By Alex Smith, TODAY
Several gents on the Grammy red carpet decided to part with convention Sunday night, putting new spins on old classics, bringing back a trend or two and making a few bold new style choices.
Stars cover up: Beyonce wears a pantsuit on Grammy red carpet
Formerly the calling card of pugnacious punk rockers, the mohawk made a high-profile return, sprouting like stylish black wheatgrass from the scalps of both dancehall toaster Sean Paul and Jack Antonoff from indie trio fun.
Slideshow: 2013 Grammys red carpet
Adding some flash to classic attire, rapper/producer Pharrell Williams rocked an eye-catching aqua-marine bow tie. Singer Trey Songz upped the ante in modernizing the bow tie with a bold piercing.
John Mayer pushed the envelope in his own, unique way by donning an eye-popping royal blue velvet jacket. Hotly touted as the evening’s best-dressed gentleman, Justin Timberlake brought sexy back a second time in a sharp, sleek tux as if channeling his inner 007.
Embattled R&B star Chris Brown showed up entirely in blinding white, while, conversely, Jack White donned an all-black ensemble (save a striking style blue handkerchief). Also rocking the all-black came Dave Grohl, Maroon 5’s Adam Levine and, less surprisingly, dubstep enfant terrible Skrillex, dressed like a goth mod in black Fred Perry. Youthful Cajun country star Hunter Hayes augmented his sophisticated black ensemble with a bit of rock & roll style via a fetching pair of black high tops.
Skrillex’s techno-peer Dangermau5 also eschewed formal-wear (and his signature helmet) by showing up in a T-shirt, black leather jacket and baseball cap emblazoned with the legend, “Your S*&T BUMS ME OUT.” Classier headgear, meanwhile, could be seen on the heads of folk-rockers The Lumineers and British indie ensemble Mumford & Sons, in the form of sleek, trilby fedoras.
Adding a touch of his signature mystique to the proceedings, musical icon Prince sauntered onto the Grammy stage brandishing a cane. More of a flashy flourish than an implement of physical support, Prince’s gleaming cane leant the formerly purple one an extra air of regal badness … as if any were necessary.
But while many of the fellas looked quite fashionable on the Grammy carpet this evening, by far the most eye-catching ensemble of the evening was sported by one DJ Al Walser. The man behind the single “I Can’t Live Without You,” (nominated for Best Dance Recording), Walser came dressed in a spacesuit. Maybe he got the Grammys confused with the MTV Music Awards (who give out Moonmen for awards).
Alex Smith is an editor/producer for TODAY.com who fully supports space-gear as formal-wear.
MORE:
Who was the man in feathers behind the Black Keys?