Some stars don’t just walk a red carpet, they rewrite pop culture with every step.
Jennifer Lopez didn’t just wear a dress; she inspired Google to reinvent the way the world searches for photos.
Lady Gaga didn’t just make a shocking fashion choice; she sparked an international outcry over art, feminism and animal rights.
Just last week, Sydney Sweeney made a powerful statement in a showstopping, see-through silver dress at Variety’s Power Of Women event as she spoke about overcoming objectification.
It’s hard to believe red carpet history only began 103 years ago.
It can launch people from obscurity to household name like when Elizabeth Hurley managed to steal the entire Weddings and a Funeral premiere right from under her boyfriend Hugh Grant by using fashion to her advantage.
Celebrities that put on provocative, shocking displays court even more attention, which is why Angelina Jolie appears on our list twice.
Across decades of flashes and fashion, the red carpet has become Hollywood’s most potent stage and a place where rebellion, beauty and chaos collide.
As the year comes to an end, The Daily Mail took a trip down memory lane to spotlight the moments that made both headlines and history.
Jennifer Lopez didn’t just wear a dress; she inspired Google to reinvent the way the world searches for photos; seen in 2019
Jennifer Lopez’s Versace Jungle Dress (2000 Grammys)
It’s the image that launched a thousand searches. When JLo arrived at the Grammys in Versace’s barely-there green silk chiffon, the internet imploded. Millions typed her name into Google – but the photos didn’t exist there yet.
Within weeks, engineers created Google Images to meet the demand.
Lopez didn’t just redefine celebrity fashion; she changed how we interact with technology itself.
The dress remains one of the most powerful intersections of pop culture and innovation ever.
Google literally invented their Images search bar after fans went wild looking for pics of JLo wearing the plunging Versace gown at the Grammy Awards in 2000
Matt Stone and Trey Parker Drop Acid and Do Drag (2000 Oscars)
Speaking of which, the South Park creators brought their signature irreverence by dropping acid and donning dresses at the Academy Awards in 2000 when Trey Parker was nominated for best song for Blame Canada (Phil Collins won).
Trey wore a wig and a copy of JLo’s green Versace gown while Matt Stone opted for a copy of Gwyneth Paltrow’s pink Ralph Lauren gown – but both refused to acknowledge they were wearing dresses while being interviewed.
‘I also remember actually then having to sit there in the actual Oscars and you’re coming down off the acid,’ Parker recalled in a documentary.
‘So you’re simultaneously coming down and you’re having to now sit through the Oscars, which f***ing suck.’
Speaking of which, the South Park creators brought their signature irreverence by dropping acid and donning dresses at the Oscars in 2000
Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress (2010 VMAs)
Made entirely of raw flank steak by designer Franc Fernandez, Gaga’s look was part protest, part performance art.
She wore it to condemn the U.S. military’s ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ policy – but it quickly became a global flashpoint for animal-rights activists and art critics alike.
The ‘meat dress’ became a symbol of rebellion, audacity, and self-definition.
Today, it sits preserved in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a literal piece of cultural flesh-and-blood history.
Lady Gaga’s 2010 MTV VMAs ensemble was made entirely of raw flank steak by designer Franc Fernandez
Cher’s Bejeweled Bob Mackie Naked Dress (1986 Oscars)
After being snubbed by the Academy, Cher decided to crash their party in a look that can only be described as half goddess, half Vegas showgirl.
At the time, her sequined, barely-there Bob Mackie masterpiece and towering feathered headpiece broke every unspoken rule of Hollywood elegance.
Ultimately, it cemented her place in fashion royalty and Bob Mackie became a legend.
Cher made headlines in 1986 with her ‘revenge’ Oscars dress designed by her favorite, Bob Mackie
Elizabeth Hurley’s Versace Safety-Pin Dress (1994)
At the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere, Hurley arrived in a black Versace gown held together by oversized gold safety pins – and the world stopped.
The dress transformed her from Hugh Grant’s girlfriend into a global phenomenon overnight, and it catapulted Gianni Versace into superstardom.
Hugh who? Elizabeth Hurley reached worldwide fame by taking the plunge in this Versace safety-pin dress at the Four Weddings and a Funeral premiere in 1994
Björk’s Swan Dress (2001 Oscars)
Björk’s Marjan Pejoski swan dress and her performance of ‘laying an egg’ on the carpet redefined red-carpet risk-taking.
Critics mocked it, but the look has since been canonized as a symbol of creative freedom and surrealist femininity.
Although it was once placed on every ‘worst-dressed’ list, it is, now, celebrated for its individuality.
Icelandic singer Björk’s swan-themed ode to Busby Berkley and old Hollywood glamour fell flat at the 2001 Oscars but remains iconic
Pink and Shakira Don the Same Dress (2009 MTV VMAS)
Most of the time celebrities don matching dresses, it’s for a planned skit or a stunt but it was a complete accident for Pink and Shakira at the 2009 MTV VMAs.
The Pennsylvania-born 46-year-old and the Colombian 48-year-old were good sports and posed together after wearing the same Balmain chain-link LBD.
