Covering both the XMAs and the AVN Awards this year made one thing immediately clear: this was the strongest red carpet fashion I’ve seen since I started doing this. The level of styling, confidence, and creativity across both carpets raised the bar—and it made this recap one of the hardest to write.

From bold interpretations of red by Jade Venus and Marina Valmont to the unmistakable individuality of Asteria Jade and Little Puck, & Melissa Stratton and Zoey Di Giacomo, they looked unmistakably Golden (cue K-Pop Demon Hunters). This year’s red carpets delivered fashion moments that felt confident, elevated, and thoughtfully styled—and with so many strong appearances across both shows, narrowing these highlights down wasn’t easy, but the story was too good not to tell.

This is a highlight article, not a definitive ranking—fashion is subjective, and at the end of the day, I’m just a dude behind the camera calling out the looks that resonated with me through the lens. With that in mind, the selections below spotlight moments across XMAs Only, AVN Only, Originality & Creativity, Hair & Make-Up, Men’s Highlights, and a few Additional Highlights that simply couldn’t be left out.

Overall Look & Impact

Men’s Highlights

Originality

XMAs Only

AVN Only

Additional Highlights

At the end of the day, red carpet fashion is about expression, confidence, and how a look translates in the moment. Across both the XMAs and the AVN Awards, this year’s carpets delivered a level of creativity and presence that made narrowing these highlights down a real challenge. These selections aren’t meant to be definitive—just a snapshot of the moments that stood out through my lens. If anything, they reflect how strong the fashion has become across both shows, and why telling this story was worth the effort.