Celebs Who Were Nearly Unrecognizable On The Red Carpet

Red-carpet fashion has come a long way since the tradition originated in ancient Greece. However, its original intention was to showcase important individuals down a runway, distinguishing the elite from the general public. The ceremony provides an opportunity for photographs and press, and for the celebrities' stylists to showcase their skills as well. What once was an attempt to make the celebrity look glamorous and stunning has metamorphosed over centuries into statement-making and out-of-the-box ideas, with the general consensus being "the crazier the better."

The best showcase of the world's most chic, yet most idiosyncratic ensembles every year is the Met Gala. Not only is the event for the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute's annual fashion exhibit, but there is a specially curated theme that the celebrities and their teams must closely follow each year. The prestige function even has a lengthy list of rules that all Met attendees must follow. Since the event originated in 1948, it's metamorphosed into a platform for some artists to display political and social injustices that they want to raise the public's attention to. Just as it's provided some of the most incredible looks in history, celebs should be wary of landing on the list of the worst outfits in Met Gala history. Since it has become fashion's biggest event, much of its energy has transposed onto red carpets of all kinds, with celebrities pushing the boundaries of aesthetics and style, the most extreme of which has resulted in celebs who grace the red carpet looking like a completely different person.

Viewers clamor to see what outrageous get-up Heidi Klum is going to step out in every year at her annual Halloween party. Notably, she and her husband Tom Kaulitz dressed up as male and female E.T.s in 2024, with the costumes having taken over a year to make and 30 FX artists to complete. The year prior, Klum emerged as a peacock, surrounded by 10 Cirque du Soleil dancers who were painted as feathers. The makeup process for Klum alone took six hours, and we don't even want to know how long the performers were in the glam chair.

Lady Gaga made a grand entrance at the Grammys in February 2011, but no one could tell it was her. She was carried chariot-style down the red carpet in an egg-shaped vessel wearing beige latex head-to-toe, which the world didn't get to see until she emerged for her "Born This Way" performance. "To be honest, at award shows, especially during this time, I didn't like to talk to people. I always felt that it threw me off with my performance ..." she said during an interview with British Vogue in November 2021, after joking that she was in the egg for three days.

The theme for the Met Gala in May 2016 was "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," which inspired Katy Perry and her team to create a sleek and bold look that strayed from Perry's expected aesthetic. The "Teenage Dream" singer decided on a navy velvet Prada gown with gold-and-green accents and latex fingerless gloves, but it was her glam that she transformed. She pulled her black hair into a '60s-style beehive and experimented with her brows to change her whole aesthetic by bleaching them, completing the look with a black lip.

The world was in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic by the time the Venice Film Festival rolled around in September 2020. So, what did Tilda Swinton do? Make her mask couture, of course! The "Doctor Strange" actor had various custom masks hand-crafted by James Merry. Though the masks didn't actually protect against illness, Swinton added a positive, chic twist to the global mandatory mask-wearing policy. Holding it over her face not only sent the message to cover up, but disguised Swinton in a savory way. "Every time I go out in public is a step for me because I'm a shy person," she said during the festival, per Variety.

The theme for the Met Gala in 2021 was "In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion," and Kim Kardashian delivered probably the most inconspicuous red-carpet look of all time. The television personality was covered quite literally head-to-toe in a black haute couture gown by Balenciaga that featured a train and a face covering. However, it was her ex-husband Kanye West's concept, and she wasn't too keen on keeping anonymity. Kardashian told Vogue in February 2022, "I fought against it. I was like, I don't know how I could wear the mask. Why would I want to cover my face?"

Clothing can easily mask someone's face, but it's going to take makeup and prosthetics to truly alter one's appearance. So, for the British Fashion Awards in December 2022, Rita Ora decided to make a splash. The "For You" singer wore a look from Nensi Dojaka's 2022 Spring Collection that was giving us total siren vibes. The garment consisted of a red seashell bra connected with heart-shaped clasps, and a matching mesh skirt to reveal her corresponding bikini bottoms. The ensemble was tied together by the addition of bleached brows, fin-like prosthetics around her eyes, and a diffused red lip.

Doja Cat might've taken her name a bit too seriously at the Met Gala in May 2023. The theme was "Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty," so the "Woman" singer decided she'd get in line to pay homage to the fashion designer's precious feline, Choupette. For her debut Met Gala, Doja Cat worked with Brett Alan Nelson to create her hand-beaded Oscar de la Renta gown. The ears were already part of the concept, but it was the "Tia Tamera" hitmaker's idea to add facial prosthetics. The result was the most ethereal kitten we've ever seen.

In keeping with the trend of morphing into an animal for a red carpet, Chappell Roan showed up to the Grammys afterparty in February 2024 as a stylish swine. The regal red garment and matching hat were designed by Efrain Nava, but the look made its way to the cover of her iconic pop hit, "Good Luck, Babe!" Now that's one way to promote a single. Not everyone was on board with the artistry, though, as one user wrote in her Instagram comments, "This is disturbing. Humiliation ritual for sure."