As expected, the who’s who of the Australian music industry let their creative juices flow ahead of the ARIA Awards this year – and ended up treating fans to one of the ‘worst’ red carpets in the event’s history.
It wasn’t just the women who missed the mark with their outfit choices at the Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday afternoon – the men also rocked up in an array of weird and wonderful creations.
While a little creative licence is expected, onlookers were treated to a whole new level with barely-there fabrics, highly-structured looks, clashing textures and seriously scant get-ups as the artists sashayed their way inside.
Barely-there disasters
Skin-flashing, sheer designs were among the most popular choices – and not in a good way.
While we do give a wider berth to those at the ARIAs, the red carpet dress code was sufficiently crossed this year.
Peach PRC, who markets her self simply as a ‘lesbian singer’, wore a crocheted pink off shoulder bralette and matching skirt. She added some sparkle with wild sequin embellishments and topped the ensemble with a metal butterfly belt.
Kita Alexander, whose debut album ‘Young in Love’ attracted new fans, chose an even racier look. Her lace skirt was completely see-through exposing her sequin high-waist underwear which was paired with a sequin bralette.
The singer paired the skirt and underwear combo with a collection of pearl necklaces which clashed with the sequins, and a white long-sleeved shirt.
Daniel Seavey may have hit all the right notes with his tune Gateway Drug, but the artist didn’t channel the same energy into his nipple-exposing red carpet look.
The singer paired the questionable choice with suit pants and shoes which only added confusion to the whole ensemble.
DJ sisters Briony and Savannah Osei both failed to mix the right beat with their long see-through gowns. The stunning sisters looked uncomfortable in their choices as they posed on the red carpet.
Triple J host Concetta Caristo also landed on the worst dressed list with her outfit choice. The pretty brunette’s outfit looked like it was melting in slow motion as it got more and more see through as the skirt dropped to the floor.
Fanny Lumsden, who recently opened for Paul Kelly, decided on a super sheer floor-length gown for the red carpet. The style may be ‘in’ but it is rarely ‘it’.
Overly-structured designs
The first entrant in this category was Barkaa. The gorgeous artist risked an unplanned red carpet reveal in her uber-mini dress. The highly structured collar also led to an unbalanced cut.
And while Barkaa was undeniably confident and looked delighted with her choice it didn’t really meet red carpet standard.
The popular singer posted a photo showing off her ARIA Awards look and captioned it ‘Classy and a c**t’.
Model Jess King graced the red carpet for Specsavers – but the typically glamorous star’s custom Chantelle Lucyl gown had far too much going on.
Meanwhile, self-described ‘Wild Thing’ Bella Mackenzie channelled her inner country music star.
The young beauty wore tight blue shorts, a matching crop top and an awkward sleeve and collar combo – earning her place on a seemingly endless list.
Cut-out calamities
Cut-out dresses were big on the red carpet once again. But unlike previous years it appeared they were more challenging to nail.
Tkay Maidza’s look featured a safety pin brooch at the front, seemingly as a bit of a laugh. Only a pin could hold together such a ‘racy’ cut.
Meanwhile, musician Yorke oozed confidence in her dress – but the cut baffled onlookers.
The skin-flashing hole was awkwardly placed at chest height and an unusual shape. The other was filled in with lace creating a messy barrier between the top of the dress and the skirt.
Becca Hatch also raised eyebrows for all the wrong reasons.
The Samoan artist, whose EP Mayday is out now, wore a dress which oozed grass skirt vibes. The green and teal dress featured a structured top with a gaping hole that exposed her taut stomach.
Special mentions
Not everyone was guilty of the ‘no-go’ trends – but that doesn’t mean they miss out on a mention.
Home and Hosed artist Ash McGregor may be an incredible musician but her style choice is worth noting.
The unique look gave 90s Supre vibes – especially when paired with the chunky necklace.
Elsewhere, the guys from C.O.F.F.I.N may have gone relatively unnoticed on the red carpet had they not opted for a group photo.
Their outfits, whilst all undoubtedly quirky, wouldn’t have earned them individual entries onto the worst-dressed list. However as one their inclusion was inevitable.
Jenaya and Anisha also took a risk with their get-ups. The duo wore hip op-shop hats and paired them with highly-ruffled shirts.
They also worked in cartoon dog portraits into their finished looks. A look more suited to music festival than an awards night.
Christian Wilkins, who hasn’t been seen on the red carpet in Australia for some time, made a grand reappearance as well.
The socialite chose a halter dress with an awkward red flower decal on the throat.
The awkward shape of the dress was intensified by his very dramatic choice of eye liner.
