News Awards & Events Red Carpet The Most Outrageous Looks From the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards Red Carpet By Christopher Luu Christopher Luu Instagram Twitter Christopher is a Southern California-based editor and has been with InStyle since 2018. He covers all things entertainment, celebrity, and culture. InStyle's editorial guidelines Published on September 12, 2021 @ 07:10PM Pin Share Tweet Email Trending Videos Photo: Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images The year's most unpredictable red carpet goes down at the MTV Video Music Awards. Without the buttoned-up formality that other awards shows embrace — yeah, we're looking at you, no-hoodies-allowed Oscars — stars are allowed to express themselves and offer up some unforgettable looks. After all, this is the show where Lady Gaga wore a dress made of meat, Jennifer Lopez wore a bedazzled spaghetti-strap Sean John top, and Lil' Kim arrived in a purple wig, pastie, and had one breast out. This year, host (and nominee for both Video of the Year and Artist of the Year) Doja Cat kept that tradition going, wearing a necklace made of literal rocks. Of course, Lil Nas X made sure to steal the spotlight with a dramatic bedazzled train in his signature pastel purple. Click through to see the most outrageous and amazing looks from tonight's show. 01 of 32 Kacey Musgraves Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS 02 of 32 Doja Cat Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images 03 of 32 Anitta Photo by Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 04 of 32 Dove Cameron Photo by Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 05 of 32 Jennifer Lopez Photo by Noam Galai/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 06 of 32 Tinashe Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images 07 of 32 Shawn Mendes Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS 08 of 32 Lil Nas X Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images 09 of 32 Normani Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP 10 of 32 Olivia Rodrigo Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 11 of 32 Paris Hilton Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 12 of 32 Saweetie Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 13 of 32 Kim Petras Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 14 of 32 Avril Lavigne Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 15 of 32 Camila Cabello Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS 16 of 32 Halle Bailey Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 17 of 32 Chloe Bailey Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 18 of 32 Ed Sheeran Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 19 of 32 Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly Photo by Kevin Mazur/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS 20 of 32 Ciara Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 21 of 32 Lance Bass, Nick Lachey, and AJ McLean Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 22 of 32 Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images 23 of 32 Simone Biles Photo by Jeff Kravitz/MTV VMAs 2021/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 24 of 32 Billie Eilish Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 25 of 32 Troye Sivan Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS 26 of 32 Alicia Keys Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 27 of 32 Billy Porter Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/WireImage 28 of 32 Ashanti Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 29 of 32 Charli XCX Photo by Noam Galai/Getty Images for MTV/ViacomCBS 30 of 32 G-Eazy Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic 31 of 32 Rita Ora Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic 32 of 32 Winnie Harlow Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic