From translucent, sparkling, gender-neutral or nods to another era, this was the fashion on the red carpets of 2021.
(CNN) -
After a year of clumsy speeches by Zoom at award galas and tie-dye sweatshirts, it has been a relief to see celebrities back on the red carpet.
Glamor is back in force, filling our feeds with color, glitter, and flashes of nostalgia.
With firsts like Billie Eilish's sparkling Met Gala gown and Valentino's out-of-this-world micro-dress worn by Lady Gaga, 2021 was the year celebrities had the chance to redefine their wardrobes, and many did.
Here are some of the hottest trends on the red carpet.
Outfits full of dopamine
Bright colors, sparkling dresses and playful styles have brought cheer to celebrities' closets this year as stars dressed up in happiness amid the pandemic.
At the Emmy Awards, Michaela Coel dazzled in a bright yellow Christopher John Rogers outfit, while Anya Taylor-Joy was the image of a retro Barbie in a hot pink dress and headpiece at the Venice Film Festival.
Others were carried away by their inner disco ball: Dakota Johnson's fringed Gucci creation stood out at the Venice Film Festival, and more recently, Olivia Rodrigo's purple dress at the American Music Awards sparkled as she crawled under. its feather hem.
Stock Fashion
Cardi B attends the presentation of "Thierry Mugler: Couturissime" as part of Paris Fashion Week at the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs on September 28, 2021 in Paris, France. Credit: Richard Bord / WireImage / Getty Images
The history of fashion has become one of the biggest red carpet shows this year, as stylists and celebrities have searched for rare archival pieces from decades past.
The growing interest in so-called upcycling and vintage undoubtedly played a role in the trend, which included Rodrigo in a 2001 Versace dress with pleats at the MTV VMA awards and archive queen Bella Hadid, who was portrayed. wearing vintage Gucci, Stella McCartney for Chloe and more on the streets.
And who could forget the olive green Jean Paul Gaultier dress that Kylie Jenner wore?
Daring to teach
Zoë Kravitz attends the 2021 Met Gala “Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York.
Credit: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
The red carpets after the lockdowns were sexier than ever, as some restrictions from the pandemic were lightened and celebrities returned to the public eye.
See-through dresses, such as the Zoë Kravitz from Saint Laurent at the Met Gala and the Megan Fox dress by Thierry Mugler (paired with a nude thong) at the MTV VMAs, were seen at many major events, while other celebrities such as Zendaya, Kendall Jenner, and Halle Bailey all went for styles with holes.
Carey Mulligan, Rina Sawayama, and Alicia Keys wore sophisticated belly-bare ensembles all year long, while Lil Nas X, Kim Kardashian and Hailey Bieber were among those covered in skintight dresses that left little to the imagination.
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Gender fluid clothing
Troye Sivan attends the 2021 Met Gala “Celebrating In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on September 13, 2021 in New York City.
Credit: Theo Wargo / Getty Images
With Gen Z defying gender binaries on TikTok and discussions of fluidity reverberating in the fashion industry, celebrities weren't shy about pushing the boundaries.
With LGBTQ + celebrities leading the way, including Billy Porter in a pink trailing suit and designer Harris Reed launching his first gender-fluid fashion collection, others followed suit: Troye Sivan wore a minimalist dress to the Met Gala and Kid Cudi wore a Kurt Cobain-inspired floral gown for his performance on Saturday Night Live, followed by a wedding gown at the CFDA awards.
Some took more subtle approaches, such as Bowen Yang, with her Syro platform heels peeking out from under the hem of an elegant suit at the Emmy Awards.
Nail polish was also widely adopted by stars like Lil Yachty and Tyler the Creator, and Harry Styles and Machine Gun Kelly even launched their own brand of nail polish.
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Fashion as wearable art
Bella Hadid poses upon arrival at the screening of the film "Tre Piani" (Three Floors) at the 74th Cannes Film Festival in France on July 11, 2021. Credit: Valery Hache / AFP / Getty Images
The image of Bella Hadid at the Cannes Film Festival this summer, wearing a brass Schiaparelli necklace designed to look like a pair of lungs, stopped the internet in its tracks. That artistic and surreal approach to fashion continued throughout the second half of the year.
Created by the self-described interdisciplinary artist Dimetra Petsa and meticulously covered in layers of tulle, Di Petsa's polished finish dresses transformed stars like the Hadid sisters, SZA, Chloe Bailey and Megan Thee Stallion into water nymphs that looked like they just came out of the sea. . Zendaya opted for a similar style, crafted in nude leather by Balmain, for the premiere of "Dune" in Venice. His outfit was offset by that of his co-star Timothée Chalamet, who was dressed in a glittery Haider Ackermann outfit that looked like it was taken out of the night sky. Of course, who could forget Kim Kardashian's dramatic style at the Met Gala, a faceless Balenciaga outfit that sparked questions about the nature of the celebrity, while also spawning endless Twitter memes?
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The nods to the past of the famous
Gemma Chan paid tribute to Anna May Wong at the Met Gala.
Wong is considered the first Hollywood star of Chinese descent.
Credit: Getty Images
While many celebrities went all out in their post-lockdown outfits, others stepped back to pause and pay tribute to those who paved the way before them.
Hints of specific outfits from celebrities and supermodels have been seen throughout the year.
At the Met Gala, for example, Gemma Chan paid tribute to Chinese-American film star Anna May Wong in a Prabal Gurung minidress with dragon ornaments and twisted braids, and Jaeger YouTuber Nikkie stepped out in a flowery dress with a tape with "Pay it no mind" on the hem, a reference to Stonewall transgender activist Marsha P. Johnson. Kendall Jenner, meanwhile, put herself in the shoes of Audrey Hepburn with a transparent dress covered with crystals. The dress was a contemporary version of one that Hepburn wore as Eliza Doolittle in "My Fair Lady."
Zendaya made several nods to the icons, wearing a long version of Beyoncé's 2003 BET Awards Versace dress to the same event this year and a yellow cropped dress for the Oscars, similar to one Cher previously wore in "The Sonny." & Cher Show ".
And Angelina Jolie kept references to the past close to home at the "Eternals" premiere in London, with her daughters Zahara and Shiloh sporting some of the red carpet dresses Jolie had previously worn.
Jolie wore a 2018 Valentino dress.
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The 2000 effect
Avril Lavigne attends the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards at the Barclays Center on September 12, 2021 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
Credit: Astrid Stawiarz / WireImage / Getty Images
The fashion obsession of 2000 remained strong until 2021, championed by Gen Z stars like Dua Lipa and Addison Rae.
All the old trends made a comeback, like Beyoncé and Lipa's hot pink Versace platform heels, who wore different Mariah Carey butterfly outfits, and even Rihanna and Miley Cyrus wore a Von Dutch-style cap.
Surprising brands like Ed Hardy and Juicy Couture made a comeback among celebrities, and retro staples like printed mesh tops, monograms, and corsets became must-haves.
Other maligned styles from the 2000s, like low-rise jeans and crop tops, also made their way into Lipa, Hadid, and Kaia Gerber's closets.
Love for the 2000s shows no signs of slowing down, and we will likely continue to see celebrities champion the decade in 2022, with Versace, Fendi, and others leading the trend.
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