Lisa Rinna, 63, Catches Eyes at the 2026 MTV VMAs in a Look Honoring Madonna That Left Online Viewers Divided

She arrived with a very specific fashion mission — one rooted in decades of pop-culture history. But once the cameras captured every detail, viewers quickly found something else to talk about.

Lisa Rinna has never exactly approached a red carpet with the intention of blending into the background. At the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs), however, one especially dramatic transformation had viewers doing a double take, and the closer people looked, the more opinions they seemed to have.

The 63-year-old actress attended the awards ceremony at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27, 2026. But Rinna was far from the only star who used the night to make a fashion statement. Before getting to the look that would become one of the evening’s biggest conversation starters, several other arrivals helped set the tone.

The 2026 MTV Video Music Awards took place at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on September 27, 2026. Madonna’s return to the ceremony would become especially significant to Lisa Rinna. | Source: Getty Images

Teyana Taylor

Teyana Taylor brought texture to the carpet in a floor-length black lace gown covered with feathers. Sheer lace formed the fitted silhouette, with a plunging neckline and a wide velvet waistband adding structure. Black feathers burst from the sleeves, gathered at one hip, and framed the hem, creating movement against the delicate fabric.

Taylor wore her hair in a sculptural updo that kept the neckline and oversized sleeves in full view. With few distractions elsewhere, the intricate lace and featherwork remained the focus.

Taylor’s black lace gown paired a sheer, fitted base with oversized feather detailing at the sleeves, hip, and hem. Her sculptural updo left the plunging neckline and dramatic textures unobstructed. | Source: Getty Images

Charli XCX

Charli XCX used sheer fabric and exposed skin to break up an otherwise uninterrupted black silhouette. Her long-sleeved cropped top featured a translucent panel across the chest and stopped well above a low-rise, floor-length skirt. Voluminous fabric gathered around her forearms, with long narrow strips hanging from either side.

The skirt stayed close to the body through the hips and legs before reaching the floor. With no contrasting color competing for attention, the exposed midriff became the visual divide between the cropped top and long skirt. Charli kept the rest equally streamlined, wearing her long black hair straight and center-parted as she posed with her hands resting at her hips.

Charli XCX paired a sheer-paneled black crop top with a low-rise, floor-length skirt that left her midriff exposed. Long strips of fabric hanging from the sleeves added movement to the streamlined black silhouette. | Source: Getty Images

Madonna

Madonna continued the night’s darker fashion thread with an all-black look that mixed lingerie-inspired details with leather. She wore a structured black corset-style bodysuit with lace-up detailing through the front, pairing it with fishnet tights and black heels. A black leather jacket rested off her shoulders, adding another texture to the fitted ensemble.

Her long blonde hair fell in loose waves around her face, while a sparkling necklace brought a polished contrast to the leather, lace, and fishnet elements. Madonna was also photographed with Taylor Swift during the ceremony, with the two posing closely together in the audience. The candid moment offered a closer look at Madonna’s styling away from the stage.

Later, Madonna joined Sabrina Carpenter onstage. In the image shared on Instagram, Carpenter held a Moon Person trophy as the two stood together at the microphone. The accompanying post stated that Madonna and Carpenter won Best Collaboration for “Bring Your Love” at the 2026 VMAs.

Madonna posed alongside Taylor Swift during the 2026 MTV VMAs, with her leather-and-corset styling contrasting with Swift’s streamlined black look. The moment brought two different approaches to the night’s darker palette into one frame. | Source: Getty Images

With Madonna herself commanding the spotlight both onstage and throughout the night, it makes sense that her influence extended all the way to the red carpet. Among the stars paying tribute, one transformation was especially hard to miss.

Madonna Was at the Center of Rinna’s VMAs Night

Prior to the event, Madonna was preparing for a particularly significant return to the VMAs, opening the 2026 ceremony with her first live performance at the awards show in 23 years, according to People.

Her previous live VMA performance came in 2003, when she opened the show alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott. Their medley included “Hollywood,” “Like a Virgin,” and “Passenger,” with Madonna’s onstage kisses with Spears and Aguilera becoming one of the night’s most enduring moments.

Madonna returned to the VMA stage in 2003 alongside Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Missy Elliott for a headline-making opening performance. The medley included “Hollywood,” “Like a Virgin,” and “Passenger,” while Madonna’s kisses with Spears and Aguilera became one of the show’s most remembered moments. | Source: Getty Images

The 2003 opening marked Madonna’s last live VMA performance before her return in 2026, creating a 23-year gap between appearances. That history helped make her comeback particularly meaningful for longtime admirers such as Rinna. | Source: Getty Images

The pop icon also entered the 2026 ceremony with 11 nominations — the most of any artist that year. They included Artist of the Year, Video of the Year for “Confessions II – The Film,” and Song of the Year for “Bring Your Love,” her collaboration with Carpenter.

It was the third time Madonna had led the VMAs in nominations. She previously earned nine nominations for “Vogue” in 1990 and another nine for “Ray of Light” and “Frozen” in 1998.

Of course, Madonna’s relationship with the VMAs stretches back much further. At the inaugural ceremony in 1984, she emerged from a giant wedding cake in a wedding dress and her now-famous “Boy Toy” belt while performing “Like a Virgin,” losing a shoe and writhing across the stage during what became one of the show’s defining performances.

