The Most Outrageous Outfits Doja Cat Has Ever Worn
When it comes to musicians who encapsulate the Zoomer zeitgeist, few can compare to Doja Cat. The rapper first went viral thanks to TikTok and has been a ubiquitous presence on the platform ever since, making her a uniquely Gen-Z star. Not shy of making a statement both with her music and her wardrobe, Doja Cat makes Lady Gaga's most outrageous outfits look like Adam Sandler-core. From Barbie-inspired fashion to taking her feline stage name a tad too literally (but more on that later), the star sure knows how to turn heads on the red carpet.
But these outrageous drips are nothing new for Doja Cat, nor mere performative aesthetic. The rapper has always been a fashionista and her particular penchant for quirky outfits manifested at a young age. "I would get in trouble for s*** that I would wear at school," she told Billboard in 2020. "I was once sent home for putting glitter on my face — it was so crazy. I didn't give a s*** about school; all I cared about was wearing a cool outfit every day, dancing and music."
Now, don your best hot pink fit and get ready to marvel at the queen of viral fashion. Here's the lowdown on the most outrageous outfits Doja Cat has ever worn.
Doja Cat's purrfectly pink ensemble turned heads
In 2019, Doja Cat was riding high on the critical and commercial success of her debut album, "Amala," released the previous year. Somewhat inevitably, she had also been subjected to memeification due to her viral track "Mooo!" which famously saw the star dropping beats while decked out in cow print. While she may have been partly responsible for the rise in popularity of bovine prints in that carefree pre-pandemic age, Doja Cat was keeping true to her nom de plume when attending events in 2019.
At that year's BET Awards, she arrived in a pink kitty ensemble, looking equal parts anthropomorphic anime princess and Juicy Couture spokeswoman circa 2001. The outfit featured a knitted bodice, cat ears, and giant feather-adorned whiskers, topped off with a novelty cat purse. "We just talked on the phone for an hour about ideas as I was standing outside the gym," her loyal stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, told Billboard. "She told me she really liked pink and cats, so [the awards show] was a fun one and it's been nonstop since then."
Though she found herself on Hollywood Life's worst-dressed list for the wacky ensemble, we can't help but feel that it purrfectly encapsulated her oeuvre. As Doja Cat told BigBoyTV on the BET red carpet, "The world isn't always going to love you back, even if you love you. But you should still always strive and still always try to be a good person."
Her aquatic VMAs debut
She's been a cat, a cow, and ... an alien fish. Doja Cat's first-ever VMAs performance had to be conducted virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the star didn't let Zoom get in the way of her exhibiting her flair for OTT fashion. Appearing on the virtual stage at the 2020 ceremony, Doja Cat wore an eye-popping aquatic outfit custom-designed by Asher Levine, which saw her decked out in luminous scales. Though the barely-there fit may have given the illusion that she was nude beneath the scales, she was in fact wearing a flesh-colored bodysuit, ultimately making this a PG-13 costume despite its ostensibly overt sensuality.
But for all its sexily subaqueous undercurrents, the outfit was also beautiful in its own mesmeric way, with Doja looking every bit an ethereal mermaid alien. And this was exactly what she was going for. "Doja and I both wanted to do something sexy, original, and iconic," her stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, told Vogue. "The VMAs is a show where you can push all the limits and keep people in Standards and Practice on the edge of their seats. She told me she wanted to be a rainbow alien, and I ran with the idea." It took a great amount of time and effort for Nelson and Levine to perfect the intergalactic regalia, which was made using iridescent molded vinyl and Lorraine Schwartz diamonds, and lit up with the help of hidden wires and battery packs.
Doja Cat channeled Oscar the Grouch at the Grammys
If there's one person we can count on to pull off "Sesame Street" chic, it's Doja Cat. The rapper attended the 2021 Grammys wearing an eye-popping Roberto Cavalli gown, consisting of a motorcycle jacket bodice and a furry green train. Her lower half may have conjured images of Oscar the Grouch suffering an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction, but that's just how Doja Cat wanted it. Chatting with E! News, she lamented that her previous outfits had been a tad too subtle for her liking, so she was eager to go all out for her Grammys debut. "I saw this, there's this little detail on the jacket that's a cat claw," she said. "I feel like that is fully encompassing that is creating — this is what I want to be. The cat lady, let me be that."
