Conan Gray served ethereal main-character energy for his first in-person appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 28. The “Yours” singer arrived to the award show wearing a romantic black-and-white ensemble paired with perhaps his most daring platform shoes yet. Plucked from Harris Reed’s spring 2022 collection, Gray’s outfit consisted of a white blazer-style top with a sheer, lace-trimmed train that his team held up as he floated down the black carpet. The set also included black high-waisted pants with an extreme flare.
Peeking out from underneath Gray’s wide-leg trousers were the real stars of the show: a pair of silver lurex boots featuring staggering eight-inch heels and 5.5-inch platforms that would make anyone’s ankles quiver from just looking at them. Thanks to the 11 buckles strapping all the way up his lower leg, Gray made walking in them look like a breeze. The embellished shoes first popped up on Marc Jacobs’s runway back in spring 2017, and Gray snagged them from Lidow Archive — a vintage-clothing rental shop based in Los Angeles.
With input from stylist Katie Qian, Gray accessorized with a black Dries Van Noten neckpiece, a teardrop-shaped Swarovski pendant necklace, Anabela Chan black diamond earrings, and black vintage lace gloves. Later on during the VMAs, he changed into an equally whimsical Valentino Haute Couture getup — an orange ruffled cape and velvet trousers — to perform his songs “Disaster” and “Memories.”
Read ahead to admire Gray’s VMAs outfits, and take a closer look at his wild boots before catching up on what other stars wore to the award show.