The Grammy Awards are typically an event where dress rules are disregarded. Music's biggest night features a red carpet procession of daring gowns, tongue-in-cheek ensembles, and viral efforts. The event's strange attitude made for an entertaining pre-show, but the guests of 2022 looked eager to confound expectations. The stars that came on the MGM Grand in Las Vegas embraced the kind of glitz and glam that would have been appropriate during the Rat Pack era. Lady Gaga was the first to arrive, clad in a black and white Armani Privé gown with a lengthy train and tons of Tiffany & Co. diamonds in full chanteuse mode.
Menswear shined thanks to legends like Lenny Kravitz, whose silver mesh tank top, leather pants, and matching heels were pure rockstar. Jack Harlow kept things chic in a minimalist head-to-toe black Givenchy look, while Lil Nas X went baroque, taking his affinity for embellishment to new heights in Balmain’s pearl-encrusted suit.
In keeping with the Vegas theme, glitz was in. St. Vincent went full showgirl in Alessandro Michele’s bell-sleeved feathered Gucci gown, while Tiffany Haddish had a diva moment in a golden Prada sequined dress that wrapped up with a giant bow. References to classic runway collections were trending, with Snoh Aalegra and Dua Lipa offering dual takes on the Atelier Versace muse. The newly blonde Lipa channeled Gianni Versace’s fall 1992 lineup with her corsetry and dominatrix-worthy leather straps, while Aalegra’s silver column gown featured the chainmail material that has been a house staple since 1982.
Those who didn’t reference the past unearthed it. SZA gave the fashion nerds at home a thrill by bringing back the closing look of Jean Paul Gaultier’s bucolic spring 2006 collection. The corseted tulle piece brimming with silk flowers, the piece brought the carpet to a close with as much fanfare as had nearly 20 years earlier.
