Fashion wasn’t great at the Grammys last night but there were a couple of standouts. And by standouts I mean two women who understand that it’s supposed to be a spectacle. At the Oscars? Sure, maybe dial it back on the extra. But at the Grammys – that’s where the extra is supposed to come out and slap everyone in the face.
That’s what Lizzo was serving with multiple looks, all of them over-the-top, oozing with glamour and excess. Let’s start with the carpet look and it was a great choice for the carpet: white, old Hollywood but modernised, elegant but also sexy without compromising on luxury. This dress looks LUXE.
As did the black sparkly gown she wore to open the show. Lizzo can open a show. The only problem with Lizzo opening your show is that after she’s done… where do we go from here? The risk is that it’s all downhill. The great thing about this black dress is that it’s decadent and rich without weighing her down. She could still move, freely, and you can imagine how she must appreciate that in a garment. That she’s not sacrificing performance for look.
After that, it was the silver fringe – sheer below the waist, the loudest and most in-your-face of all three outifts, but without trading away the quality. This is intentionally almost tacky but held back by the undeniable craft of the piece so that you have no doubt it’s expensive, it’s art. I love that this year, of all the things she’s achieved, Lizzo has also become a fashion star.
And then, while we’re on the subject of excess… how about Ariana Grande?
Yes, this is a tulle explosion. Yes, it’s a LOT of dress on a small person. But I don’t mind it in this case because of the occasion – not only the Grammys but the end of an era for her, as she’s announced on Twitter. When you’re marking that kind of a conclusion, of course, as they say, go out with a bang.
Also you know what’s underappreciated about this gown? The colour. This grey, all these shades of grey, they’re like storm clouds. She’s a storm on the way. She’s dressing the part of an incoming weather event. And you need material, an abundance of material, to achieve that effect, non? That’s the genius of this look – dark storm on the way… in a frothy package. Two opposing vibes, kinda like her personality. Very well done.
