Grammy Fashion Goes Futuristic
All eyes on the red carpet at Sunday's Grammy Awards went straight to Lady Gaga and her solar-system gown that was totally out of this world.
Lady Gaga has become fashion's favorite chameleon and she didn't disappoint with this shiny, silvery, three-dimensional number that was created in collaboration with Giorgio Armani - and she promised other outfits throughout the show.
"I am honored to be wearing Armani this evening. The series of pieces Mr. Armani created for me are truly iconic; they represent not only beautiful fashion, but my spirit and essence as an artist," she said in a statement.
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The red carpet was dominated by metallic colors - gold, silver, steel and bronze - with splashes of color throughout.
Continuing the galactic vibe set by Lady Gaga was Fergie, in an electric blue strapless dress with a swath of silver snaking from her shoulder to the high hemline; Heidi Klum with a futuristic twist to her micromini with splashes of silver; and Jennifer Hudson who captured that spirit with the geometric, clear plastic bracelets she wore with her short black dress that had an open neck, nipped waist and peplum.
While those looks will surely have water cooler value, there were some other outfits on parade outside the Staples Center in Los Angeles that deserved notice, including Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland in a chic coral-and-black gown by Victoria Beckham that fit her like a second skin.
Katy Perry made her statement with hot pink lips but her champagne dress with gold-and-pearl floral embellishment was more understated - at least by Grammy standards.
Toni Braxton wore a dove-gray, one-shoulder gown by David Meister while Melanie Fiona also did the asymmetrical top, but hers was black and had a pouffy black trumpet skirt by Christian Siriano.
"It made me feel like old Hollywood," she said. "It's classic, like I think my music is."
As a counterpoint to the low-cut gowns, there were some outfits with overly fussy necklines. Rihanna's beaded top was capped with an off-white feathery fabric that swathed the neck and ran down in a V to the waist.
Sunglasses and black are always popular with the music crowd, and T-Pain in his blue aviators and Adam Lambert in his flashy black jacket with Johnny Cash-style black tie were among those to move them forward, even if they both looked like they tried a little too hard.
Britney Spears wore a black lace dress with black bodysuit by Dolce & Gabbana, and Ciara wore a black lace jumpsuit and crystal studded jacket with tails and shoulder pads by Givenchy. Nicole Kidman wore a movie star-worthy black Prada gown with a halter neckline.
Jennifer Lopez, who had one of the most famous Grammy fashion moments in a plunging-V handkerchief gown back in 2000, again wore Versace, this time a silver chain-mail dress with white chiffon overlay.
There was also a strong showing of gray, which is sort of unexpected considering the crowd.
Miley Cyrus did a steely long-sleeve minidress and chunky heels, and Pink wore a gray-to-black ombre gown with a jeweled neckline and waistband. Her super-short hair highlighted her other bling: diamond bracelets, pendant-drop earrings, pave ring and hair brooch, all by Neil Lane.
Keri Hilson complemented the crystal waist on her blush-colored Dolce & Gabbana strapless with a huge Neil Lane cocktail ring.
Carrie Underwood pulled off the fashion-forward cutout look in an asymmetrical white gown with silver leather stripes across the bust and shoulders by Georges Chakras, and Mary J. Blige did the same in her slashed-top hot pink gown.
Common said men don't feel as much pressure to wear a show-stopping outfit as the women do, but they still want to look good. "It's a time when the world is looking at the music world, at the artists, so you want to look fresh," he said, rocking a plaid suit and polka-dot scarf.
Usher put his own spin on the three-piece beige suit; his Armani had white piping that he paired with a checkerboard shirt.
Teen sensation Justin Bieber brought his two worlds together in Dolce & Gabbana and Vans, and Jason Mraz wore an eco-friendly tuxedo made from recycled polyester and a tie made from old cassette tapes. "If you put this in a machine, you can hear past Grammy winners," he said.