Lady Gaga at the Grammys in 2011, Nicki Minaj at the Grammys in 2012.
Photo: Getty
The Grammys is celebrating its 55th birthday this Sunday, can you believe it? While they might not yet be eligible for a senior citizens discount and probably aren't getting the AARP magazine yet, 55 years is a loooooong time. Both music and fashion have undergone major transformations since their early years, and the last decade has seen a major shift in on-the-carpet styles. With fearless pop stars like Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj not only taking risks with their looks but also collaborating with major designers to do so, the carpet has not only become a place to see what everyone is wearing--it's also become another venue for expression and performance. Of course when I say all this I'm mostly thinking about Lady Gaga's great entrance to the Grammys in 2011, when she was carried down the carpet concealed inside of a giant egg, which she then proceeded to hatch from on stage to perform her song "Born This Way." Gaga's not the only one to elicit some gasps on the carpet, however. Since she was first on the scene we've known Nicki Minaj one to watch for on the carpet, but at last year's look surprised even us. She strolled onto the Grammy carpet draped in a red, vaguely religious looking Versace cloak, with one of the most outrageous accessories in the history of any awards show, ever: a bishop, or cardinal, or other be-robed man of the cloth. With those two iconic, unforgettable moves in our recent red carpet past, it's hard not to wonder who is going to try and top it in 2013. Will it be Rihanna, who is more known for her Grammy memo-violating tailoring than anything else, or Katy Perry, who has worn her share of crazy hats and wacky outfits to other awards shows in the past, but has tended to keep it elegant, not edgy, for the Grammys?
