The MTV Movie & TV Awards air Monday night, but Saturday’s pretaping gave us a lot to look forward to by way of the red carpet. The annual ceremony, now in its 27th year, is where the most current phenoms in film and television collide—and the red carpet is a reliable range of good, bad and WTF fashion (because ... creative types).
This year’s ceremony, hosted by comedy’s reigning queen, Tiffany Haddish, certainly ran the gamut when it came to fashion statements. The hilarious Haddish brought surprising drama to the red carpet in a strapless, highly slit silver gown with a flowing ivory tulle train by Galia Lahav and silver stilettos by Le Silla.
In contrast, red-carpet favorite Yara Shahidi dialed down the glamour, pairing a cinched-waist, powder-blue pinstriped suit by Tory Burch with tan Louboutin pumps. Her typically voluminous curls were shaped into a banged bob and offset by a shimmery midnight-blue eye.
Shahidi’s adorable Grown-ish co-stars Chloe x Halle coordinated, as usual, in a sleeveless dress and one-shouldered jumpsuit (respectively) by Marc Jacobs, worn with strappy sandals by Sophia Webster. Chloe’s elegant head wrap and dangling earrings were perfect accessories—we’re not so sold on the opera-length black gloves, but we love how much fun these two are having with fashion.
Zendaya continued her red-carpet reign, putting a slightly avant-garde spin on stunning in a high-necked, walnut-colored leather halter dress with a structured bell-shaped skirt by August Getty Atelier, worn with perfectly matched Christian Louboutin heels and oversized gold disc earrings. Admittedly, the effect of the skirt was slightly reminiscent of a vintage basketball (which may well have been the designer’s intent), but Zendaya continues to score with her daring style choices.
Amandla Stenberg gave us schoolgirl chic—think ’80s cult classic-turned-Broadway musical Heathers—in head-to-toe Louis Vuitton. But the real standout was her hair, which featured lengthy, wavy extensions bound into an elaborate ponytail.
A Wrinkle in Time star Storm Reid went for sweet and subtle sophistication in ruffled black Viktor & Rolf and glittery-gold Schutz sandals, her curls pulled back into a ponytail and adorned with a row of bejeweled bobby pins.
Red was a big color of the night, seen on several stars including actors Vanessa Morgan, Ashleigh Murray and Lakeith Stanfield, and singer Halsey, who continued what has become one-note event dressing in a revealing satin gown by Julien MacDonald. Meanwhile, Tessa Thompson matched Sorry to Bother You co-star Stanfield’s red suit, wearing a drapey two-piece ensemble by Rosie Assoulin with swingy braids. She took her monochrome look to the max with red-lensed glasses, mohair handbag and even red liquid liner.
Stanfield’s Atlanta co-star Zazie Beetz sent somewhat mixed messages with her awards style this round, pairing a lovely-from-the-waist-up, plunging and pleated olive-colored dress by Chloe with black patent leather Jimmy Choo oxfords. But by far, the best part of Beetz’s look was her natural hair, which was brushed out and middle-parted to frame her gorgeous face, which sported a shimmery olive smoky eye.
Other stars in attendance included Trailbazer Award honoree Lena Waithe, Black Panther baes Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan and Winston Duke (who made a nod to the World Cup in coveted Nike Naija gear), and Superfly star Trevor Jackson.
And of course, there were no shortage of “what were they thinking” looks—including so-called fashion “influencer” Kim Kardashian West’s return to her controversial “Bo Derek braids” cornrows for the event, but anything to get attention, we guess.
Want to see who else was there? Just check out the slideshow below.