A Closer Look at Doja Cat’s Campy ’80s Style at the VMAs
Last night, the 2025 MTV VMAs gathered some of the music world’s top musicians on the main stage. Acts like Mariah Carey, Sabrina Carpenter, and J Balvin all performed for the star-studded crowd. Opening the show, however? That would be none other than Doja Cat, who sang her new song “Jealous Type”—just a few weeks ahead of releasing her forthcoming album, Vie, on September 26. “The album is about love,” the star told Vogue. “All types of love—love of oneself, love between two people, the love of life itself. The music embodies love.”
There was certainly a lot to love about Doja’s splashy VMAs night yesterday—from her bold red carpet outfit before the ceremony, to her captivating live performance. On the step and repeat, the star kicked things off with a statement look by Balmain that channeled theatrical 1980s glamour. She perfected the iconic style decade right down to the details, from the diamond-printed mini dress and mega-platform heels, to the voluminously-coiffed hair—styled by hair guru JStayReady—and bright red lip, applied by artist makeup Ivan Núñez. (Doja was just announced as a new Mac ambassador.)
For Brett Alan Nelson, Doja’s go-to stylist and creative director, he admits that this exciting new fashion era offers a lot to experiment and play with. “This era is electric for me, because the universe we get to play in is so expansive,” says Nelson. “I’ve been pulling from the elegance and high glamour of the ’80s, the theatricality of the New Romantics, and the raw edge of punk. It’s a space where fantasy collides with rebellion—and that duality feels so right for Doja.”
That unique mixture of references was on full display during her performance, too. As though she stepped directly out of a 1980s music video, Doja took to the neon-lit stage with her dancers in full-OTT garb. “The performance was born from a vivid dream I had—a surreal, trippy vision of a glamorous ’80s mansion with a Tim Burton–meets–neo-horror energy,” says Nelson. Then came the surprise Kenny G cameo. “At first it was almost a joke, but then I realized, no, we have to do it,” says Nelson. “He’s a legend, and his presence added such an unexpected, iconic layer to the performance.”
