It’s not that (once again) there was much latex couture for us to gush about (or any really), but there was a ton of fashion coming into the UBS Arena in Elmont, New York this past Sunday. And even without the latex, so much of that fashion was provocative and alternative, as we always expect at the VMAs.
So, here is a part 1 round-up of the looks we saw coming in across the red carpet and on stage for the 2025 VMAs.
Walking into what amounted to quite the sponsor/product-placement pre-show hour before the show, Dojo Cat was wearing a Balmain mini, with a neckline plunging off her shoulders. Other than the copious amount of sexy skin, the singer displayed so perfectly, the 85 carats she sported off the outfit also made quite the statement and look. Stating during her pre-show interview that she was going to pay homage to the 80s when she performed later, DC surely did when opening the show, post host LL Cool J’s intro, a video and sax intro from none other than Kenny G. Performing her new single “Jealous Type,” Dojo Cat strutted and sang across a kitschy ‘80s-inspired set of pink squiggles, a black and white checkered floor wearing a cropped white blouse, baggy dark pants and a tiny black-and-white hat to complete her retro vibe.
Setting off her petite frame in perfect black and white and again paying homage to the decade that MTV and the VMAs first appeared, Ariana Grande was in a strapless polka dot gown, said to be an homage to Silvia Venturini’s Fendi from way back in the 80s. Ariana would wend up wearing four different outfits this night.
Let’s call out two of our favorite ensembles for their use of a textile we are fond of, and we saw so little of (again, not latex). First, there was Taylor Momsen, dressed in a bare midriff goth top, wearing a black bralette, and long leather skirt. And Paris Hilton wore a black leather flame-shaped dress paired with tights, leather gloves, a choker, and pumps.
To end this first part, “let’s hear it for the boys”….Frankie Grande wore a yellow-and-black striped suit, with his slightly older contemporaries, Lenny Kravitz, shirtless in a dark brown suit, and Ricky Martin in an open silk top and black pants, making it plain that they can be damn proud still showing bare torso.
Part 2 of the 2025 VMA’s couture in the next blog.
