{"id":40834,"date":"2018-08-20T23:58:28","date_gmt":"2018-08-21T03:58:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/?p=40834"},"modified":"2018-08-21T13:32:34","modified_gmt":"2018-08-21T17:32:34","slug":"my-best-dressed-at-the-2018-vmas-is","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/my-best-dressed-at-the-2018-vmas-is\/","title":{"rendered":"My Best Dressed at the 2018 VMAs Is &#8230;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The MTV Video Music Awards have always attracted envelope-pushing fashion, starting with the first VMAs in 1984, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/wendy-brandes\/fading-affect-bias_b_3857096.html\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">when Madonna scandalized everyone&#8217;s parents with her &#8220;Boy Toy&#8221; belt and lacy bustier<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='bRnh0ax9QMxQ_6nlnextNg' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/965661594' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'bRnh0ax9QMxQ_6nlnextNg',sig:'yTauasH7iDtmvYq3gihDMmdB2Wzj0VJ1UDX33new8cA=',w:'396px',h:'594px',items:'965661594',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Who could forget Rose McGowan&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.buzzfeed.com\/stephanieanderson\/rose-mcgowan-vmas-queen?utm_term=.ggx3RGDd0#.qenQAn9Pv\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">naked dress<\/a> in 1998?<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='jbAIoDIgRVxo3v7I7R4FVQ' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1142909' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'jbAIoDIgRVxo3v7I7R4FVQ',sig:'BCKa3g1lZeaJisGfFDMEPZ4jqVJPlfoJ4Egn_j0DGrA=',w:'418px',h:'594px',items:'1142909',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Lady Gaga&#8217;s meat dress in 2010 is in a class by itself.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='tUzO1T19SjNNMyB1cBWrVQ' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/104037888' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'tUzO1T19SjNNMyB1cBWrVQ',sig:'pr_IebJZGzwjESUSTUfZYdXEkshC40nNywXUaMAMtNE=',w:'415px',h:'594px',items:'104037888',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>The VMAs let me down tonight, though. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/news\/vmas-fashion-review-bring-wacky-weird-1136181\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Nothing seemed truly inspired to me<\/a> &#8212; not even Amber Rose&#8217;s early Halloween costume.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='54V6mCJmQYxK1jD4mp0m6w' class='gie-slideshow' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1020326928' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'54V6mCJmQYxK1jD4mp0m6w',sig:'EXAcaHqDUFCIhGRgep0i_xyQlQW5gENCBOgc1hQtWHo=',w:'396px',h:'594px',items:'1020326928,1020326942',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I&#8217;m normally a big fan of in-your-face costumes, but this left me cold compared to the smart sartorial and political statement Amber Rose and Blac Chyna made in 2015.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='0dwa6sTJQAFtEAbF7OQIPw' class='gie-slideshow' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/488204088' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'0dwa6sTJQAFtEAbF7OQIPw',sig:'8YytNg487C5eKeZ2EJtpwES1mvmvAMTuzE2ijnserZM=',w:'399px',h:'594px',items:'488204088,486061000',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>As a result, I don&#8217;t have a combo <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/category\/celebrities\/best-dressed-wear-what-you-want-award\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Best Dressed\/Wear What You Want award<\/a> to give! As I\u2019ve explained before, the Best Dressed\/Wear What You Want award doesn\u2019t require that a look be \u201cbeautiful,\u201d or \u201cflattering,\u201d or in any way acceptable to the vast majority of people.  I don\u2019t deduct points if you do look pretty, but \u201cinteresting\u201d is more important to me than \u201cattractive.\u201d And, tonight, nobody had that Best Dressed\/Wear What You Want <em>je ne sais quoi<\/em>. However, I do have a regular (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fastcompany.com\/40500600\/cardi-bs-come-up-how-the-bronx-native-became-the-queen-of-2017\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">degular shemgular<\/a>) Best Dressed, because Cardi B &#8212; in her first public appearance since having her baby &#8212; looked absolutely luscious in an amethyst dress by Nicolas Jebran.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='sRaM_Tw9SJ9U_Trho2ecbQ' class='gie-slideshow' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1020400976' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'sRaM_Tw9SJ9U_Trho2ecbQ',sig:'Dwr4cAv6A7WAnxa8IjhalFArvQgfxHSfoFBQ4bG1RLI=',w:'406px',h:'594px',items:'1020400976,1020262370',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I like <a href=\"http:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/Store\/index.php\/marie-antoinette-ring.html\/?SID=lvgts3msc6u7clqmfbfjfvd242\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">purple and green paired together<\/a>, and Cardi&#8217;s pixie hairstyle guaranteed that my eyes went to Cardi&#8217;s emerald earrings immediately.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='ZZIlXBisRQVm5RlqKvUgmA' class='gie-slideshow' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1020404998' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'ZZIlXBisRQVm5RlqKvUgmA',sig:'yen5a5d9OvBstvv5dOARLLQ2M_WbcZgvu8D11nbJIuo=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1020404998,1020405048',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>Of course, the earrings and matching rings were by Lorraine Schwartz &#8212; she&#8217;s been decking out celebs in big bold emeralds at least since Angelina Jolie wore a pair of Schwartz earrings to the 2009 Oscars. If you see big emeralds, it&#8217;s safe to assume Lorraine.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='5mIsww3kSmtHPIrjjCw3MQ' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1020391368' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'5mIsww3kSmtHPIrjjCw3MQ',sig:'LTC4MmSjpsyVWkVmXgtTE9uthl5W9GFvmWh7YJio_lk=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'1020391368',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I actually had a moment of thinking, &#8220;Wait &#8230; are they all wearing the SAME emerald earrings?&#8221; But I checked and confirmed all the emerald earrings I&#8217;d written about in the past were different Schwartz designs. Here are Angelina&#8217;s from 2009, for instance.