Several celebrities at the 2026 Grammy Awards presented unconventional fashion choices that drew significant attention. These selections challenged traditional ideas of aesthetic appeal and often stood out among more conventional attire seen at the event.
Noteworthy Outfits
Among the looks that turned heads were:
- Cher: Wore a leather and lace outfit featuring a shredded leather skirt.
- Amy Taylor: Frontwoman of Amyl and the Sniffers, appeared in a flesh-toned catsuit with hot pink lace cut-outs, a fluffy pink bolero, and a floor-length fringe.
- Jon Batiste: Wore an entirely rhinestone military jacket.
- Chappell Roan: Featured a custom Mugler nipple-clasped dress, a recreation of a 1998 design, which included prosthetic areolas.
- Bad Bunny: Debuted Schiaparelli's first custom menswear look, a velvet tuxedo with plunging lapels and a corset lace-up detail along the back.
- Lola Young: Wore a Vivienne Westwood sweater and tracksuit pants, accessorized with a striped tie.
- Shaboozey: Combined a Ralph Lauren tuxedo jacket and vest with belted jeans from the same brand.
- Billie Eilish: Wore an outfit by Hodakova, constructed from reworked men's trousers, showcasing original pockets, belt loops, and seams. The ensemble included long white socks, visible sock suspenders, and a 1950s-style coin purse, deliberately presenting a frumpy aesthetic.
Perspectives on Unconventional Fashion
The concept of challenging traditional beauty standards in fashion is not new. In 2013, Miuccia Prada famously commented:
"Ugly is attractive, ugly is exciting. Maybe because it is newer."
Prada elaborated that "the investigation of ugliness is, to me, more interesting than the bourgeois idea of beauty... because ugly is human." Her own approach to design, including her 1996 collection "Banal Eccentricity" (also known as "Ugly Chic"), has consistently defied conventional aesthetics.
The fashion industry thrives on novelty, requiring a continuous flow of fresh ideas to encourage consumers to update their wardrobes. Unconventional aesthetics can therefore serve as a consistent source of inspiration for designers and a catalyst for new trends.
Filmmaker John Waters, in his 1981 book "Shock Value: A Tasteful Book about Bad Taste," shared his views on the subject:
"Bad taste is what entertainment is all about" and that "To understand bad taste one must have very good taste."
Beyond commercial imperatives, the pursuit of unconventional clothing can also represent a rebellious stance against repetitive beauty standards and the pervasive influence of digitally curated trends.