Stars, including Lady Gaga and Kelly Clarkson, turned out on the Grammys red carpet Sunday displaying white roses in solidarity with the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements against sexual misconduct on music’s biggest night for what is usually the wildest display of fashion during awards season.
Gaga was in a black lace top and leggings with a full skirt and train, white rose in place and her hair swept into a fishtail braid with black pins. Her signature towering platform shoes – black boots this time around- were on her feet. Rita Ora also wowed in black, a gown with a silver embellished lining open on one side to the hip. She, too, had a white rose pinned on.
There was lots of black, perhaps spillover from the anti-sexual misconduct message of the recent Golden Globes, but there was also plenty of color.
Elton John didn’t disappoint on that score in a geometric-pattern, blue, gold and red sparkler of a jacket from Gucci, encrusted sunglasses to match. Country’s trio Midland – Mark Wystrach, Cameron Duddy and Jess Carson – went big in the cowboy hat department, including a topper with a rainbow feather to match a similarly adorned jacket for one.
Multiple-nominee Sza was accompanied by her grandmother and donned embellished white, her hair loose and natural. Cardi B made a big statement in white with a short tiered dress and train.
“It was an interesting choice for her,” Cosmopolitan’s senior fashion editor said of Cardi. “I loved it. It was very playful and fun.”
Sam Smith was in a green suit – yes he wore the rose – and a red scoop-neck shirt underneath, while Ne-Yo wore a yellow jacket. In a red tuxedo look, including red bow tie, was DJ Khaled and his adorable, mini-me 1-year-old son, who got a matching red suit.
Khaled called Asahd: “My partner in crime, my best friend, my biggest blessing. … When he smiles it’s like God smiling on me.”
Khaled’s red was a win for Reid as well: “I thought it was very whimsical and he did it well.”
Maren Morris was in a chain-link silver sparkler that brought the wow in a barely there design. Also in silver: A pregnant Chrissie Teigen as she posed with husband John Legend.
“My favorite is definitely Chrissie Teigen in her all-silver sequin look. I think she’s taking maternity style to the next level.”
Lana Del Rey, meanwhile, joined Sir Elton in Gucci, an angelic gown in cream with a high slit and crystal star theme, including a star head piece. Ashanti was a princess in long-sleeved gold.
Rapper K. Flay, in a black tuxedo jacket, chose a Time’s Up button instead of the flower but noted all such symbols are important expressions of solidarity for women. Songwriter Diane Warren, a 15-time Grammy nominee, wore black and white and went her own way on symbols. She wore white gloves with “Girl” on one hand and “Power” on the other, explaining: “I didn’t want to wear the rose. I’m a rebel.”
Nominees The Secret Sisters won for largest white roses, noting it’s time for the music industry to step up and better acknowledge sexual misconduct.
Perhaps the New York vibe – the Grammys hadn’t been held here in 15 years – added to the parade of music men and women opting for black, including traditional tuxedos and suits. Women in black went for both edgy and chic.
Country star Reba McEntire, the latest pitch person as Col. Sanders for KFC, was among them in a Jovani sleeveless studded gown in black with silver embellishment, white rose in place as a reminder to everybody to “treat each other like we want to be treated. It’s the golden rule.”
Clarkson’s black gown was embellished in silver and gold. Her white rose was long stemmed and she carried it as opposed to pinning it on. Miley Cyrus also opted for the long-stem rose option to go with her black, skinny-legged trouser look.
Newcomer Julia Michaels was in lavender, her arm tattoos on display in an open-sided long gown. The deep V-neck with a butterfly motif was by Paolo Sebastian.
Veteran performer Andra Day, nominated for one Grammy, popped in pink trimmed with red, her hair up in a beehive. It was a long tuxedo-style dress with a high side slit. Why did she carry a white rose?
“For me, Time’s Up means time’s up on being silent about it,” she said. “I think it also means understanding when we’ve been taken advantage of and when we’ve been abused.”
Joy Villa, ever provocative on the red carpet, made a statement last year in a pro-President Donald Trump dress. This year, she wore a white gown with a rainbow uterus with fetus on one side and carried a “Choose Life” handbag. Oh, and a huge crown topped her head.
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