It often feels like British-Albanian music star Dua Lipa appeared out of thin air—a mode she’s continued with her jet-setting lifestyle. Despite working in the industry for almost a decade, Lipa’s nascent rise suddenly dominated our airwaves with pop hit after pop hit.
But, as her fans would know, the singer has been a red carpet mainstay since the mid-2010s. Therefore, when it comes to reflecting on her personal style, we’ve actually got a lot to work with.
When she began her career it was primarily in Europe, not Hollywood. But even from the outset, Dua Lipa was a fan of daring, attention-grabbing fashion, whether it was colour-clashing on the red carpet or mixing preppy and punk on the streets of Paris.
Fast forward to now, we studiously wait with anticipation to see where Dua Lipa’s fashion sense will take her—including her impeccable but daring red carpet ensembles, sensual off-duty looks and balmy holiday fits. While we gear up for Lipa’s next best fit, look back at all the times the supernova has cemented her style evolution with that sartorial ‘It’ factor.
Go girl, give us everything!
Dua Lipa’s Fashion Evolution:
2016
For BBC Radio 1’s Teen Awards in 2016, Dua Lipa showed a glimpse of her effortless red carpet style in an Alessandra Rich chinoiserie gown and pink heels. A taste for what’s to come, indeed.
2017
In 2017, Dua Lipa had her first taste of couture in this high-low Giambattista Valli lemon gown.
Before the “blokette” aesthetic became mainstream, Dua Lipa was already laying the foundations for the trend. As seen here in Paris, the pop star stepped out in a prep-meets-punk ensemble with a football jersey, tartan mini and Mary Katrantzou platforms.
For the Capital Summertime Ball in London (where she later performed), Lipa wore a green coat over a velvet and mesh bralette, black suede mini and some serious platform pumps.
2018
Attending an event in Germany, Lipa went more low-key in an oversized pinstripe suit with her favourite top choice of the late 2010s – an embellished bralette.
2018
Out with then-boyfriend Isaac Carew, Dua Lipa wore the sweetest Marianna Senchina polkadot set, paired with Le Specs sunglasses and Adidas platform sneakers.
DUA LIPA
Finally making her way to the American music award circuit, the artist wore a Giambattista Valli mermaid-style gown that felt equal parts Old Hollywood and edgy.
2019
For the 2019 Met Gala, Lipa truly embodied the theme of “camp” in this high-octane look by Versace. An ensemble that featured a pillowy waist, jewelled bodice and some serious, serious hair extensions.
Out in New York with then-boyfriend Anwar Hadid, Dua Lipa gave us a glimpse of her off-duty style, which often leans toward streetwear but with a twist. Especially in this look, where the artist paired Adidas track pants with a yellow bodysuit and Vivienne Westwood bag.
For the MTV EMAs in 2019, Dua Lipa wore Australian designer Dion Lee, complete with a leather harness and Jimmy Choo Mica boots.
Firmly cementing herself as one-to-watch in fashion, the star then went Barbiecore in a Miu Miu column dress with a velvet sash.
The star headed to Australia for the ARIA Awards in 2019 too, dominating the red carpet in a feathered mini by Saint Laurent and polka dot tights. Later in the night, she changed into another Dion Lee piece – this time the label’s famous Sheer Jersey Corset for a performance.
2020
Being a pop star sheltering in place only met one thing: the return of bike shorts. Lipa’s pandemic uniform was a blessing for all casual girlies everywhere, and one especially on trend with the year’s sartorial mood with this Versace pair.
Arguably one of Lipa’s most memorable looks of all time, the star cemented herself as the epitome of 90s redux. Exuding slick minimalism at the Grammy Awards, the “One Kiss” singer wore Alexander Wang paired with two-toned hair and some serious blue eyeshadow. Yes, Lipa was around for only five years of the decade, but it’s clear she picked up a few cues in that time.
During their relationship, Anwar Hadid and Dua Lipa were one of the most stylish couples snapped by paparazzi. Here, the singer wore her favourite Prada Cloudbust Thunder sneakers, which she had on repeat through 2020.
For the 2020 American Music Awards, Dua Lipa once again stole the red carpet – this time in a bejewelled Versace mini dress and pinned-back waves. Certainly the mermaid-core look du jour.
