Lil Nas X and Iman are birds of a feather.
The “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” rapper took to the red carpet of VMA’s 2022 in a fanciful feathered outfit, shirtless in a showgirl-worthy Harris Reed headdress and matching crinoline layered atop sequin-studded legs.
His stunning ensemble was reminiscent of the gilded outfit that the same designer created for Iman’s Met Gala 2021, down to (or rather to) the larger-than-life hat.
When the supermodel rocked the eccentric style at the most fashionable party of the year, Reed called it “my biggest dream come true yet” on Instagram.
And Lil Nas X seemed just as excited to wear a version of the look at Sunday’s awards show.
“This is heavy and it’s Harris Reed,” the “Old Town Road” hitmaker said on the carpet. “It’s something fresh, something new, I feel great.”
Reed’s gender-fluid fashion has a slew of A-list fans — including Beyoncé, who accessorized one of the designer’s heavy headdresses on the cover of British Vogue earlier this year.
Reed is also behind the Victorian crinoline, bold shoulder blazer and suit-inspired pants that Harry Styles modeled for Vogue in 2020.
Lil Nas X (born Montero Lamar Hill) has plenty of experience turning heads at awards shows after channeling Kim Kardashian in a white Balmain suit with pearls on the red carpet of the 2022 Grammys, paying tribute to Prince in the purple at the 2021 VMAs and rocked a trio of gilded outfits at the 2021 Met Gala.
Follow the 2022 VMAs with our current coverage:
In June, Nas expressed his frustration after being overlooked by the BET Awards.
“Thank you wagering awards. another excellent zero nominations. black excellence!” the rapper wrote before quickly deleting the sentiment. He continued (in a now-deleted post): “I just feel like black homosexuals have to fight to be seen in this world and even when we get to the top, we try to pretend to be invisible.”
Despite the lack of BET kinks this year, the VMAs nominated the “Old Town Road” rapper in no fewer than seven categories, many alongside his friend and collaborator Jack Harlow. The ‘First Class’ singer and Lil Nas X share six nods for ‘Industry Baby’, including Video of the Year, Best Art Direction and Best Cinematography.
The crooner “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” is also up against Harlow for Artist of the Year, but it looks like nothing will come between their friendship. Harlow, 24, even supported his talented bestie by wearing a Lil Nas X T-shirt at the 2022 BET Awards to protest his stupidity.
It’s also the first time he’s seen Nicki Minaj perform live. Lil Nas X was famous for being such a big fan of the “Super Bass” star, he reportedly had a fan account dedicated to the rapper before he became famous himself.