Some celebrities play it safe on the red carpet—and then there are the ones who say, “Hold my couture.” From jaw-dropping sheers to architectural wonders that defy gravity (and maybe taste), these 18 red carpet looks didn’t just break the internet—they kicked it in six-inch heels.
1. Lil Nas X in Head-to-Toe Avant-Garde (MTV VMAs)
For the MTV VMAs, he wore a mind-bending creation by Harris Reed that looked like it was spun out of black horsehair and drama. The towering headpiece and tiered hoop skirt brought gender-fluid fashion, camp, and confidence together in one glorious explosion of high fashion.
2. Olivia Rodrigo in Sculptural Black Elegance
Leave it to Olivia Rodrigo to make a “cut-out” look like high art. This sculpted black gown is part dress, part optical illusion, and all drama. It’s serving sultry sculpture with a splash of old-Hollywood lipstick glam. A bold statement from Gen Z’s pop princess.
3. Dove Cameron’s Met Gala Web Fantasy
This webbed, barely-there white masterpiece by Iris van Herpen made Dove Cameron look like an alien queen who crash-landed on Earth to steal fashion week. Delicate, surreal, and somehow futuristic and vintage at the same time—this look belongs in a museum. Or on Mars.
4. Megan Fox’s Spicy MTV Moment
Ah yes, the moment when Megan Fox declared, “Fabric is optional.” She floated down the red carpet in a sheer, shimmering Mugler dress that left little to the imagination and many jaws on the floor. Wet-look hair? Check. Goddess-level confidence? Double-check.
5. Toni Braxton’s Infamous Grammy Slit Dress
Iconic barely begins to cover it. Toni Braxton made headlines at the 2001 Grammys in a white Richard Tyler dress that was 90% side slit and 10% fabric. Sheer nerve, stunning legs, and that Grammy-winning smile made it unforgettable—and pretty much impossible to replicate.
6. Winnie Harlow’s Red Hot Power Statement (Cannes Film Festival)
Model and advocate Winnie Harlow brought the fire in this asymmetrical, high-slit red gown. With a dramatic hood and goddess-like draping, she looked like the final boss in a video game about conquering fashion.
7. Anja Rubik’s Hip-Revealing Moment (Met Gala)
Anja Rubik reinvented the concept of “hip bone chic.” This white slashed gown was held together by fashion tape and a prayer, but somehow she made it look like a walk in the park. The gown was elegant, edgy, and very, very risky.
8. Megan Fox in Cut-Out Mesh Madness (Billboard Music Awards)
Yes, she made the list twice. Can you blame us? This time, Megan wore a black cut-out mesh gown with strategic paneling that had more geometry than a high school classroom. Paired with Machine Gun Kelly’s smolder—they looked like a rockstar prom king and queen from a dimension where modesty didn’t make it through the portal.
9. Kendall Jenner’s Chainmail Fantasy (Met Gala)
Kendall brought medieval chic into the modern era in this backless, completely sheer dress made with crystals held together with a nylon string. It kind of looked like high fashion chainmail from far away. Covered in crystals and confidence, she somehow managed to make exposed cheeks look like refined elegance.
10. Jaimie Alexander’s Optical Illusion (Thor: The Dark World Premiere)
Who says superheroes get all the attention? Jaimie Alexander arrived at the Thor premiere in a sheer-paneled Azzaro Couture gown that basically traced the outline of a dress while skipping most of the fabric. It was elegant, edgy, and dangerously close to a wardrobe malfunction—and we loved every second.
11. Rihanna’s Crystal Fantasy (CFDA Awards)
This is the look that cemented Rihanna’s fashion icon status. She shimmered in over 200,000 Swarovski crystals, completely sheer, with a matching headscarf and a pink fur screamed old Hollywood. A masterclass in style, confidence, and high-impact glamour.
12. Chrissy Teigen’s Golden Slit (American Music Awards)
Chrissy turned heads and broke the internet in this black Yousef Akbar gown, which featured the highest slit known to mankind. Honestly, the slit deserves its own award. Her stylist confirmed that she was just one step away from becoming international news—a testament to her dedication to fashion.
13. Amber Rose in Chainmail Realness (MTV VMAs)
Amber showed up draped in silver chains and nothing else, proving once and for all that bold fashion isn’t just about fabric—it’s about presence. The look was a clear nod to Rose McGowan’s historic red carpet moment, and a statement in confidence and empowerment.
14. Jennifer Lopez’s Jungle Dress That Launched Google Images (Grammy Awards)
It’s the dress that caused an internet meltdown. J.Lo stepped onto the Grammy red carpet in that now-legendary plunging green Versace gown, and the world collectively gasped. Google literally created “Image Search” because of it. No big deal.
15. Emily Ratajkowski’s Cutout Crown (Harper’s Bazaar ICONS Party)
The queen of body confidence wore a Julien Macdonald dress that defied geometry and gravity. With sharp cutouts, a plunging neckline, and hip-baring slashes, it was less “dress” and more “dangerously sexy sculpture.”
16. Kim Kardashian’s Risky Crochet Look (Balmain Fashion Show)
Kim walked into the Balmain front row as if she owned it—which, fashion-wise, she might have. Wearing a fishnet-style dress with strategically placed black cutouts, she redefined lingerie dressing in a room full of couture critics.
17. Iggy Azalea’s Bold Black Gown Turns Heads on the Red Carpet (MTV EMAs)
Iggy Azalea showed up in a sleek black gown with not one, but two sky-high slits — and somehow made it all look effortless. It was the kind of dress that flirted with the edge but never felt over the top. Risky? Maybe. But on Iggy, it came across as confident, cool, and totally red carpet-ready.
18. Dascha Polanco’s Embroidered Sheer Dream (MTV VMAs)
The Orange Is the New Black star stepped onto the red carpet in an elegant gray lace dress with sheer detailing, striking a bold balance between glamour and edge. Wearing bold blue eyeshadow and silver stilettos, she embodied a goth goddess with a hint of boudoir.
Which one was your favorite? Or better yet, which one would you dare to wear?