Athleisure, but make it 1960s. That’s exactly what the “New Rules” singer did with this Richard Quinn x Moncler look, which featured shoes, tights and the famous puffer jacket from the designer collaboration.
During a holiday in Mexico, Lipa shared her love for Rihanna’s lingerie label Savage x Fenty, wearing one of the brand’s thongs as outerwear under a slinky Mônot dress.
2021
We know Dua Lipa loves a butterfly motif, so her wearing this crystal Versace gown to the 2021 Grammy Awards made perfect sense.
The star wore a Prada romper and sky-high platform boots for a BBC Radio One performance in 2021.
Absolutely dripping in crystals for an Elton John AIDS Foundation event, Lipa’s Balenciaga dress was one of two she wore for the soirée–the other being a dramatic velvet ball gown.
At the 2021 BRIT Awards, the star brought back the bouffant while wearing Vivienne Westwood. It was all very Amy Winehouse in the best way. An ode to Anglomania, indeed.
Out with Hadid in September, Lipa wore a Luar Spring 2022 coat over a check micro-mini, pairing it all back with Jimmy Choo boots.
She can do minimalist, she can do maximalist. On holiday in Albania, Lipa shared an Instagram of her crochet bikini by the Italian label GCDS, paired with pink sunglasses and stacks of party jewellery. The look also appeared to be the catalyst for the “surfcore” trend, proving once and for all Lipa has the Midas touch.
2022
At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Lipa eschewed her conventional silhouette by opting to take cues from another. That is, if you haven’t recognised already, the inimitable Donatella Versace. For the event, Lipa wore vintage Versace (from the label’s 1992 collection) and debuted blonde hair à la the Italian designer. What better way to cement your “model as muse” relationship than by dressing up as your favourite designer?
Forever bending and breaking fashion rules, the star stepped out in New York in March 2022 wearing fresh-off-the-runway Diesel.
White? As a wedding guest? For Simon Porte Jacquemus And Marco Maestri’s nuptials in France, that was the memo and Lipa stunned in a sheer gown from Jacquemus’ Fall 2022 collection.
2023
Once again wearing Italian label GCDS, Lipa turned heads (including her own) in this yellow leather set, which included a motocross jacket with none other than Spongebob Squarepants on the back.
Out for the night with music producer Mark Ronson and his wife Grace Gummer, Dua Lipa wore a suede set by Ferragamo, teamed with riding boots.
As always, Lipa gave everyone holiday fashion inspiration with a vacation in Jamaica, where she wore plenty of Y2K fits like this silver mesh dress over a white bikini.
Leaning into her sensual side, Lipa stunned in this lace jumpsuit, worn for the GCDS Milan Fashion Week show.
2023 is proving to be Dua Lipa’s best fashion year yet, and this Saint Laurent look for the fashion house’s Fall/Winter Womenswear show was front-row perfection. That floor-skimming trench? A Neo redux.
Returning to the Met Gala, Lipa served as the co-host for the 2023 addition in a literal ball gown. The piece was an archival, Karl Lagerfeld-design couture garment that featured white and black tweed. The same design that Claudia Schiffer wore for the house’s fall 1992 couture collection. Topping it all off was the “Legendary”100-carat diamond from Tiffany & Co. For her second Met appearance, Lipa certainly has the chops to be a regular.
Dua Lipa briefly transitioned from a fashion force to a fashion designer to co-design Versace’s Summer 2023 collection. Titled “La Vacanza”, Lipa and Versace collaborated on 40 new silhouettes that riffed on the house’s Spring/Summer 1995 collection—the panoply that first introduced the butterfly motif to fashion’s lexicon. Here, Lipa is seen sporting one of the pieces to close the runway show, which was hosted in Cannes.
This Barbie has taste. For the world premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles—which she wrote original music for and had a cameo appearance in—the songstress wore custom Bottega Veneta. The sheer slip dress is perfectly apt to “Dance The Night” away in.
Lipa’s most recent ensemble was a masterclass in winter sensuality. The star had entered her “Houdini” era of dressing, which is a new style marked by her new psychedelic-disco single, meaning she was all about making things ‘disappear’. Case in point: her nearly-naked flapper dress.
This story first appeared on GRAZIA International.