However, Rinna was far from the only celebrity making a statement. The evening was filled with daring gowns, unexpected styling choices, memorable performances, and major award moments.
Teyana Taylor arrived in a floor-length black lace gown featuring elaborate feather detailing. The fitted sheer design included a plunging neckline and a wide velvet waistband, while dramatic feathers covered the sleeves, one hip, and the hem. Taylor completed the look with a sculptural updo that allowed the gown’s intricate detailing to remain the main attraction.
Sabrina Carpenter took a completely different approach during her performance, choosing a playful black-and-white ensemble. She wore a white button-down shirt with black suspenders and high-waisted sequined shorts. Sheer tights, heels, and a black beret gave the outfit a retro-inspired feel, while her soft blonde curls added another touch of old-school glamour.
Taylor Swift also commanded attention in a dramatic two-tone outfit featuring a fitted black halter top and a shimmering silver floor-length skirt. The metallic skirt gathered around her waist before opening into a high slit, while the halter design revealed much of her back.
Swift’s appearance generated plenty of online discussion. Some Reddit users focused on her silhouette, while others questioned whether her appearance had changed. One commenter asked, “Serious question is she wearing hip pads?? She suddenly looks way more curvy than usual.”
Another person criticized the styling, writing, “The dress looks like a swimsuit and swimsuit coverup.”
Other commenters speculated about cosmetic procedures, although nothing visible in photographs confirmed any such claims. One person wrote, “She has had another surgery?” while another claimed, “It hurts her to smile, she really has a new face, she had a facelift.”
Others were far more complimentary. One Instagram user called Swift a “Legendary Goddess 🙌🏻❤️🔥,” while another wrote, “Stunning in a Tamara Ralph Couture gown 🔥😍.”
Swift also had a major night professionally. During an acceptance speech, she reflected on nearly two decades of creating music videos, saying she had participated in approximately 60 videos and had written and directed 18. She later introduced the premiere of her “Patient Zero” music video.
Madonna continued the evening’s darker fashion theme with a black corset-inspired bodysuit, fishnet tights, heels, and a leather jacket worn loosely around her shoulders. Her long blonde hair fell in waves, while a sparkling necklace added contrast to the otherwise edgy ensemble.
She was also photographed alongside Swift before later appearing onstage with Sabrina Carpenter.
But Lisa Rinna’s transformation remained among the evening’s biggest conversation starters. She wore a sculptural white off-the-shoulder gown featuring a fitted silhouette, high slit, and sweeping train. Her short, choppy platinum hairstyle and heavily smoked eye makeup made the transformation even more noticeable.
Rinna also revealed that she prefers making her own fashion decisions.
“I don’t do that. I just decide, by the way. I don’t let anybody put in any of their two cents. That’s my secret, I think. I don’t show anybody til I’m ready,” she said.
Online reactions were sharply divided.
One Instagram user wrote, “Oh Lisa what have you done,” while another compared her appearance to Elsa, writing, “You mean Elsa? 😂”
Someone else saw another Hollywood icon in her transformation, commenting, “Elizabeth Taylor lookalike.”
Not everyone was critical. One fan wrote, “Love Lisa and this look!” while another admitted, “I kind of love it.”
Paris Hilton embraced head-to-toe sparkle in a crystal-covered silver mini dress featuring cutouts, matching opera-length gloves, and glittering knee-high boots. Her sleek blonde bob provided a cleaner contrast to the heavily embellished outfit.
Adam Lambert went in another dramatic direction, wearing a massive black cape that spread across the carpet around him. His sharply spiked hairstyle and heavy eye makeup extended the theatrical silhouette upward, creating one of the evening’s most unconventional looks.
Troye Sivan reinvented traditional black-and-white tailoring with an oversized white bow, draped black fabric, and dramatic white feathered panels around his thighs.
Charli XCX kept her look almost entirely black, pairing a sheer-paneled cropped top with a low-rise floor-length skirt, while Dave Grohl, Krist Novoselic, and Pat Smear brought rock-inspired styling to the event in leather jackets, dark tailoring, and boots.
From glamorous gowns to experimental fashion and dramatic celebrity transformations, the 2026 VMAs offered plenty for viewers to debate. Yet Rinna’s platinum-blonde makeover and striking white gown stood out as one of the evening’s most polarizing moments, inspiring everything from harsh criticism and celebrity comparisons to enthusiastic praise.