“Vogue” earned Madonna nine VMA nominations in 1990 and remains an especially important part of her MTV history. Rinna later named the song’s 1990 music video as her favorite Madonna moment. | Source: Getty Images

Madonna again collected nine VMA nominations in 1998, this time for “Ray of Light” and “Frozen.” Nearly three decades later, she would lead the 2026 field with 11 nominations, reinforcing just how enduring her relationship with the awards has been. | Source: Getty Images

Two years later, Madonna became the first solo female artist to receive the Video Vanguard Award. The 2026 ceremony was hosted by Snoop Dogg and aired live from Los Angeles on CBS, with a simulcast on MTV and streaming availability on Paramount+ in the United States. The show was also set to become available globally through Paramount+ and MTV the following day.

For Rinna, Madonna’s presence wasn’t simply another big moment in an already star-packed show. It was apparently the entire reason she showed up. Speaking on the red carpet, Rinna made her priorities unmistakably clear. “I’m here for one reason and one reason only: Madonna,” she told People. “I love to create, I love to do this fashion thing. And this is what came out of Madonna VMAs Sunday. Here we are.”

Rinna also singled out Madonna’s 1990 “Vogue” music video as her favorite moment from the singer’s career. That inspiration became much easier to understand once Rinna’s full red carpet look came into view.

Rinna flashes a playful pose for photographers as she sticks her tongue out and widens her eyes. Her Madonna-inspired look, from her hair to her dress, caused quite the commotion online, with many viewers finding issues with the dress’ construction, specifically. | Source: Getty Images

Rinna’s Madonna Tribute Was in the Details

Rinna stepped out wearing a sculptural white Seks gown featuring a corseted bodice, a breastplate with fake nipples, and a draped skirt. But the dress was only part of the transformation.

Her familiar hairstyle had been replaced with short, spiky blonde hair, which she confirmed was an homage to Madonna. The styling recalled the pop star’s signature blonde looks from the 1980s and gave Rinna a dramatically different appearance from the one longtime viewers are accustomed to seeing. And once the pictures began circulating, people had thoughts…lots of them…

Rinna has never been a stranger to avant-garde and striking fashion choices. Still, many online viewers found issue with what she wore at the 2026 VMAs, as they were not too fond of her styling choices. | Source: Getty Images

Online Viewers Zeroed in on the Dress

Some viewers focused less on the Madonna reference and more on the gown’s construction, particularly its bodice and fabric. Under one Instagram post, one person wrote, “no no no and it’s wrinkled….” Another asked, “So many questions… but why is her dress so wrinkled?”

A third commenter was careful to make clear that their criticism was directed at the clothing rather than Rinna herself, writing, “There’s something wrong with the way the top bit is moulded and how it moves – not her – the dress.” The reaction continued beneath another Instagram post. “What’s up with that dress 🧐😳🤣,” one viewer wondered. Another added simply, “The top of that is not needed.”

Over on X, one commenter declared, “Her dress is not classy; it’s inappropriate.” Another response called the appearance “very disrespectful.” Whatever viewers thought of the styling, Rinna had clearly committed to the concept from head to toe. The platinum, spiked hair, sculptural bodice, draped white fabric, and deliberately provocative detailing made the look difficult to ignore.

And that willingness to experiment with her appearance appears to fit with what Rinna has recently said about getting older.

Apart from her bold approach to fashion and appearance, Rinna has also been outspoken and unapologetic about how she feels about getting older, expressing to InStyle, “It just feels like you can almost do anything at this point.” | Source: Getty Images

Rinna Recently Celebrated Turning 63

Rinna turned 63 shortly before her VMA appearance, and she has been open about how she views this period of her life. As InStyle reported, she marked her birthday with a bikini selfie and wrote, “I believe our health is our wealth and I think women look and feel the best strong!”

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She also looked back on the year in an Instagram carousel. “I mean…. LOOK AT THIS YEAR!!!! Thank you for every single amazing, beautiful birthday wish! Here’s to more of everything,” she wrote. Rinna has also spoken about what reaching her 60s has meant to her personally.

“Number one, you got there. You’ve survived long enough in life…and you’re like, Oh, I did it. I made it. And it just feels like you can almost do anything at this point,” she told InStyle. She went on to argue that perceptions surrounding women and aging remain too restrictive.

“I think our culture is really stuck in what menopause is about. And that then stops anybody from thinking that a woman in her 60s or 70s is still viable and still sexual and still beautiful. And there’s not enough women’s health research so that we’re informed and we know how to help ourselves.”

Her latest VMA appearance certainly suggested she has no interest in becoming more visually cautious with age. And the red carpet photos make it much clearer why the look became such an immediate talking point.

The top half of Rinna’s striking white gown caused the most dissension online, as most thought it was wrinkled and did not look the most appealing. | Source: Getty Images

Rinna’s dress was also dubbed “inappropriate” by some netizens, because of the daring bust details. Nevertheless, Rinna has made it clear that she has always loved fashion, especially experimenting and trying new and different things with styling. | Source: Getty Images

From the choppy platinum hair to the unusual sculpted bodice — and some playful poses for photographers — Lisa Rinna gave the cameras plenty to capture.

Lisa Rinna, 63, Catches Eyes at the 2026 MTV VMAs in a Look Honoring Madonna That Left Online Viewers Divided – Photos