The Most Memorable 2025 MTV VMAs Red Carpet Looks Hit the High Notes

There wasn't a shortage of places to spot celebrities on Sunday, September 7. But the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards, hosted at New York's UBS Arena, had the US Open Men's Final and the Toronto Film Festival beat for the most memorable red carpet fashion.

It's a time-honored tradition for music's biggest names to push the envelope with their VMAs red carpet style. This isn't the arena for polite speeches and demure gowns, after all. Accepting a "Moon Person" trophy is a venue for daring cut-outs, jarring prints, and jaw-dropping risks. Last year, Taylor Swift shut down the carpet in Dior tartan and Chappell Roan channeled Joan of Arc in full chainmail, while Lisa poured herself into a Mugler corset gown and Halsey tapped the Versace archive. If there's a dress code, it's be your loudest, most adventurous self.

Hours before the 2025 MTV VMAs broadcast began, stars got a head-start to rank on Marie Claire's annual list of the most memorable looks. Doja Cat arrived ahead of her performance in Chopard jewels and '80s-inspired Balmain, and Katseye's six members coordinated in lingerie-like mini dresses by Dolce & Gabbana. Sabrina Carpenter switched up her red carpet script in a custom Valentino naked dress, while Tyla, Latto, and Ice Spice sourced vintage from Chanel, Versace, and Ralph Lauren, respectively. The biggest surprise of all came from Lady Gaga, who skipped the MTV VMAs red carpet to head straight for her Artist of the Year acceptance speech in a gothic Marc Jacobs look.

Even without Taylor Swift's red carpet RSVP, it was a night full of impressive vintage pulls and gravity-defying proportions. Ahead, catch up on the most noteworthy MTV VMAs red carpet fashion, live from New York.

Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga had a perfect excuse for skipping the 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet: She had a concert to perform at Madison Square Garden. So the singer headed straight for her seat, where she'd stand up to accept the Artist of the Year award in a gothic Marc Jacobs Fall 2025 look styled by Hunter Clem. The tiers of black rosettes and coordinating headpiece could have come straight from the set of Wednesday Season 2—or her Mayhem Ball tour.

Sabrina Carpenter

Fresh off the release of Man's Best Friend, Sabrina Carpenter was the 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet's best arrival in a custom Valentino naked dress. (At least, in this fashion editor's opinion.) Her unexpected fall color combination, styled by Jared Ellner, made an otherwise standard VMAs lace dress feel anything but.

Doja Cat

News that Doja Cat would perform at the 2025 MTV VMAs guaranteed a set list with head-turning outfits to match. But first, the star and her stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, collaborated on a harlequin Balmain mini dress for the red carpet, sourced from the label's Pre-Fall 2024 collection. Teeing up her '80s-inspired new musical era (Prince is an influence cited in the New York Times), she coordinated the dress's pink accents with megawatt fuchsia gemstones from Chopard's Haute Joaillerie Collection–plus, piece-y bangs and curls Dolly Parton would approve.

Ariana Grande and Law Roach

Surprise! Ariana Grande and Law Roach were the 2025 MTV VMAs best-dressed stylist-and-muse couple. Roach dressed the Wicked: For Good star in custom polka dots by Fendi, paired with Swarovski crystals and a playful coordinating hair bow. Meanwhile, the image architect accented his black suit with a polka-dot tie of his own.

Latto

Latto teamed up with the vintage experts at Timeless Vixen for a look that won the gold: an archival Gianni Versace gown featuring an asymmetric strap and a tiered skirt. The dress had originally debuted as Look 53 on the Fall 1994 runway, courtesy of supermodel Linda Evangelista.

Tyla

In 2024, Tyla told Marie Claire her outfits always have to leave room to dance and move. More than a year later, she's keeping her promise at the 2025 MTV VMAs in an ultra-mini tweed dress and heaps of gold jewelry by Pandora. The dress's source? A 1993 Chanel runway, sourced by stylist Ron Hartleben.

Ice Spice

The last time we saw Ice Spice at the MTV VMAs, she was wearing her signature red curls and a corseted white mini dress. A lot has changed since then, including her beauty beat. For the 2025 ceremony, she debuted a pink, Pamela Anderson-inspired up-do alongside a vintage Ralph Lauren runway look sourced from Raffe Vintage.

Ciara

Comfort and MTV VMAs exaggeration weren't exclusive in Ciara's 2025 red carpet look by Schiaparelli. She amped up a fall classic, the quarter-zip sweatshirt, in the form of a knit mini dress with an asymmetric train.

Justine Skye

Gilded silver gowns are a red carpet mainstay, it's true. But Justine Skye VMA-ified her take by Dsquared2 with a side-slit that went all the way up to her hip bone.

GloRilla

Yeah, Glo! GloRilla's arrival on the 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet came with a plaid mini dress by Helen Anthony, layered over a coordinating jacket and schoolgirl Mary Janes.

FKA Twigs

Listen up: FKA Twigs made a surprise appearance at the 2025 MTV VMAs, and her dystopian burgundy two-piece wasn't even the best part. Zoom in, and see how her brands are sculpted to resemble a set of headphones. Now that's a take on red carpet method dressing I haven't seen yet.

The Marías

Leading lady María Zardoya ushered her indie-pop band, The Marías, into their first MTV VMAs red carpet with help from a major credit for the whole group: Valentino.

Tate McRae

"Sports Car" singer Tate McRae prepped for her performance—and potential wins in four categories—with one of her signature twists on a two-piece look. This time, she and stylist Brett Alan Nelson tapped custom Ludovic de Saint Sernin for a white mesh sheath over a white bikini-like set.

Katseye

First, girl-group Katseye set the internet alight in their Gap ad campaign. Now, all six members are attending their first MTV VMAs in Dolce & Gabbana outfits that let Sophia, Manon, Daniela, Lara, Megan, and Yoonchae each have her moment—a blazer and exposed bra here, metallic fringe there—while sticking to a united color palette.

Summer Walker

Was Summer Walker tipping her furry hat to Rihanna with this 2025 MTV VMAs look, or Pamela Anderson? She didn't say so, but the oversize topper couldn't help but remind me of a similarly fluffy accessory Ri chose for her trip to the 2024 Fashion Awards. It's also reminiscent of the extra-large pink fur hat Pamela Anderson chose for the 1999 ceremony. Homage or no, it's the night's standout hair accessory.

Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman

It seems The Hunting Wives inspired co-stars Brittany Snow and Malin Akerman, because both were dressed to kill in metallics at the 2025 VMAs red carpet.

Zara Larsson

Something tells me a "Toxic"-era Britney Spears would love Zara Larsson's 2025 MTV VMAs red carpet look. The strategically-placed beaded hibiscus flowers and periwinkle overlay feel so typically 2003.

Gabby Windey

The Traitors breakout star and Nice Talk guest Gabby Windey honored the MTV VMAs canon of lacy, little-to-the-imagination dresses with her black lace number. Wide cut-outs in the front were upstaged only by a thong-revealing back.