Addison Rae and her stylist Dara have a rule when it comes to creating a VMAs red-carpet look: “It’s only sexy if it’s freaky.”
Rae, one of TikTok's biggest stars as well as an actress and singer, and her moody video for her song “Diet Pepsi” has been a subject of online fascination since it was released in 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 New York–based designer Claire Sullivan. It was a look that could be worn only 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, noting, “[Dara] has a magical talent and taste for everything great in the world.”
One clear inspiration was Madonna’s bridal look from the very first VMAs, in 1984, which was also 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 pinups over the years. “It was more about the feeling and idea of that archetype than an exact copy of any particular star or reference,” she says.
It’s safe to say Rae was eager for her first VMAs. The show has birthed a number of pop culture moments that have lived on in infamy, including some 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!” Rae says. “All I think about when I think VMAs is Britney, Madonna, Christina, Missy Elliott, Lady Gaga. Sorry, not sorry.”
When it came time to conceptualize the look alongside Sullivan, Dara knew they had to throw all pomp and circumstance out the door. More than any specific look, they were chasing a feeling.
“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 says. “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,” the stylist 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 is not ruling out her own onstage moment at the award 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!”
