STYLE EVOLUTION

Doja Cat Has Always Been a Red Carpet Risk Taker

by Carolyn Twersky Winkler
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Doja Cat attends the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards
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Doja Cat has always walked to the beat of her own drum. The singer has never conformed to industry standards, and that’s likely helped her rise to fame. Ever since her self-published music video for “Mooo!” gained popularity in 2018, Doja has stuck to her own path, preferring originality in both music and fashion. Once she started attending red carpets, it quickly became clear that Doja was someone to watch in the fashion space.

Doja has provided some of the most interesting and unexpected looks at award shows over the past few years. Whether she’s wearing off-the-runway Vivienne Westwood, or custom Versace, she is always going to be doing something a little different than everyone else. So, while we wait to see what she pulls out for her next appearance, let’s take a look back at some of Doja Cat’s best red carpet looks over the past few years.

2025: MTV Video Music Awards

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To kick off her Vie era, Doja went full ’80s vixen in this Balmain look at the VMAs in 2025.

2025: Met Gala

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No pants, no problem for Doja at the 2025 Met Gala. She wore a structured Marc Jacobs coat and towering boots to fashion’s night out.

2025: Academy Awards

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At the 2025 Oscars, Doja tapped into her wild side in sequined, cheetah-print Balmain.

2024: Met Gala

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To interpret the 2024 Met Gala theme “Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion,” Doja surprisingly wore one of the most simple wardrobe basics—a t-shirt by Vetements that was designed to look wet.

2024: Grammy Awards

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Doja wore the It Girl and Alt Girl-loved designer, Dilara Findikoglu, to the Grammys in 2024.

2023: MTV Video Music Awards

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The singer’s 2023 VMAs string look by Monse could barely qualify as a dress by normal standards.

2023: Met Gala

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In an Oscar de la Renta dress and feline makeup, Doja lived up to her name at the 2023 Met Gala—all while honoring the late Karl Lagerfeld’s cat, Choupette.

2023: Schiaparelli Show

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Yes, that’s Doja underneath 30,000 hand-applied crystals and all that red body paint. The singer arrived to the Schiaparelli show in January 2023 in a head-to-toe red look by the house. While this ensemble made quite the stir online, it was just the beginning of her headline-making couture week.

2022: Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards

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Clearly, Doja is quite the fan of the Viktor & Rolf fall 2022 haute couture collection because not only did she wear one of its comically proportioned suits at the Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards, but she wore another at the brand’s spring 2023 presentation in January.

2022: Billboard Music Awards

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Doja Cat’s haute couture access has been unmatched lately. At the Billboard Music Awards in 2022, the singer wore a look from Schiaparelli’s spring 2022 show, which she spiced up with some golden Agent Provocateur nipple pasties.

2022: Grammy Awards

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We can’t decide what we like the most about Doja’s 2022 Grammys look, the Y2K inspired glam, the embellished Versace gown, or the Coperni x Home in Heaven glass Swipe bag.

2022: Billboard Women in Music Event

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While for many stars, this Carolina Herrera fall 2022 dress would be a red carpet risk, it’s one of the simplest looks we’ve ever seen Doja wear.

2021: MTV Video Music Awards

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Doja pulled this full look off the Vivienne Westwood fall 2019 runway, though she did ditch the red, fingerless gloves originally shown on the model, and opted to wear red pleasers with laces that encircled her calves.

2021: Planet Her Release Party

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The singer celebrated the release of her third album in a pastel look from Fancí’s fall 2021 collection.

2021: iHeartRadio Music Awards

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While this Brandon Maxwell fall 2020 dress might seem like a romantic departure for Doja, the completely sheer fabric adds that bit of edge we’re used to seeing from the singer’s looks.

2021: Billboard Music Awards

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Channeling Beetlejuice, Doja attended the Billboard Music Awards in a black and white striped set from the Balmain spring 2020 collection.

2021: Grammy Awards

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Few people could pull off a dress like this leather and ostrich feather Roberto Cavalli number, but Doja was up for the task.

2020: American Music Awards

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Doja loves an unexpected color combination, which is likely why she was drawn to this brown and purple Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood fall 2020 dress.

2020: Europe Music Awards

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The singer went for a more gothic look when she wore this sheer, embellished Givenchy spring 2020 dress to the EMAs in 2020.

2020: Billboard Music Awards

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Like many artists, Doja has worn a “naked” dress before. The singer risked a wardrobe malfunction in this embellished Georges Hobeika number at the Billboard Music Awards in 2020.

2019: BET Awards

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If Doja wanted to make a statement at one of her first major red carpet events, she succeeded when she showed up to the BET Awards dressed up like a pink, high fashion cat toy.

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