The 31 Most Outrageous Looks From the VMAs Red Carpet

As the host of the 2015 VMAs, Cyrus delivered a number of over-the-top looks but this naked dress—or harness, rather—was perhaps her most revealing of all.

Leather Bar Britney showed up at the 2002 VMAs in a slick halter top, lace-up pumps, and fingerless lace gloves.

With a daring back cut-out and a bright red lip, Rihanna proved that minimalism doesn’t mean boring in 2012.

Long after the 1999 VMAs, Lee’s flasher trench coat and the Baywatch star’s giant fuzzy hat and corset top would become the stuff of fashion legend—and, of course, couples’s Halloween costumes.

The singer, on the heels of the release of “Dirrty,” put a sexy spin on Indie Sleaze at the 2002 awards.

The rapper’s lavender mermaid body suit with a strategic shell pasty arguably stole the show at the 1999 VMAs.

Destiny’s Child turned up to the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards in coordinated orange fringe ensembles accented with chunky turquoise jewelry.

From the 2004 MTV VMAs to the Met Gala, Lopez has never shied away from a floppy hat on the red carpet.

Electra worked her angles in a revealing side-split dress for the 1997 VMAs.

The “London Bridge” singer put a very Fergalicious spin on British fashion with her Burberry hot pants and top hat at the 2006 VMAs.

Rose McGowan left nothing to the imagination in a naked dress at the 1998 VMAs.

Swift and sequins go hand-in-hand on the VMAs red carpet.

The “About Damn Time” singer sounded the alarm in her red-hot Moschino by Jeremy Scott gown emblazoned with the word “SIREN” at the 2019 awards.

Nicki Minaj was ahead of her time in her futuristic metallic corset worn with a Shojono Tomo mask at the 2011 VMAs held in Los Angeles.

From the corset top to the low-slung belt and cheeky slogan shirt, every early-aughts Sk8ter girl trend was front and present in Avril Lavigne and Kelly Osbourne’s 2003 MTV Video Music Awards show looks.

Macy Gray seized the opportunity for self promotion at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards held in New York City. “My new album drops September 18, 2001” read the front of her dress. On the back? “Buy it.”

Posh, Ginger, Scary, Baby, and Sporty were totally themselves in 1997.

Broken foot, but make it fashion. Jessie J made a virtue of her injury at the 2011 MTV VMAs, bedazzling her boot and crutches to match her showgirl ensemble.

Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie, and Rosé matched in twists on the LBD when they attended the event in 2022.

Gwen Stefani, at the height of her pop-punk princess era, cited Judy Jetson as the inspiration for her space-age skirt worn with a furry blue bikini top and matching blue hair at the 1998 Video Music Awards.

Mother Monster draped herself in Argentinian beef complete with a matching purse and shoes by the designer Franc Fernandez at the 2010 awards.

At the 1984 VMAs, the legendary singer set the pace for good-girl-gone-bad looks on the red carpet.

Always the fashion risk taker, Doja Cat showed up to the 2023 edition in a knit naked dress that imitated the look of webbing.

In 2014, the Kar-Jenners made it a family affair.

At the 2014 VMAs, Perry and the rapper Riff Raff paid tribute to the iconic denim-on-denim looks that Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake once wore to the American Music Awards.

At the 2015 awards, Amber Rose and Blac Chyna coordinated in skin tight emblazoned with misogynistic terms like “slut” and “whore,” thus sending a very clear message to their haters.

Jared Leto, a longtime member of the House of Gucci, brought cinematic flair to the 2017 awards in a grand sequined cape from the Italian luxury brand.

Halsey’s perfect rainbow part managed to upstage her sheer dress at the 2019 awards.

The “I Don’t Want It All” singer paired her regal embroidered dress from Richard Quinn with a gimp suit from Vex Latex at the 2021 VMAs.

The Bailey sisters both opted for daring ensembles at the 2021 Video Music Awards with Halle channeling the Fifth Element in a white cut-out gown from Mônot and Chloe taking a surrealist approach by topping her voluminous silver Marni dress with a spoon necklace.