Bebe Rexha's Boldest Outfits: the Daring Red-Carpet and Social Media Looks That Turned Heads
Rexha's bold wardrobe choices carry sharper weight when viewed against her history with luxury fashion houses. Ahead of the 61st Annual Grammy Awards in 2019, where she earned nominations for Best New Artist and Best Country Duo/Group Performance, her management team reached out to several prominent designers to secure a gown.
Multiple luxury ateliers rejected the request, claiming she was "too big" to dress. Rexha was a US size 8 at the time.
She took the rejection public, releasing an unscripted video criticizing brands that refuse to dress women who aren't sample size zero or two. The backlash pushed the industry into an awkward corner. Designer Christian Siriano, long a pioneer in size-inclusive couture, publicly offered to dress her, though she ultimately chose a dramatic, tiered red tulle gown by Monsoori.
That watershed moment fundamentally altered how Rexha approached public dressing. From that point on, her styling choices abandoned the search for traditional high-fashion approval. She began collaborating exclusively with daring design houses, like The Blonds, LaQuan Smith, and independent stylists, who understand structural tailoring for non-sample silhouettes. When she wore the cutout leather gown at the 2023 VMAs, it was an extension of this hard-won independence.
