Statement red carpet looks from the 2024 Grammys

Words by Dalia Mulliri

On the night of February 5, music’s most eventful night, the 66th Annual Grammys Awards took place. The biggest stars gave us phenomenal performances, unpredictable acceptance speeches, and controversial looks.

Doja Cat

@cbsmornings

#dojacat has arrived at the GRAMMYs. #awards #redcarpet #fashion #music

♬ Doja Cat – MsJam

Doja Cat arrived on the Grammy’s red carpet in a floor-length transparent, nude, corseted gown. Calling this look controversial is an understatement. The gothic cathedral chest tattoo and the Dilara Findikoglu tattoo on her head are intentionally the main attractions of her look.

We see a shift in her mindset compared to celebrities who wear custom-designed looks. Doja is subliming someone else’s work through her singularity. She is wearing the dress, the dress isn’t wearing her. She is the element that elevates the dress to a different level, going from beautiful to outstanding.

The unique look was accompanied by almost-exposed nipples on the red carpet. A statement or a mishap? These past few years, Doja has spoken out about wanting to be in control of her narrative and protect her freedom, which is impossible in today’s media-saturated, drama-thirsty society. Her solution: unconventional actions to shock, giving her creative freedom.

Her initially unexpected actions are now accepted and almost expected. Therefore, this near ‘nip-slip’ is most probably an intentional statement, playing further into this new-found freedom from the opinions of the media.

She paired the nude dress with stunning red platform Alexander Wang heels to match her bright red lips. The lip colour is a contrast with her otherwise natural glam and grungy eyes, and the pairing of red shoes with a nude dress and grungy tattoos mirrors this. This look represents a newfound freedom of image and profound individuality for Doja Cat.

Lenny Kravitz

@grammys

#LennyKravitz is a whole #GRAMMYs moment! 🖤

♬ Originalton – Spotifylyrics🎧

Next, we have the infamous Lenny Kravitz. At 59, he attended the 2024 Grammys to receive the Global Impact Award At The Recording Academy Honours, celebrating his personal and professional achievements in the music industry.

He stunned in his Maison Margiela sheer, black shirt, showing off his impeccably sharp six-pack and custom Chrome Hearts jeans. A Rick Owens leather bolero was layered over the blouse, short enough for us to see his piles of Loree Rodkin necklaces and crosses.

With his imposing vintage Dior sunglasses, Lenny Kravitz played into the rockstar persona he has built for himself over the years. The glasses elevate his look from cool and grungy to certified superstardom.

Not seeing his eyes gives him an unapproachable look that most celebrities would wear as part of their street style to hide from the paparazzi and the public. Deciding to wear them to the Grammys, a place that gathers all the biggest stars, just goes to show his status as a legend in the music industry.

Jon Batiste

@grammys

#JonBatiste is full of joy on the #GRAMMYs red carpet! 👏

♬ original sound – GRAMMYs

Jon Batiste arrived on the red carpet wearing a metallic silver matching ‘pants-skirt’ and jacket by Versace. He paired this with jewellery from Vacheron Constantin and David Yurman, and heeled black Louboutin boots. Nominated for Record of the Year and five other Grammys, his arrival was highly anticipated.

Theoretically, I would comment on the fact that he’s wearing a skirt, and the statement he is making. However, in today’s day and age, skirts as menswear have become much more normalised on red carpets thanks to celebrities such as Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet, and Billy Porter. They have opened the doors for others to feel more comfortable expressing themselves through fashion that defies the classical gender boundaries imposed by society.

Therefore, for Jon Batiste, I doubt this look was intended to make any kind of statement. It was more about the fashion itself, and simply looked cool. The skirt and heels add dimension to the look, which would have otherwise been rather uninteresting.

Jon Batiste pulls this look off with immense ease, wearing it with confidence and pride. The metallic silver is contrasted with his dark skin, enhancing his face and making it the focal point of the look. Although the look is quite complex and two-dimensional, it’s not overwhelming as it all blends in together, and our attention is directly drawn to his face and locks.

Billie Eilish

@voguemagazine

This look was (literally) made for BillieEilish. The star has arrived to the 2024 #Grammys in a #ChromeHearts ensemble, including a custom Barbie bomber jacket. 

♬ original sound – Vogue

Last but not least, Billie Eilish. Her song ‘What Was I Made For,’ received two Grammys for Song of the Year and Best Song Written for Visual Media. To attend the ceremony, she wore a pale pink and black Chrome Hearts varsity jacket with the Barbie print sewn onto it. Underneath, she wore an oversized shirt, black tie, and black oversized trousers.

Billie Eilish was noticeably the only woman on the red carpet wearing trousers instead of a dress. This stark contrast with the other celebrities attending is not an intentional statement, but rather an expression of her strong personal style. She is simply herself, and is effortlessly feminine. This red carpet look proves that you don’t need to be in heels and a floor-length gown to look feminine.

She stated in an interview with Vogue that when she’s in a more masculine style, she feels the most feminine (although that did not stop her from slowly embracing her feminine side at the Met Gala these past few years).

Her look embodies the epitome of the film Barbie. Its message is that women are enough, however they are, and however they want to express themselves, whether that be through a dress or trousers. Billie Eilish is an example of how femininity comes in many different shapes and forms, but is always as powerful.

There were many different statements on the red carpet looks at this year’s Grammy Awards, but all had a particular throughline—singularity, freedom, and self-expression. The Grammys were a moment to celebrate talent and excellence in the music industry, reuniting and congratulating artists from all around the world for their creative achievements.