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Ariana Grande made her grand return to the 2025 MTV VMAs after a long hiatus from the awards show — and made sure to bring her A-game with every look she wore during the star-studded night.
The pop star was styled by Law Roach for the evening, who pulled a total of four looks that ranged from a custom Fendi dress that took inspiration from the 1980s, to a fluffy ballerina-inspired tutu dress made to look as if she were floating in the air.
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Each of the looks that Grande wore during the award show — which took place at the UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., on Sunday, Sept. 7 — incorporated either her signature ponytail or a ballet bun as final touches that called back to her iconic style and artistry.
“I always say if you put Ariana behind a screen and you just see her silhouette, as soon as the back light comes up, you know it’s her,” Roach said in a 2019 Vogue interview.
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He added, “She came to me with the ponytail and thigh-high boots, with that DNA—I didn’t change a thing. Our collaboration is [her way of saying] this is my look, this is who I am and I want to be the best, most elevated Ariana.”
Grande kicked off the evening with polka dots on the red carpet and later hit the VMAs stage three separate times — to introduce Mariah Carey as the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award recipient, and to accept her moonpersons in the Best Pop and the coveted Video of the Year categories.
See each one of Grande’s MTV VMAs outfits below.
Playful in Polka Dots
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Grande started off the night strong in a black custom Fendi dress covered in white polka dots. The strapless dress cinched the pop star’s waist and flared into a peplum with a contrasting polka-dot pattern in pink and black.
The dress — which was inspired by a similar Fendi dress worn by designer Silvia Venturini Fendi in the 1980s — continued into a slim-fitting skirt with a daring slit at the back that gave a flirty look at her black satin peep-toe heels. Grande accessorized the look with a matching black hair bow with white polka dots.
Dazzling in Sequins
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While announcing Mariah Carey as the Video Vanguard Award recipient, Grande had no choice but to “Glitter.” The Wicked star dazzled in a black sequin and beaded Tamara Ralph V-neck gown with sheer chiffon sleeves and a semi-sheer skirt. Grande added more sparkle with glittering rings and dainty stud earrings.
A Bold Ball Gown
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Grande might have ditched Glinda’s pink color palette for the evening, but she still stepped into a ball gown ahead of accepting the Best Pop Award for “brighter days ahead.” The strapless Steve O Smith gown featured a sheer illusion corset top with bold black ink-like designs across the chest. The black ink motif continued throughout the gown’s full white skirt.
Ballet Ready
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Grande’s final dress of the evening — which she wore while accepting Video of the Year for “brighter days ahead” — was a bright white tutu-inspired dress by Givenchy that had several layers of tulle to add fullness to the skirt. Much like the ball gown, the bodice of the dress was a sheer illusion that exposed her midriff. She completed the look with white heels and a ballet bun in her hair.
