all-black outfit definitely deserves a shout out here, as does Chappell Roan’s Rodarte gown, which she wore to present an award and came in a rather spooky shade of dusty grey.
A nod to archival
This one feels like by far the least radical: these days, it feels like no red carpet is complete without an archival deep cut. That’s probably thanks, at least in part, to Law Roach, who has been dressing Zendaya in stand-out looks for years.
Accordingly, the red carpet was full of standout looks. Think PinkPantheress in a gorgeous Union Jack-emblazoned gown by the late designer Vivienne Westwood and Doechii in a voluminous piece of Roberto Cavalli couture.
The best of all, though, has to be Lady Gaga’s mid-show performance, in which she rocked a massive sculptural hat and outfit straight from Alexander McQueen's AW09 collection. Mother Monster indeed.