To emphasize the biker chick aesthetic, Doja Cat topped off her outfit with a Joan Jett-esque shag cut and smoky-eyed makeup, which was a far cry from her previous Barbie doll-inspired image. "When we saw the gorgeous custom Cavalli gown, we collectively all agreed that the glam would have an edge to it," makeup artist Ernesto Casillas told People. "We wanted an element of rock and roll, and since it's the Grammys, it's not a time to play it safe." This look was a testament to Doja Cat's ever-metamorphosing, chameleonic poise.
Her futuristic technicolor dream coat at the VMAs
Oh, how we love Doja Cat's coat of many colors. Following her virtual VMAs debut in 2020, the rapper went all out when she appeared at the awards ceremony IRL for the first time the following year. And this time, she was hosting, meaning that she had even greater leeway with her quintessentially kooky coordinating.
The star wore a technicolor dreamcoat by Thom Brown, complete with a cumbersome patchwork hood that couldn't have been particularly comfy on Doja's petite shoulders. Stylist Brett Alan Nelson told Entertainment Tonight that his client was initially hesitant about rocking the ensemble, but eventually warmed to it. "I look like a worm," Doja Cat said at the ceremony (via W Magazine). "That's dope. I never thought I'd be dressed as a worm while [accepting] an award." Joseph, eat your heart out.
The get-up resulted in the songstress becoming memed once again, with fans comparing her to everyone from a rainbow tardigrade to Heimlich from "A Bug's Life." But for us, this one conjures toe-curling images of Heidi Klum's infamous worm costume, albeit far more pleasing to the eye in its kaleidoscopic kitsch. Playing "Smash or Pass" with Variety in 2023, she declared that, despite the hefty backlash, she had no regrets when it came to her quilted drip. "Big Thom Browne smash," she said. "My friends like to make fun of me for that dress, but they don't mean it. It's more like a piece of art."
That chair hat
Katy Perry had her chandelier hat, but Doja Cat took novelty millinery one step further when she showcased her second outfit for the aforementioned VMAs ceremony. Prior to her appearance, she sat down with Variety and hinted that she would be debuting some extra looks to compliment her experimental performance. "For this, I wanted to do contemporary/modern dance," she explained. "It's very expressive and beautiful, and visually it's compelling and just registers really nicely on stage. And I wanted to go for a very ethereal and soft but intense kind of presentation."
And Doja did not disappoint, donning Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood horse-print skirt, accompanied by a corset, cowgirl-style harness, and ruby red chair hat. With this and the weighty worm hood she also wore that night, our thoughts are with the rapper's thoracic spine. As outlandish as the look was, the unconventional details stayed true to the Westwood aesthetic. The late designer's signature silhouettes were inspired by rococo fashion with a punk rock twist, which Doja Cat's outfit played right into. Viv would be proud.
Social media went wild over the look, with X users finding themselves utterly dumbfounded by Doja Cat's sartorial decisions. "'Everybody sit down,' @DojaCat says, while a chair is on her head," wrote one user. It should be noted that Doja Cat later made use of her novelty accessory and sat on her chair hat. Like a boss.
Timothée Chalamet has nothing on Doja Cat's Willy Wonka fit
Timothée Chalamet may have slayed as Willy Wonka, but he owes everything to his predecessor. Gene Wilder? No, Doja Cat, of course. Another fabulously funky outfit she debuted at the 2021 VMAs, the rapper wore what can best be described as Willy Wonka cosplaying Colonel Sanders following a factory mishap with a chicken, complete with claw shoes by AVAVAV. The fit was topped off with pastel chicken feet earrings, which were equal parts kitschy and terrifying.
In his aforementioned chat with Entertainment Tonight, Doja Cat's stylist, Brett Alan Nelson, revealed that he wanted the rapper's VMAs looks to be more than a mere showcase for her beauty. Subsequently, he opted out of playing it safe, swapping prêt-à-porter for prêt-à-poultry. "We were walking up the stage and we walked by Megan Fox, [who] obviously looked knock-out in Mugler," he recalled. "She looked so sexy and beautiful, but then you have Doja like wobbling next to her in these chicken feet going to stage. It was a nice little juxtaposition of the VMAs."
When addressing the what-the-cluck fashion moment, Doja Cat was the first to admit that it was a little left-field, even by her standards. "[It's giving] Willy Wonka and the chicken factory," she told Variety in her "Smash or Pass" interview. "It's an inventive look — like I was channeling Pharrell in a funny way. The shoes were not too hard to walk in."
