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The VMAs red carpet has always been more “lights, camera, shock value”. It’s a place for experimentation — to an extent — so it has to strut, stomp, and sometimes even shout. The 2025 show showcased that spectacle and style can strike the same note, with the carpet doubling as a stage for women who came to play, perform, and provoke.
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KATSEYE

KATSEYE turned uniform into nightlife out, a sextet in black, rose, and silver, each member bending the dress code into her own after-dark persona.
Sabrina Carpenter

Valentino gave her the red dress, but Sabrina Carpenter gave it the aria—romantic, sweeping, with fur brushing up against the drama. A performance that needs no microphone just yet.
Jessica Simpson

Nearly twenty years since her last VMA walk, Jessica Simpson returned with a sheer, pleated Cristian Siriano that was like a sexy and confident encore in every sense.
Rosé

Song of the Year winner Rosé shimmered in one of the season’s favorite shades: butter yellow, rendered strapless with fringe that flickered like applause. A look as bright as the award she carried home.
Ciara

Draped in a hooded wave of scarlet Schiaparelli, Ciara gave the carpet a jolt of drama. With silver zips slicing through the folds, the look sat somewhere between superhero and high priestess.
Tyla

If Chanel ever washed ashore, it would look like Tyla’s mini—beach-coded, gold-bedecked, and belted for the rhythm. A tidal wave of charm with a splash of sparkle.
Ariana Grande

Polka dots, peplum, black-and-peach whimsy: Ariana Grande gave her signature sweetness a new structure in Fendi. Retro and playful without leaning into the parody of it all.
Brittany Snow

It’s otherwise classic, and that’s why it stood out amongst the noise. In a column of gold by Monot, Brittany Snow chose simplicity, and it worked. Old Hollywood grade and All-American shine.
Lady Gaga

The Artist of the Year lived up to the billing. Gaga swept in under a garden’s worth of flowers, past a storm cloud of ruffles, and down to a sea of purple layers. Marc Jacobs built her a look, and she turned it into yet another memorable moment.
The VMAs red carpet always prized audacity, and this year’s best dressed proved that audacity wears many faces—and they’re always downright commanding.
Photos: MTV (via Instagram) and WHAT THE FROCK (via Reddit)
