Fashion report from MTV Video Music Awards: class and crass

Katy Perry hits it out of the park with this elegant Stephane Rolland gown. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES
Actress Yara Shahidi in a Zimmerman dress at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP
Singer Lorde in a Monique Lhuillier gown at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP
Demi Lovato in a sheer Zuhair Murad bodysuit at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP
Actor Drake Bell at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP

SINGAPORE - This year's MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) was a relatively toned down affair, considering the event's colourful history not just on the stage, but also on the red carpet.

The 2017 ceremony, held on Sunday (Aug 27) at The Forum in Inglewood, California, saw nothing even relatively approaching the bizarre splendour of Lady Gaga's 2010 meat dress.

But even though the stars' fashion choices were mostly safe, not all of them were boring. Nicki Minaj, for instance, poured herself into a skintight pink jumpsuit that made her look like she had been dipped in latex, and paired it with pink highlights in her straight blonde hair.

Sheer dresses were in, with Heidi Klum, Vanessa Hudgens, Demi Lovato and Amber Rose stepping out in peek-a-boo numbers embellished with sequins, lace and feathers.

The men were less inspired, sticking mainly to options that can only be described as "smart-casual". Still, leave it to Ed Sheeran to make the fashion statement he always makes: That if you leave the house wearing some sort of clothing, you have already achieved something.

BEST DRESSED

1. KATY PERRY

Katy Perry hits it out of the park with this elegant Stephane Rolland gown. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Katy Perry, who was also the evening's host, hit it out of the park with this elegant Stephane Rolland gown featuring crisp, angular lines going in all kinds of fascinating directions. The asymmetrical, all-white dress was set off by Perry's short blonde crop and large, chunky earrings.

2. YARA SHAHIDI

Actress Yara Shahidi in a Zimmerman dress at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Actress Yara Shahidi, who stars in the sitcom Black-ish, was the height of understated elegance in this metallic ochre Zimmerman dress with beautiful draping. The unconventional shade, paired with Giuseppe Zanotti heels, made her stand out on the blue carpet for all the right reasons.

3. LORDE

Singer Lorde in a Monique Lhuillier gown at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Lorde was a sheer dream to look at in a pale lavender Monique Lhuillier gown with a simple bodice and a full, feathery skirt, complemented perfectly by an effortless half-updo, nude lips and strong brows.

4. DEMI LOVATO

Demi Lovato in a sheer Zuhair Murad bodysuit at the VMA. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Lovato gets points for effort, even if we are not sure how we feel about those pants. Her provocatively sheer Zuhair Murad bodysuit and strongly defined eyes made a striking statement on a blue carpet that would otherwise have been a lot more boring.

5. DRAKE BELL

Actor Drake Bell jazzes up his sharp suit with wingtips at his lapels. PHOTO: AFP

Actor and musician Drake Bell kept it simple and sharp in black on black, but added a touch of figurative colour to his outfit by having winged tips on his lapels.

WORST DRESSED

1. NOAH CYRUS

Teen actress Noah Cyrus channeled Ozzy Osbourne with her ensemble. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

We thought Ozzy Osbourne had deigned to leave the house to attend the event. Then we realised it was just Noah Cyrus, Miley's baby sister. The 17-year-old actress, whose debut album is set to be released later this year, chose to pair patent leather, thigh-high stiletto boots with what appeared to be an oversized hoodie - but it is the absence of pants that really makes this outfit a disaster.

2. LIL MAMA

Lil Mama accessorised her red gown with a live bird in a cage. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

In a baffling move, hip-hop artist Lil Mama toted a vermillion birdcage onto the carpet like a handbag. Instead of containing her lip balm, mobile phone and credit card, the cage held a live bird, which she then released. Her cardinal sin against fashion, though, was matching the colour of her dress to her shoes and accessories.

3. JARED LETO

Jared Leto walked the red carpet in a bedazzled ensemble. PHOTO: AFP/GETTY IMAGES

Jared Leto's unfortunate Gucci ensemble makes him look like a kid whose mother made him a cape so he could play Merlin in the school play. Please do not try harder next year, Jared.

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