The Best-Dressed Stars at the 2026 Grammys Red Carpet Look Pitch-Perfect

The best-dressed celebrities on the 2026 Grammys red carpet really hit the high notes.

Heading into the Crypto.com arena in Los Angeles, stars descended on the 68th Annual Grammy Awards with more than a gramophone trophy in mind. Unlike the rest of awards season, the Grammys are a place for chart-toppers to let down their hair—or, if they're Lady Gaga, slick it back next to a feathered, high-neck collar—and experiment with boundary-breaking fashion. It's a form of style harmonizing: finding a designer dress (or suit) that speaks to their present moment and sound with an eye toward the future. This is the ceremony where Jennifer Lopez's Versace plunge gown led to the invention of Google Images in 2000, and where tonight, Chappell Roan picked up the mantle in a practically topless Mugler gown. Playing it safe never made music-meets-fashion history.

That said, the best-dressed Grammys attendees this year weren't above sticking to traditional Hollywood codes. First-time nominees Addison Rae and Olivia Dean looked decidedly demure, in custom Alaïa and Chanel, respectively. Sabrina Carpenter also hung up her pin-up aesthetic for a more bohemian-leaning Valentino gown. Risks and big firsts still happened, like Bad Bunny's Schiaparelli menswear couture debut. But there was also a turn toward muted and restrained gowns—which, at an event like the Grammys, is a noteworthy swerve.

Ahead, see Marie Claire's votes for the best-dressed Grammys attendees of the night—and why I thought their looks were pitch-perfect.

Sabrina Carpenter wearing custom Valentino

Don't let the slapstick hijinks of her pilot Grammys performance distract you: The Sabrina Carpenter look we'll have stuck in our heads tomorrow is her custom Valentino gown from the red carpet. Stylist Jared Ellner has honed in on an avant pin-up look for Carpenter over the past few years, combining deep-cut vintage references with sequin-coated boudoir pieces from the likes of Victoria's Secret and Ludovic de Saint Sernin. But this dress is a sign that the duo is ever-so-slightly refining her red carpet style. And it comes at the hands of a house at the start of its own style evolution: Valentino is now under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele, who's only a few collections into his run.

When she's walking the carpet in delicate, sheer flutter sleeves and beading that must've taken hours to place, Carpenter can leave the feather boas and theatrics on-stage. Of course, she hasn't totally abandoned her silly side—the tiered train on her skirt appeared to have heart-shape cut-outs incorporated.

Olivia Dean wearing custom Chanel

The right look for a Best New Artist nominee can set the precedent for the rest of their red carpet career—especially if they take home the coveted trophy. Olivia Dean manifested a win (and a future Chanel contract) in this custom two-tone Chanel gown styled by Simone Beyene. An all-over sequin bodice gave way to feathered detailing at the drop waist, before extending into a creamy white ballgown skirt. Underneath, she added creative director Matthieu Blazy's soon-to-be-everywhere remix of Chanel's classic cap-toe heels.

Blazy is early in his tenure at Chanel, but his first collections have already been in high demand from Hollywood's best-dressed stars. That Dean secured one of her own for her first Grammys says she's not just a style star on the rise—she has arrived, shiny new trophy in hand.

Bad Bunny wearing custom Schiaparelli

"Did you know that Bad Bunny and Daniel Roseberry actually invented the tuxedo at the 2026 Grammys? It had never been done before. Ever, ever.

"The Puerto Rican rapper, styled by Storm Pablo, wore Schiaparelli's first-ever haute couture menswear look, which featured such brand hallmarks as a sharp cinched waist, corset detailing down the back, and tape measure embroidery at the lapel. And no one has ever looked better." —Ana Colón, interim style director

Addison Rae wearing custom Alaïa

"If there's one thing we can expect from an Addison Rae red carpet appearance, is that we can't expect who she'll wear. She's built up quite the roster of brands, from emerging to established, through her collaboration with stylist Dara Allen. For her first Grammys as a nominee, the two decided to honor her nominated album and go 'High Fashion'—and it doesn't get more high fashion than custom Alaïa. The plunging white gown, with the tulip-like skirt that riffs off the Spring 2026 runway (only cropped dramatically at the back, in classic Addison fashion), is monumental because it's also likely one of Pieter Mulier's last red carpet moments as creative director. Just days ago, Alaïa announced he'd be leaving the brand after the upcoming Paris Fashion Week show." —AC

Tyla wearing vintage DSquared2

Tyla and stylist Ronnie Hart love a throwback moment. Even when they're sourcing Matthieu Blazy's weeks-old Chanel Métiers d'Art collection, they're refashioning it to resemble a Y2K pop video with customized low-rise skirts and heaps of pearl jewelry. At the 2026 Grammys, they fast-forwarded from a slate of early-aughts vintage looks to the mid-2010s—2013, to be exact. In a 13-year-old collection by DSquared2, the pair uncovered a Fall 2013 dress combining Tyla's penchant for rhinestones and flirtatious necklines with the heightened glamour of a red carpet. Between the feather duster train, the cowl neckline, and the entirely open back, Tyla makes a strong case for replacing 20216 trends with their 2013 counterparts.

Audrey Nuna wearing Thom Browne

On the red carpet, Huntr/x's Audrey Nuna told E! that her wearing Thom Browne to the 2026 Grammys was deeply personal to her.

"I'm obviously a proud daughter of immigrants, and our story of survival is around clothing manufacturing," she said. "Thom Browne was the first brand that my grandfather fulfilled orders for."

Her deconstructed ensemble, styled by Danyul Brown, was a highlight of the night, putting Thom Browne's imaginative tailoring on full display. The story behind Nuna's relationship to the brand makes it that much sweeter.

Lady Gaga wearing Matières Fécales

A lot of comparisons were flying around between the twisted world of Darren Aronofsky's Black Swan and Lady Gaga's Matières Fécales Grammys dress. I'd say this gown, styled by Nick Royal and Peri Rosenzweig of Hard Style, is more akin to a bird of prey: ready to swoop in and devour whoever gets in her way. The high-neck collar and body-hugging trumpet silhouette are commanding, but more aligned with her Mayhem tour costumes (styled by Hunter Clem) than the tutus and tiaras of a ballet drama. After all these years of wowing fans with egg-carriages and meat dresses, it seems Lady Gaga has learned the power of a (slight) understatement.

Justin Bieber wearing Balenciaga and Hailey Bieber wearing Alaïa

Justin and Hailey Bieber's date night at the 2026 Grammys red carpet might have been the biggest styling curveball of the evening. I know, I know: All-black outfits are extremely common from award show to award show. But Justin and Hailey Bieber have a couples' style reputation for diametrically opposed looks. She'll wear a Toteme coat and The Row jeans, or a vintage Gucci mini dress; he'll wear sweatpants and Crocs.

But on a night where Mr. Bieber is nominated for several major awards, including Album of the Year, he and his spouse decided to show a rare, united front. Their stylists, Karla Welch (for Justin) and Dani Michelle (for Hailey) chose a coordinating Balenciaga suit and Alaïa gown. Each piece brought in a little of their personal style, like the "Yukon" singer's affinity for extra-oversize fits and the Rhode founder's love of all things sleek, minimal, and a little leggy. They also agreed to finish their outfits with a pointed accessory: "ICE Out" pins. Some style habits were made to be broken.