‘Sexy’ dressing returns to the Grammys red carpet

In the red carpet family, the Grammys is the naughty little sister of the Oscars, sneaking out the window for a night of pushing boundaries in flirtatious looks that would get you grounded at the Golden Globes.

A playful approach to sexiness, that kept its tongue firmly in its own cheek, was captured perfectly by awards winner Olivia Rodrigo, who selected a figure-hugging gown from the dame of naughtiness Vivienne Westwood. Beneath the glare of camera flashes, a pink crystal trompe l’oeil of the female form was revealed on the front of the dress, pushing Rodrigo further away from her Disney past.

Taking a more direct route to raising temperatures was Dua Lipa in bondage-inspired Versace, with gold buckles, that made Liz Hurley’s famous safety pin dress from 1994 look conservative by comparison. Equally direct was Saweetie, in a searing pink ensemble snatched from the Valentino runway. With a bra top featuring a Lolita bow, simple A-line skirt and opera gloves, Saweetie looked strong and empowered beneath the deliberate girly details.

Like sugar, spice and other nice things, pink is no longer just for divas with Justin Bieber and Australian sensation The Kid Laroi topping off their looks in the cheerful colour. While Bieber stuck to a beanie on top of his over-sized Balenciaga suit, grounded by steel-capped Crocs, Laroi dyed his curls a rosy hue, matching the stones of his necklace worn with a black dinner suit.

It was left to Pose actor Billy Porter to fully commit to pink in another Valentino look, which was worn on the Paris runway by a female model. Porter’s lipstick matched his sheer ruffled shirt dress, worn over trim, tailored trousers.

Jon Batiste left the lipstick on the bathroom shelf, choosing a sequinned suit from Dolce & Gabbana with a yellow diamond pattern to stand out on the red carpet. The Italian fashion house, seeking red carpet redemption following past accusations of racism, supplied 40 custom outfits for Batiste’s performance during the ceremony.

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With the Grammys having originally been scheduled to take place in January, the delay resulted in some unavoidable Oscars red carpet comparisons. Continuing her commitment to black balloon dressing, Billie Eilish moved on from her black ruffled Oscars Valentino gown to goth glamour in a cocoon coat from Rick Owens. St Vincent’s metallic Gucci gown with ruffled trim was a runner-up to Jessica Chastain’s Oscar-nabbing ensemble, while country singer Elle King took cues from the outbreak of red-on-red Oscars looks from Ariana DeBose and Kirsten Dunst in a scarlet suit from Project Runway’s Christian Siriano.

There were moments of sophistication that gave onlookers a chance to draw breath, with Lady Gaga continuing to test the seams of her gowns by curtseying to fifties elegance in one-shouldered Armani Privé, with a white train flaring from her skirt. Meat dresses and tea cup accessories were distant memories with Gaga preferring to accessorise with Tiffany & Co. diamonds and a regal updo.