In previous years, the VMAs red carpet has brought us everything from purple pasties to a dress made out of meat. This year hasn’t revealed anything quite so outré yet, although there was one maternity look that consisted of no shirt and a diamond harness. Beyoncé arrived wearing plenty of feathers — a look she coordinated with Blue Ivy’s metallic-and-tulle dress — while Nicki Minaj stunned in a sexy royal-blue cutout dress.
This year, MTV is holding its Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden. The show will feature plenty of performances from female powerhouses, including Rihanna, who is receiving the night’s VMA Vanguard Award; Beyoncé, who leads with a record 11 nominations; and Nicki Minaj, who is performing alongside Ariana Grande. So the red carpet is really just the beginning. Click through the slideshow below to see what everyone wore — at least before the costume changes begin.