Nowadays, it’s the norm to see a star conduct multiple red-carpet changes (Lady Gaga had four prior to entering the 2019 Met Gala), sauna suit themselves into rare archive fashion worth millions (Kim Kardashian’s Marilyn Monroe moment at the 2022 ball), or dress in character for press tours that last weeks on end (god speed Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for Wicked part two). But back when Lil’ Kim was nipple pastie-ing her way into the 1999 MTV Music Video Awards, and Liz Hurley wriggled into a safety-pinned dress by a brand (Versace!) that she had never heard of without so much as looking at herself in the mirror circa ’94, the red carpet was typically a more conservative affair. Here, nine shape-shifting looks that paved the way—and continue to do so—for modern-day fashion plates daring to do things differently.