The power suit to end all power suits
A power suit serves as a means of conveying one's lofty status in society. And with the suit she showcased at the Daily Front Row: Fashion Media Awards in 2022, Doja Cat proved that she reigns supreme. She wore a Viktor & Rolf pinstripe suit with monumental shoulder pads that would put the most extra '80s queens to shame (we're thinking Joan Collins in "Dynasty"). The outfit was accompanied by heart eyebrows — rather fitting considering that the shoulder pads formed a heart shape around Doja — and gargantuan red platforms. The finishing touch? The "anarchy" symbol spray-painted into her flaxen pixie cut.
It was a fittingly idiosyncratic outfit, given that Doja Cat was being honored that night with the Breakthrough Fashion Icon award. Taking to the stage, she paid tribute to her mom, who encouraged and nurtured her eclectic eye for fashion. "I remember she told me when I was little I never let her dress me," she said, per the Edition. "I'm an indecisive person. I struggled with fashion my whole life. That was part of me from the beginning. I really believe in being who you want to be and not what the world needs you to be."
Her spacy and racy outfit at the Billboard Music Awards
We can count on Doja Cat to have the most novel spin on the LBD. The star returned to her penchant for intergalactic accents when attending the 2022 Billboard Music Awards. At first glance, she appeared to be sporting a timeless Schiaparelli gown, but upon closer inspection this was an LBD like no other, featuring pointy straps and an open bust with strategically placed gold nipple pasties. Exemplifying Doja Cat's love of novelty accessories, the outfit was rounded off with a Saturn-shaped purse, gold-painted toes, and earrings in the shape of ... ears. Tellingly, this innovative get-up is one of Doja Cat's favorite red carpet looks of all time.
Discussing the ensemble with E! News, the rapper declared that she had no problem with freeing the nipple. "You can have them out and it's not a crime," she said, explaining that her outfit was a homage to the anatomy of space. Since a bathroom break led to her almost missing the announcement that she'd won Best Pop Duo or Group Performance at the Grammys that year, Doja Cat joked that she didn't intend on using the restroom for the duration of the Billboard Music Awards. "I'm very, very excited to not use the bathroom today," she quipped. Considering how figure-hugging her dress was, we can't say we blame her.
Doja Cat paired a barely-there dress with blue and white makeup
We rarely see Doja Cat without makeup and elaborate face paint has steadily become the star's signature look as of late. The rapper is highly adept at merging her penchant for OTT makeup with her showstopping outfits. Accordingly, she exhibited one of her first painted-face looks at her Paris Fashion Week debut in 2022.
Since it was her first time at the glitzy event, she was keen on showcasing the full extent of her unique sartorial eye. "For the first time, we wanted to do it right — and this year felt like the right year," she told W Magazine. "My fashion week experience was special because I was able to get the message across to people that I am an explorer of art and fashion. I don't think I thoroughly have been able to get that message across."
During her appearance at the Monot Womenswear show, she turned heads in a revealing black bandage dress, blue and white face paint, and a bold red lip that accentuated the super pale makeup. The finishing touch was what initially appeared to be a pair of black opera gloves, though it turned out they were painted on, too. "She did a beautiful look that went from a black to a blue to a white," Doja said of her makeup artist. "It felt so perfect for the show because of how simple and beautiful it was."
She was a vision in gold paint at Paris Fashion Week
Fashion and cosmetics often go hand-in-hand; a truly dazzling ensemble often isn't complete without an equally showy makeup look. For her next mind-blowing fit at Paris Fashion Week 2022, Doja Cat managed to look extra even by her impossibly flamboyant standards.
Attending the A.W.A.K.E. MODE show, she wore a houndstooth suit and leather '70s-style coat. Oh, and did we mention that she was painted gold? "She was painted as if she had been alchemized into gold," her makeup artist, Laurel Charleston, told Vogue. "This was one of my favorite looks because, though simple, I think it was so, so effective." It was giving C-3PO's glow-up.
She faced some backlash for the gold paint, with the rapper hitting back at a fan who deemed the look unsightly. But as extra as it was, there was a vital message of female empowerment behind all the resplendence. "It only felt right to do a gold bust for the finale as our trophy look," she told W Magazine. "I really wanted this to feel surreal and natural ... It wasn't about being sexy or beautiful. It was about the message and feeling empowered and living as your highest self." She did, however, note that when she attempted to head to lunch in the face paint, it was near impossible to munch her food — no biggie seeing as she ate and left no crumbs.
The singer took paint the town red a tad too literally in Schiaparelli
If fans thought her gilded gear was flashy, Doja Cat was about to unveil the drip to end all drips. At Paris Fashion Week 2023, she quite literally painted the town red in a Schiaparelli number that saw her body adorned with 30,000 Swarovski crystals. With this get-up, Doja Cat's skin became one with her majestic gown, which featured swathes of red jewels. Encapsulating the luxury and splendor of Schiaparelli, she simultaneously looked as though she'd stepped out of a haute couture fitting and a horror movie set. As such, the look was as beautiful as it was blood-curdling (again, we mean that literally).
