What the MTV VMAs 2015 Red Carpet Was Really Like

The MTV Video Music Awards red carpet this year was a sight to see, and not just for the people walking it, but for the carpet itself. Moschino creative director Jeremy Scott redesigned the entire experience so that it would feel like a nightclub, and he pulled it off quite well. It felt more like a club than it did a red carpet, perhaps best proven by the sight of many stars strolling through the MTV wonderland with a glass of bubbly in hand.

The process went as follows: First, the stars walked in, hit the photo area to get their picture taken, winded through a sea of red carpet reporters, and then arrived at the live-broadcast area. As they continued walking, they hit a “Pupperazzi Pen,” where puppies were held wearing outfits of previous famous VMA looks, but not before passing a zone packed with old TVs. It was one of several installations Scott designed for the clubby red carpet, and this one was set up just for him, where photographer Marcus Mam created a pop-up photobooth with the team at Instagram so Scott could snap pics with all his star fans and pals and post them directly to the social media platform. We were stationed in this exclusive area right along Mam, Scott, Scott’s Moschino crew, and the Instagram team, and it was F-U-N.

While it may have looked like a wild scene on TV, behind-the-scenes it was smooth sailing. These may be rock stars we’re dealing with, but don’t forget that they’re pros, which means when they stroll into a photo booth, they know how to work it.

Here are a few things we discovered about the people who stopped by:

No One Batted an Eye at Miley Cyrus’s Look
Miley Cyrus may have created a rabid Internet comment firestorm about her Atelier Versace chandelier-style red carpet look, but when she was actually on the red carpet, no one really thought it was too out of control. Yes, it was revealing (and even more so in person), but the general consensus on the red carpet was that it was just Miley being Miley. Seriously, what did you expect?

Vanessa Hudgens Went Into Full Fashion Show Mode
Vanessa Hudgens loved her flowy flower-applique peachy-pink gown so much that she played with it endlessly while getting her photo taken in the Jeremy Scott x Instagram area. She didn’t know who the designer responsible for her look was at the time. The answer: New York designer Naeem Khan. We especially loved her matching cast, which she covered with tape to match the gown.

Big Sean is a Gentleman
When Pharrell was posing with his wife, Helen Lasichanh, he saw Big Sean roll up. Pharrell invited him to join in the photo session but Big Sean “didn’t want to ruin the moment,” he said. He waited for them to finish, exchanged a bro shake with Pharrell and then let the “Freedom” singer continue on his way. It’s nice to see tough guys soften up!

Nick Jonas Solicited the Most Yells
The ladies in the audience couldn’t keep it together for him. Noted.

Walk the Moon Loves to Color Coordinate
The guys from Walk the Moon—Nicholas Petricca, Kevin Ray, Sean Waugaman, and Eli Maiman—who sing the very catchy “Shut Up and Dance” number had one of their artist friends custom make their four suits. They were very proud to show them off, as they should have been.

We took a video of the VMA red carpet experience so you can get an even closer look at what we saw. Watch it below.