Katy Perry's 2024 VMAs Red Carpet Look Brings the Nasty-Sweaty Club Rat Vibes

katy perry and orlando bloom at the 2024 vmas — (Image credit: Getty Images)

We did it, KatyCats: Katy Perry is the 2024 VMA Video Vanguard Award recipient. At least, she will be by the end of the night. Ahead of her performance and acceptance speech, the pop served her first look of the night on the black carpet: an abdomen-baring, club rat-coded two-piece set by Who Decides War, comprised of a bra top and skirt seemingly crafted from tattered rags. Wet-look hair and sweaty, greasy skin complemented the look. It was kind of dirty, and I think I liked it. Perry was accompanied on the carpet by her husband Orlando Bloom, clad in a black suit for contrast.

The Video Vanguard Award is the top honor an artist can receive at the ceremony. With a gold-plated moon person of her very own, Katy Perry will soon join a list of previous winners that includes Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, and more, dating all the way back to 1984. The first-ever Video Vanguard Award was given to David Bowie, the Beatles, and director Richard Lester in a three-way tie of sorts. Suffice it to say, Perry is in good company.

Perry largely refrained from accessorizing, apart from sliding a chrome cuff around her arm—and a QR-code tattoo on her lower back. Matte brown eye shadow and matte peach lip balanced out the otherwise ultra-glowy look.

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katy perry on the 2024 vmas red carpet — Katy Perry's look dripped with what looked like sweat.

Tonight's appearance marks Perry's first time at the VMAs since 2017, when she cemented her place in the award show's history by doing double duty as performer and host. Perry wore nine different looks through the night, each more extravagant than the next.

First, Perry hit the blue carpet in a sculptural white column gown from Stephane Rolland.

Perry launched right into her hosting duties when she was lowered onto the stage in a holographic space suit.

After a short intermission to air Taylor Swift's new music video, Perry reappeared in a silver semi-sheer jumpsuit. For a sketch involving DJ Khaled and a baby doll, Perry pulled a blue sheath dress with purple plumage around the neck. Perry also made the crowd roar in statement gold earrings and a black sequin dress covered in gold tiger stripes.

Perry loves a good wig and naturally had to incorporate at least one into her wardrobe for the night, pairing a pin-straight bleach-blonde number with a fuchsia sequin strapless dress from Halpern. For a brief segment, Perry slipped into a shimmering strapless dress with colorful bird feathers etched into the design. Perry closed out the show in a basketball-inspired bustier worn over a white t-shirt dress with gold fringe.

Will this year's VMAs host, Megan Thee Stallion, pull out just as many looks? We'll have to watch and see.

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Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.