Pink (born Alecia Moore) told Us Weekly at the time: ‘She’s hot! I think it’s hilarious!’
Pink (L) and Shakira (R) once accidentally wore the same Balmain chain-link LBD, but they were good sports about it
Taylor Swift’s Misogyny Clapback (2015 Grammys)
When a reporter asked if she’d be ‘leaving with lots of men,’ Swift delivered a line for the ages: ‘I’m going to hang out with my friends, and then go home to the cats.’
It was a red-carpet masterclass in grace under pressure and an early glimpse of her feminist voice in full form.
When a reporter asked Taylor Swift if she’d be ‘leaving with lots of men,’ she delivered a line for the ages on the red carpet of the 2015 Grammys
Angelina Jolie’s Black Velvet Gown (2012 Oscars)
All she did was stand, but her stance changed everything.
Jolie’s thigh-high slit in black Versace spawned an entire internet phenomenon known as ‘The Leg.’
Within hours, there were memes, fake Twitter accounts and think pieces inspired by her powerful pose.
Angelina Jolie’s leg became a viral meme in 2012 when she donned this thigh-flashing black Versace gown at the Oscars
Angelina Jolie Kisses Her Brother (2000 Globes)
At the height of her wild-child reputation, Jolie kissed her big brother James Haven on the lips and every camera flash in Hollywood went off.
The photo scandalized the industry and cemented her as Hollywood’s most unpredictable icon.
Angelina Jolie raised eyebrows in 2000 for packing on the incestuous PDA with her big brother James Haven at the Globes and the Oscars
Billy Porter’s Tuxedo Gown (2019 Oscars)
Christian Siriano’s half-tux, half-ball-gown design was a thunderclap of gender fluidity on the world’s most traditional red carpet.
Porter’s look didn’t just bend rules – it redefined them, ushering in a new era of visibility and power for queer expression in mainstream Hollywood.
Billy Porter’s groundbreaking, gender-blurring tuxedo Christian Siriano dress caused a stir in 2019
Timothée Chalamet Goes Backless in Halter (2022 Bones and All premiere)
The 29-year-old Oscar nominee pushed the boundaries for heterosexual leading men by going backless at the Venice Film Festival premiere of his cannibal romance Bones and All in 2022.
The red halter jumpsuit was designed by Timmy’s buddy Haider Ackermann.
Timothée Chalamet pushed the boundaries for heterosexual leading men by going backless in a red halter jumpsuit at the Bones and All premiere
Zendaya’s Robot Body Armor (2024 Dune premiere)
Zendaya and her ‘image architect’ Law Roach have tried countless styles during their 14-year collaboration, but their most ambitious look was at the London premiere of Dune last year.
The 29-year-old Emmy winner dared to bare in an archival recreation of Thierry Mugler’s FW/95 couture catsuit resembling Metropolis-inspired robot body armor.
It cemented her transformation from former Disney Channel star to high-fashion icon and storyteller.
Zendaya dared to bare in an archival recreation of Thierry Mugler’s FW/95 couture catsuit at the London premiere of Dune last year
Britney Spears & Justin Timberlake’s Matching Denim (2001 AMAs)
Britney and Justin’s matching denim-on-denim look defined an era of early-2000s excess and teenage pop domination.
Two decades later, it remains the blueprint for playful, nostalgic red-carpet coordination and a popular costume for couples to recreate on Halloween.
Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake’s matching denim-on-denim look at the 2001 American Music Awards defined an era of early-2000s fashion
Celine Dion’s Backwards Tuxedo (1999 Oscars)
Celine flipped fashion when she wore her Dior tuxedo backward.
Critics were baffled, but fashion historians later hailed it as visionary gender play years ahead of its time.
Hip-hop duo Kris Kross might have done it first in 1992, but Celine Dion took reverse-wear to a new level at the 1999 Oscars
Sydney Sweeney (2025 Variety’s Power Of Women event)
Sydney Sweeney turned heads in a revealing sheer gown onstage during Variety’s Power Of Women event at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
While Sweeney’s speech drew applause in the room, online reaction was far more brutal, with many accusing the actress of contradicting her own message about objectification by wearing a sheer dress that fully exposed her chest.
Sydney Sweeney turned heads in a revealing sheer gown onstage during Variety’s Power Of Women event at the Beverly Hills Hotel
Sharon Stone’s White Gap Shirt (1998 Oscars)
In a sea of couture gowns and diamonds, Sharon Stone arrived at the 1998 Oscars wearing a plain white Gap button-down.
Paired with a lavender Vera Wang skirt and her signature icy confidence, Stone’s look shattered red-carpet elitism.
In a sea of couture gowns and diamonds, Sharon Stone arrived at the 1998 Oscars wearing a plain white Gap button-down
Kim Kardashian (Met Gala 2022)
Kim Kardashian’s decision to wear Marilyn Monroe’s fragile, beaded gown from her 1962 ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ performance sparked global outrage.
On one side: a pop-culture moment decades in the making, the reality mogul-turned-billionaire embodying the Hollywood sex symbol she was once mocked for never being.