For this ornate display, the musician sought the help of acclaimed makeup artist Pat McGrath. "Her patience and dedication as she sat with Team Pat McGrath and I for four hours and 58 minutes to achieve the creation, covered in over 30,000 hand-applied Swarovski crystals, was truly inspiring," McGrath quipped to Vogue.
As impressive as the epidermal embellishments were, Doja Cat was in agony the entire time due to gastroenteritis. "I was trying to joke around and make light of the situation," she told L'Officiel, "but as time progressed, it only got worse ... I never felt pain worse than that — and on one of the most important days of my life!" When it comes to OTT regalia, Doja Cat is an artist, and alas she has to suffer for her art.
Doja Cat was giving Poirot at Viktor & Rolf
When it comes to her red carpet looks, there's clearly no denying that Doja Cat is unafraid of experimentation. So, amid all the glam, face paint, and getting Swarovski crystals glued to her body (as you do), she's also up for letting out her inner Agatha Christie detective. At the Viktor & Rolf Paris Fashion Week show in 2023, she wore an oversized tan pinstripe suit, complete with fake lashes fashioned into a mustache, goatee, and cartoonishly bushy brows. As dapper as Doja Cat looked as she channeled her inner Poirot, the outfit appeared more like a costume than appropriate front-row haute couture.
But it was an act of protest for Doja Cat, who had previously been criticized for her stylistic choices. "A few days ago, I did Schiaparelli, and people were saying that I didn't have lashes, and that they were disappointed that I didn't have on lashes yet," she told Nylon (via X). "I worked with one of the greatest makeup artists of all time, Pat McGrath, and so today I gave them lashes. So I hope they're happy." Truly, she threw shade at the haters.
Her quirky homage to Karl Lagerfeld's cat at the Met Gala
Forget Jared Leto turning up to the 2023 Met Gala as a giant furry feline; it was Doja Cat who stole the show by morphing into a cat with clever makeup and clothing. That year's Met Gala was all about Karl Lagerfeld, the late Chanel creative director who was as famed for his cutting barbs as he was for his love of his fluffy white furbaby, Choupette.
Doja Cat paid tribute to Choupette with cattitude, donning a white beaded Oscar de la Renta gown with a kitten-ears hood (a cute little nod, perhaps, to Doja's famous pink kitty look from 2019) and magnificent fluffy train. The addition of feline makeup, aided by prosthetics, saw the rapper fully transform into an opulent catwoman. "I said, 'I want to be a humanoid cat,'" she told Harper's Bazaar. Considering her stage name and avowed ailurophilic ways, we wouldn't expect anything less from the star. As Brett Alan Nelson put it in a chat with Vogue, "It makes no sense for anyone to go as Karl's cat more than Doja Cat." Exemplifying her dedication to the theme, Doja Cat only answered in "meows" when interviewed on the Met red carpet.
Impressively, this was the star's first-ever Met Gala. "It's the most major art moment of the year ... we need this to be bigger than what we've done in the past," Nelson continued. Was it a serve? Pawsitively!
Doja Cat's revealing ensemble stole the show at the 2024 Grammys
The 2024 Grammys were full of surprises and controversies, not least the awkward moment Taylor Swift seemingly ignored Celine Dion onstage. But one thing that came as a shock to no one was Doja Cat showing off yet another eye-popping outfit. Looking like a punk rock renaissance princess, she wore a nude Dilara Findikoglu corset dress that left little to the imagination, with Doja's areolas on display. The classic silhouette was juxtaposed against gothic tattoos that covered the entirety of her body — including her forehead, on which she had Findikoglu's name inked (lest anyone ask her who she's wearing).
Ever the innovator, it was undeniably a new look for Doja Cat, one far darker than fans were accustomed to. The previous year, she told Harper's Bazaar that she was keen to take her idiosyncratic style even further, and was embracing total sartorial chaos. "I've just been going into my closet," she explained, "and picking out the most random, weird, not-fitting thing to mix with another thing that does not really fit ... It's a little punk. It's experimental for sure. It's very manic. But I am going in a darker direction when it comes to visuals and fashion." She added that the change was spurred by the onset of pent-up anger, which she wanted to convey through fashion. And as artistic expressions go, this one was certainly on point, freeing the nipple and all.