How Addison Rae and Dara Created a Modern VMAs Look for the Ages
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Addison Rae and her stylist Dara have a rule when it comes to creating a VMAs red carpet look: "It’s only hot if it’s freaky."
Rae is a TikTok star turned actress and singer; her moody video for her song "Diet Pepsi" has been a subject of online fascination since it was released this past August. For her very first MTV Video Music Awards, she wore what ended up being one of the most talked-about red carpet looks of the night—a satin bra and panty set with an attached voluminous tutu by of New York–based designer Claire Sullivan. It was a look that could only be worn by someone like Rae, who believes that any outfit of hers needs to embrace "experimentation."
"We wanted to create something that brought together my favorite looks in VMAs history and also the 'Diet Pepsi' music video," Rae tells Harper's Bazaar. She has complete faith in her stylist, explaining, "[Dara] has a magical talent and taste for everything great in the world."
One clear inspiration was Madonna's bridal look from her VMAs debut in 1984, which was later referenced by Britney Spears in 2003 during a performance (and kiss!) that set the world ablaze. According to Dara, however, Rae's final outfit was really a cumulation of a number of pop stars, ingenues, and pin-ups over the years. "It was more about the feeling and idea of that archetype than an exact copy of any particular star or reference."
It's safe to say Rae was eager to experience her first VMAs. The show has birthed a number of pop culture moments that have lived on in infamy, including ones featuring many of her own favorite musicians. "It’s my first VMAs so I’m just really excited to be there and experience the iconic energy that the show brings! All I think about when I think VMAs is Britney, Madonna, Christina, Missy Elliot, Lady Gaga. Sorry not sorry," Rae says.
When it came time to conceptualize the look alongside Sullivan, Dara knew that they had to throw all pomp and circumstance out the door. They were chasing a feeling more than any specific look.
"For the VMAs, Madonna set a blueprint: Conjure the images of your music video and create a real life moment. That frees you up from formalities," Dara shares. "In [Addison's] video, she’s mostly in vintage lingerie, so it felt like the only way to do the VMAs. It was also her first time attending, so we popped her cherry with something that had an innocence and naiveté. I liked the idea that she’s playing dress up in her mom’s clothes, but her mom’s a showgirl! The fit’s a little off, but she’s having so much fun."
Dara adds, "It’s the VMAs—forget your clothes at home and make it a little dangerous."
The final look, too, was about celebrating the freedom one can find in confidence, according to Dara.
"One note [Rae] kept making was how important it was that the look had a feeling of innocence and freshness. I think that’s so fab and beautiful," she adds. "She’s a beaming ray of sunlight. So excited, bright, and playful. She’s a dancer, so she holds herself so comfortably and elegantly. If you’re that comfortable in your body, why cover it up with clothes?"
Attending the VMAs, of course, has the potential to spark more inspiration for an up-and-coming artist, and Rae says her fans have plenty to look forward to, hinting that the near future will include "lots and lots of discovery, exploration, and fashion." She's not ruling out her own onstage moment at the awards show one day, either. "When the stars are aligned and it’s time, it’ll be a glamorous time," she says. "It will be a huge dream come true. For now, I’m a VMAs performer virgin!"
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