On the other: preservationists, museum curators and Monroe devotees furious that a priceless piece of cultural history had been removed from its climate-controlled vault for a carpet reveal.
Kim Kardashian’s decision to wear Marilyn Monroe’s fragile, beaded gown from her 1962 ‘Happy Birthday, Mr. President’ performance sparked global outrage (seen in 2022)
Margot Robbie’s Barbie Press-Tour (2023)
Some promo tours sell a movie. Margot Robbie’s Barbie press tour became the movie — and a pop-culture phenomenon in its own right.
Working with stylist Andrew Mukamal, Robbie transformed every red carpet stop into a fashion history lesson, meticulously recreating vintage Barbie looks with couture precision.
The crown jewel? Her Los Angeles premiere ensemble: a glittering black custom Schiaparelli Haute Couture fishtail gown, complete with pink handkerchief and single long glove – a breathtaking, real-life re-creation of the 1960 Solo in the Spotlight Barbie.
Some promo tours sell a movie. Margot Robbie’s Barbie press tour became the movie — and a pop-culture phenomenon in its own right
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky (Met Gala 2021)
All eyes were on Rihanna and A$AP Rocky as he strolled into the Met Gala literally wrapped in a thrifted vintage quilt and make it fashion.
While Rihanna shut down the carpet in a voluminous Balenciaga coat and crystal skullcap, her date’s look instantly sparked headlines as well.
It was later revealed his quilt was actually thrifted from a small family in Southern California and repurposed by ERL’s Eli Russell Linnetz into couture.
The grandmother who made it had donated it to a vintage shop, never imagining it would one day land on the Met steps.
All eyes were on Rihanna and A$AP Rocky as he strolled into the Met Gala literally wrapped in a thrifted vintage quilt and make it fashion
Megan Fox’s Naked Dress Comeback (2021 VMAs)
After years out of the spotlight, Fox made a scorching return in a sheer Mugler gown that left nothing to the imagination.
The look reignited the ‘naked dress’ trend and reintroduced Fox as a confident, unapologetic bombshell reclaiming her own narrative following her divorce from Brian Austin Green.
After years out of the spotlight, Megan Fox made a scorching return in a sheer Mugler gown that left nothing to the imagination at the 2021 MTV VMAs
Zac Efron’s Condom Slip (2012 Lorax Premiere)
On an orange carpet for a children’s movie, Efron dropped a condom while greeting fans.
He later joked he’d learned to ‘check pockets before premieres.’
Awkward? Absolutely. Unforgettable? Definitely.
Oops! Zac Efron signaled his exit from High School Musical teen idol to full-grown adult in 2012
Blake Lively’s Statue of Liberty Reveal (2022 Met Gala)
Blake Lively is widely considered a ‘queen of the Met Gala’ for a reason.
While arriving on the steps of the Met in what appeared to be a shimmering copper Versace gown, Lively stunned onlookers as her dress transformed into an oxidized-green masterpiece.
Blake Lively is widely considered a ‘queen of the Met Gala’ for a reason; seen in 2022
Jerry Seinfeld Rejects Kesha’s Hug (2017)
It lasted three seconds but became eternal internet gold.
Kesha ran up for a hug; Seinfeld stiff-armed her with a polite ‘No, thanks’ on the red carpet of a David Lynch Foundation benefit at the Kennedy Center.
Kesha repeatedly asked for a hug from Jerry Seinfeld, who brutally dismissed her again and again on the red carpet of a David Lynch Foundation benefit at the Kennedy Center in 2017
Kim Kardashian Gets Flour-Bombed (2012)
At her perfume launch, an animal-rights activist doused Kim in flour and she calmly brushed it off, changed, and returned to finish her event.
It was the birth of the unshakeable Kim Kardashian era as she handled a crisis unfazed in sky-high heels.
For her love of leather and fur, Kim Kardashian memorably got flour bombed by a PETA activist while walking the red carpet at her True Reflection fragrance launch in LA in 2012
Anjelica Huston’s Lucky Green Gown (Oscars 1986)
Most of the older celebrities didn’t have four-person glam squads like Anjelica Huston, who bought her own emerald-green crepe fabric and enlisted Tzetzi Ganev to help create the single-sleeved gown for her in 1986.
The Irish-raised 74-year-old’s lucky green dress worked and she won the Oscar for best supporting actress for her role in her late father John Huston’s film Prizzi’s Honor.
Who needs glam squads? Anjelica Huston bought the emerald-green crepe fabric she used to help create the single-sleeved gown she wore to the Academy Awards in 1986
Douglas Fairbanks Kicks Off a New Era of Hollywood Pageantry (1922 Robin Hood premiere)
The first-ever Hollywood red carpet ceremony coincided with the opening of the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in 1922 when United Artists’ silent film Robin Hood starring Douglas Fairbanks premiered.
It marked a new age of Tinseltown pageantry with a mix of celebrity, fashion, camera bulbs flashing, cars stretched along the street, and roaring fans on the sidelines.
The first-ever Hollywood red carpet ceremony – the premiere of Robin Hood – coincided with the opening of the Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in 1922
