Lifestyle Beauty & Style Red Carpet Style The 26 Wildest VMAs Outfits Ever (PHOTOS) Lady Gaga's meat dress and Lil Kim's pastie are just two of the ensembles that left us speechless on MTV's wildest night (don't worry, we've got the guys covered, too) By Alex Apatoff Alex Apatoff Alex Apatoff is the Executive Editor of PEOPLE Digital. She has worked at the brand since 2010, first on the style and beauty team and now in a cross-departmental role. People Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 11, 2024 07:06PM EDT Photo: Noam Galai/Getty Ah, award show red carpets. The diamonds! The Old Hollywood glam! The... meat dress? Yep, the MTV Video Music Awards are not like other awards shows, and you need look no further than the red carpet to see why. In the decades since the channel kicked off its legendary awards show, stars including Madonna, Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj have pushed the boundaries of fashion to show up in something memorable (whether that's for a good or bad reason is up to you). 01 of 26 Madonna David McGough/getty IMAGES The Year: 1984 The Look: The "Like a Virgin" singer made a splash at the very first VMAs, wearing a bridal-white dress with a Boy Toy belt that Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera later emulated for that infamous 2003 performance. 02 of 26 Lady Gaga PA Photos/Landov The Year: 2010 The Look: Made out of meat (yes, meat), this "outfit" was extremely appealing – to the nation's dog population. We're still wondering if she hired someone to wave away flies all night. 03 of 26 Britney Spears Kevin Mazur/WireImage The Year: 2002 The Look: Have the Fashion Police arrived? If anyone could pull this off it's Britney (bitch). 04 of 26 Missy Elliott RJ Capak/WireImage The Year: 2003 The Look: It's hard to ever say a bad word about the queen, so we'll say it about her outfit instead: triple bogey. 05 of 26 Christina Aguilera Evan Agostini/Getty Images The Year: 2003 The Look: Mid-Dirrty era, the singer cleaned up a bit, going a little Vegas in her feathered fashion. 06 of 26 Drew Barrymore Ron Galella/Getty Images The Year: 1995 The Look: So, so Goth. Then 20 years old, Barrymore wanted fans to know she wasn't the little girl from E.T. anymore. 07 of 26 Sheryl Crow Jim Spellman/WireImage The Year: 2001 The Look: Tube tops, turquoise and three-inch thick belts? We were all trying something in the early '00s. 08 of 26 Cindy Crawford Ron Galella/Getty Images The Year: 1992 The Look: The 26-year-old model looked part Barbarella, part dominatrix in her now-iconic leather ensemble. 09 of 26 Miley Cyrus Frank Trapper/Getty Images The Year: 2015 The Look: Her show, her rules. The year she hosted the VMAs, Cyrus decided to skip wearing clothes on the red carpet. 10 of 26 TLC Ron Galella/Getty Images The Year: 1995 The Look: Before Destiny's Child entered the scene, these ladies were doing the matching thing, to varied levels of success. 11 of 26 Tommy Lee & Pamela Anderson Evan Agostini/Liaison The Year: 1999 The Look: We just feel bad for the person who sat behind her. 12 of 26 Alicia Keys Vinnie Zuffante/Getty Images The Year: 2001 The Look: The year of her breakout album, Keys was still finding her way on the red carpet — but that blue eye shadow really made her pop. 13 of 26 Christina Applegate Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic The Year: 1989 The Look: VMAs, or a scene from Casablanca? 14 of 26 Gwen Stefani Ron Galella/Getty Images The Year: 1998 The Look: The No Doubt frontwoman's combo of blue hair, a furry bra top, a skirt over pants and platform sandals was nothing if not memorable. 15 of 26 Pink Robin Platzer/Getty Images The Year: 2000 The Look: Embellished dusters, crazy jeans, wild hair: pretty much a sign of the times. 16 of 26 Nicki Minaj Steve Granitz/WireImage The Year: 2011 The Look: If Bane from The Dark Knight Rises went on a rampage through Nordstrom Rack, he still wouldn't end up with this memorable ensemble. 17 of 26 Destiny's Child Dave Hogan/Getty The Year: 2001 The Look: Beyoncé (with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams) would like everybody to be on mute about this matching look from her Destiny's Child days. 18 of 26 Katy Perry Mark Davis/PictureGroup The Year: 2011 The Look: One of several looks she sported during the show that year, we call this one "Green Bay Packers Fan Goes Haute Couture." 19 of 26 Lil' Kim Nancy Kaszerman/Zuma The Year: 1999 The Look: The rapper famously exposed one of her "Lil' Kims" in this one-sleeve creation and paved the way for increasingly naked attire on the red carpet. 20 of 26 Justin Bieber Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic The Year: 2011 The Look: How does the young man who has everything accessorize? With a live varmint, apparently. 21 of 26 Chris Evans & Jessica Alba Koichi kamoshida/Getty The Year: 2005 The Look: While their outfits were far from outrageous, we can't help but think that the duo looked more like an attractive suburban couple anxious to get home to the babysitter than two superstars posing on a red carpet. 22 of 26 Marilyn Manson & Rose McGowan Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic The Year: 1998 The Look: Though this was just another night out for him, Rose McGowan was certainly making a statement that night — and in case you don't remember, that's a G-string she has on. 23 of 26 Madonna Kevin Mazur/WireImage The Year: 1998 The Look: Ohm my god. The queen of reinvention transformed herself into the queen of henna over two decades ago. 24 of 26 Fergie Kevin Mazur/WireImage The Year: 2006 The Look: Honey, I shrunk the tie! And the shirt, and the shorts. Hey, at least Fergie coordinated her teeny-tiny Burberry bottoms with her boots. 25 of 26 Riff Raff & Katy Perry Jason Merritt/Getty The Year: 2014 The Look: The pair did their own play on Britney Spears' and Justin Timberlake's iconic coordinating denim looks, and it was a moment then and now. 26 of 26 Chappell Roan ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty The Year: 2024 The Look: A medieval-themed moment courtesy of her sheer Y/Project gown, mint velvet cape and a knight on hand for photo ops. And she ensured her entrance wasn't unmissable by laying down her own carpet before hitting her poses. Close