The 2011 MTV Video Music Awards: Best and Worst Dressed
Beyoncé dropped a bomb on viewers last night: she's pregnant! That didn't stop her from delivering a thunderous performance in a sparkly Dior tuxedo, though, nor did it provide any red carpet wardrobe obstacles. She simply chose the elegant method of disguise, opting to adorn herself in a fiery orange Lanvin sheath from the Fall 2011 collection. She was all smiles, and so were we: she looked radiant.
By Colleen Nika
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Best Dressed: Adele
Not only did Adele tear down the VMAs with a heartwrenching version of "Someone Like You" – sans Auto-Tune, Pitbull, or harness-aided aerial somersaults – but she also brought a level-headed grace to the evening's array of looks in a demure Barbara Tfank midi-length dress. She was ravishing, hyberbole-free, and a reminder that less will always be more (provided the fit is killer).
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Best Dressed: Katy Perry
It would be so easy for Katy Perry's tropical take on Harajuku dressing to go wrong. But because she really went there, indulging in the theme 110 percent, it worked. On the "black carpet," she selected a desert-hued Atelier Versace number before switching to head-to-toe Dior by the time she claimed her Moonman. If her cotton-candy pink 'do didn't remind us of Gwen Stefani, her outfits du soir certainly recalled the pop trendsetter's Japonais-flavored looks from 2005. All Perry required to resurrect the fantasy were a gaggle of giggling Japanese teens. But more power to her: originality qualms aside, she made us believe.
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Best Dressed: Kanye West
Even with his rousing performance of "Otis" (alongside Jay-Z) making for one of the evening's better performances, it was a fairly tame VMA year for Kanye West. He managed to appear humble, even charming, during his acceptance speech for "E.T.," letting its star Katy Perry do the majority of the talking. His attire was similarly low-key: he wore chambray Balmain in a head-to-toe denim look, a.k.a. the "Canadian Tuxedo." He won't break any records for that look, but it still was pulled off with panache.
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Best Dressed: Miley Cyrus
One of the most predictable things a starlet can do is wear Roberto Cavalli on the red carpet. But Miley Cyrus couldn't resist, showing up to the VMAs in a floaty, "bohemian" look from the designer's recent collection. We can't find fault, though: it was one of Cavalli's more classic looks, a full-length number flecked in one of his trademark animal prints. With her hair up in a chignon and pretty makeup, Cyrus totally nailed it.
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Best Dressed: Zoe Saldana
Another feat in simplicity: Actress Zoe Saldana was the rare beacon of non-gimmicky elegance in a sea of pop stars dressed as satellites, glitterballs, repurposed Harajuku girls and Jo Calderone. In a lovely black shift by Barbara Bui, she rose effortlessly over the rest — no costume required.
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Best Dressed: Victoria Justice
Victoria Justice is an icon to the Nickelodeon set, thanks to her roles on Zoey 101 and Victorious. We suspect she's going to be something of a darling to the style set soon, too, if her look at the VMAs was any indication. Only 18, Justice kept things sexy but classy in a gold-plated mini dress from Theory and shoes from Rock & Republic. Her burgeoning tastes in fashion are piloting her in a winning direction —though her impeccable physique certainly didn't hurt the look, either.
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Bravest Attempt: Lady Gaga as Jo Calderone
We commend Lady Gaga's adventurous spirit and never-ending arsenal of cyberkinetic ensembles. But last night's theme held no variation: she dressed as Jo Calderone (her My Cousin Vinny-channeling male alter ago), and went with it, all night. The look: a white tee and jeans, set off with a greaser hairdo. As a statement in character, it succeeded. As a visual, its novelty grew old, but we're pretty sure Calderone wouldn't show up in a Raf Simons suit—nor would Gaga allow him to. Kudos to her for forcing us along for her gender-bending ride.
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Most Confusing: Nicki Minaj
Nicki Minaj's metallic-meets-pastels ensemble last night was reputedly inspired by Tokyo. That was fairly obvious—for unknown reasons, the Japanimation theme was a motif throughout the evening for many women. But we aren't sure what's really going on with Minaj's look. Is her get-up a tribute to Metropolis, the stuffed animal aisle at Toys 'R Us, or something else entirely? She even taped her mouth shut—rendering her literally speechless. Well, so were we.
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Worst Dressed: Justin Bieber
Justin Bieber is enduring his late adolescent growing pains, a difficult transitional stage that is also influencing his choice of wardrobe. Lately, he's aimed for what is ostensibly his "mature" look, chopping off his locks, wearing specs and trying on blazers of various proportions for size. Last night, though, he turned up the opulence, showing up in red jeans, a cropped (ladies'?) jacket, thick gold chain and sneakers. This might have worked on Kanye West, but on Bieber's dimunitive figure, he looked like a kid playing in a rapper's closet filled with last year's styles.
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Worst Dressed: 30 Seconds to Mars/Jared Leto
Jared Leto's outrageous ensemble at last night's VMAs reminded us that he takes his rock star status a little too seriously. What we suspect went through Leto's mind as he took the red carpet last night: "I am defying gender and age expectations by wearing this daring black avant-gardist frock from an obscure Japanese label." What the world saw: "Jordan Catalano just wore a mandress with bits of tape stuck on it. "
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Worst Dressed: LMFAO
Going into the VMAs, we held a strong suspicion this group would end up on our Worst Dressed list. One look at their red carpet arrival reaffirmed our hunch: they looked ridiculous. That said, they clearly dressed as obnoxiously as possible, so their inclusion here as a notable contender for "worst dressed" will probably only delight them.