LOS ANGELES — Adele walked in matronly, military green and Paris Jackson wore a youthful, skin-baring rainbow jumpsuit by Balmain on the anything-goes Grammys red carpet Sunday, competing with the British Academy Film Awards for celebrity fashion air.
Though the London event was earlier in the day, U.S. time, the red carpet there shined big with Hollywood stars in more traditional clothes. At the Grammys, held this year in Los Angeles, things are often wackier, more casual, though many wore formal gowns.
Lady Gaga, her hair pink and under-breasts out, sauntered in towering, thigh-high black leather boots and bitty matching black shorts, a bit of chain at the waist. Katy Perry, her hair a tousled blond bob, wore an outfit of shaggy light pink feathers with a burnished copper sequin mock turtleneck top, all by Tom Ford.
Today's tumultuous political climate bubbled in spots. Red carpet provocateur Joy Villa flung off a white frock to reveal a gown of patriotic red, white and blue that urged "Make America Great Again" and had "Trump" in sparkly letters on the back hem.
Adele's long-sleeve gown was custom Givenchy Haute Couture by Riccardo Tisci. It was two tones of green silk satin and lace in a checkerboard design with all-over Swarovski crystals. It crossed at the chest, looking a tad like armor.
The 18-year-old Jackson, a Grammy presenter, stunned in the sexy one-piece jumpsuit of sparkly stripes that included shades of green, pink, orange and blue. It had an open skirt and sexy cutouts up top. The daughter of the late Michael Jackson planned to change later into a Jeremy Scott jumpsuit she helped design.
Carpet favorite Carrie Underwood chose fiery red, with a sexy keyhole front, while first-time nominee and newly engaged Kelsea Ballerini stood out in a sheer tulle look with delicate, three-dimensional ice blue flower embellishment and a train. It was by Ines Di Santo, who is known more for bridal gowns. Underwood's sleeves distracted from her look overall, billowing below the elbow.
"I usually don't do red but I was feeling it," she said.
Faith Hill also wore long-sleeve red with a keyhole effect, by Zuhair Murad. She way fudged trying to say the designer's name.
Otherwise, the evening's color palette was all over the spectrum, including a shiny bright blue trouser suit Halsey wore, jacket buttons open and nothing underneath, a dangly diamond necklace hanging down her chest.
"I just didn't want to wear a dress," said Halsey, a nominee.
Jennifer Lopez, her hair long and straight, brought it in a dainty lavender confection, a huge tulle flower at her neck designed by Ralph & Russo.
Villa, a singer-songwriter, wasn't alone in taking on the administration of President Donald Trump. A member of the band Highly Suspect wore a jacket with "IMPEACH" on the back.
James Corden, the evening's host, wore a dusty rose jacket paired with a white shirt and thick black bow tie. Looking edgy in a silver-studded Balmain jacket was Nick Jonas, a presenter. CeeLo Green, not a shy fashion statement guy, looked part Tinman, part statue and part Marvel monster in strange gold headgear and matching tunic to the ground.