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='dDunKzqVQbBq0-Wj4YGTmA' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/87974057' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'dDunKzqVQbBq0-Wj4YGTmA',sig:'pxUZATHrdLLF7ATuO8uaK_Rwq3uKQGxMrIE696_1IG0=',w:'415px',h:'594px',items:'87974057',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>The Schwartz emeralds that Zoe Kravitz wore to the 2018 Golden Globes do have an emerald-cut (rectangular) emerald like Cardi&#8217;s but it&#8217;s not the same earring at all.<\/p>\n<p><center><a id='PVvpDzMJRrZnnVLpcqLY5g' class='gie-single' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/902346072' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'PVvpDzMJRrZnnVLpcqLY5g',sig:'ztbR8sBy1-oo0lPo2kFw1TgSxrF89OuomEmmgY9aLow=',w:'440px',h:'594px',items:'902346072',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>I confess I was hoping they were all wearing the same earrings like a luxury version of <em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0403508\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants<\/a><\/em>. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Schwartz! That&#8217;s a movie I&#8217;d like to see. Anyway, props to Cardi and her stylist Kollin Carter, who put together a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/BmuUszenuyA\/?hl=en&#038;taken-by=kollincarter\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">second beautiful look for her for the show itself<\/a>. <\/p>\n<p><center><a id='gKLGg-YWS5968_lkl73pwg' class='gie-slideshow' href='http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1020326264' target='_blank' style='color:#a7a7a7;text-decoration:none;font-weight:normal !important;border:none;display:inline-block;'>Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'gKLGg-YWS5968_lkl73pwg',sig:'FSu-3sZd0vBHOadF05j8y1drb72ZN77PXMRYKuAByU8=',w:'431px',h:'594px',items:'1020326264,1020327488',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/center><\/p>\n<p>The red dress, by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/azziandosta\/?hl=en\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Azzi &#038; Osta<\/a>, was what Cardi was wearing when she accepted the MTV award for Best New Artist &#8212; well deserved!<\/p>\n<p>Despite the dearth of interestingly outrageous fashion, the VMAs did provide a different kind of outrage after <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2018\/music\/news\/madonna-vmas-aretha-franklin-tribute-1202911376\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">my main woman Madonna gave an unfortunately Madonna-focused tribute to Aretha Franklin<\/a>. I&#8217;m seriously feeling <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/yashar\/status\/1031748025977266178\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">this tweet<\/a>. I laughed at this one, though.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-lang=\"en\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Is this supposed to be an ARETHA or MADONNA tribute????? <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/VMAs?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#VMAs<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Is this revenge for the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/QueenOfSoul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#QueenOfSoul<\/a> dying on her 60th birthday? <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/k8jHh35n84\">pic.twitter.com\/k8jHh35n84<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddf9 Only4RM \ud83c\udded\ud83c\uddf9\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8 (@Only4RM) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Only4RM\/status\/1031745059560013824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 21, 2018<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<\/center><\/p>\n<p>I mean, I did say that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/rip-aretha-franklin\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Aretha&#8217;s death upstaged Madonna&#8217;s 60th birthday last week<\/a>. Maybe this speech is a moment of perverse <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/search?q=%22Aretha%20or%20Madonna%22&#038;src=tren\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">trending-on-Twitter genius<\/a>, if you believe there&#8217;s no such thing as bad publicity. Or maybe I made a big mistake years ago when <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=mOwVipzjtt8&#038;t=2s\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">I didn&#8217;t talk to Madonna at the Vanity Fair Oscar party<\/a>. We might have become best friends and then a decade or so later, she would have asked me to read her VMAs speech ahead of time, and I would have been like, &#8220;No, girl. No.&#8221; Hmmm. From now on, I&#8217;m going to make a bigger effort to befriend celebrities just in case they urgently need an editor down the road!<\/p>\n<p>UPDATED AUG. 21, 2018, TO ADD: <a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/music\/2018\/08\/21\/madonna-vmas-franklin\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Madonna says that her Aretha Franklin tribute that didn&#8217;t seem like much of a tribute was that way because it wasn&#8217;t supposed to be a tribute<\/a>. So there!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The MTV Video Music Awards have always attracted envelope-pushing fashion, starting with the first VMAs in 1984, when Madonna scandalized everyone&#8217;s parents with her &#8220;Boy Toy&#8221; belt and lacy bustier. Embed from Getty Images Who could forget Rose McGowan&#8217;s naked dress in 1998? Embed from Getty Images Lady Gaga&#8217;s meat dress in 2010 is in&#8230;<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/my-best-dressed-at-the-2018-vmas-is\/\">Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[387,645,10,54,700,42],"tags":[1491,1625,1624],"class_list":["post-40834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-awards-shows","category-best-dressed-wear-what-you-want-award","category-celebrities","category-madonna","category-mtv-vmas","category-music","tag-cardi-b","tag-kollin-carter","tag-sisterhood-of-the-traveling-pants","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40834","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40834"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40834\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40844,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40834\/revisions\/40844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40834"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40834"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wendybrandes.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40834"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}