Miley Cyrus’ New Years Eve special on NBC was not only a TV spectacular with guest spots by Dolly Parton, Paris Hilton, and David Byrne, among others. It was also a parade of looks from the ‘90s and early aughts. Throughout the event, Cyrus underwent multiple outfit changes, and with the help of her stylist, Bradley Kenneth, managed to show off a range of designs from the archives of Versace, Bob Mackie, Gucci, and more.
It’s hard to choose where to start, so let’s begin with the pale pink halter dress with a ruched waist from Versace spring/summer 2005, which Cyrus wore to sing “Stars Are Blind” with Hilton and Sia. Fittingly, Hilton also wore the brand for the performance, opting for a pink metal mesh dress not unlike the one she wore when she closed out Versace’s spring/summer 2023 show last September.
But that was hardly the only Versace Cyrus wore throughout the night. The singer also opened the show in the brand—a one-shoulder green and orange goddess-style dress with a slight cape detail. That one was courtesy of Versace’s spring/summer 2006 collection, originally modeled by Gemma Ward on the runway over 15 years ago.
Cyrus completed the Versace trifecta with a slightly more whimsical, ruffled look, opting for a bustier top with sheer sleeves with a colorful, rose-covered miniskirt, both from the brand’s spring/summer 1993 collection. It was the only time the singer wore separates throughout the evening, but it succeeded in adding a bit of fun to the portfolio of glam looks.
A similar effect was created with the help of a dress from Yves Saint Laurent’s spring/summer 1991 collection, a one shoulder sheer mini dress covered in embellished florals with a H๏τ pink feathered sleeve so large it looks like it belongs on The Muppets. Cyrus wore the look to perform Patsy Cline’s “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “Jolene” with her godmother, Parton, who, fittingly, wore a H๏τ pink and black look to match.
One of the standouts of the night (a standout among standouts if there ever was one) was the Bob Mackie number Cyrus wore to perform her song “Midnight Sky” with Fletcher and “Party Up the Street” with Swae Lee. The dress is classic Mackie—a tribute to the musical Sweet Charity from his fall 2002 collection, “Broadway With Love.” It features hand-painted silk in gold, green, orange, and blue, as well as beaded fringe that falls from the neckline and hem creating an earthy, yet psychedelic effect.
Gucci got some representation as well during Cyrus’ special. There was the very mod-looking green and black mini dress from Tom Ford’s spring/summer 1996 collection for the brand (originally modeled by Linda Evangelista), which Cyrus wore to perform “Everybody’s Coming To My House” with Byrne. One of the singer’s only modern looks from the night was also courtesy of Gucci, a custom sleeveless jersey mini dress with side cutouts revealing a thong detail, which Cyrus wore while performing “I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll” with Parton. Sheer leopard print gloves completed the ensemble and matched her to Parton who also wore a black and leopord look.
But the end of the broadcast didn’t mean the end of the vintage looks. Cyrus took the opportunity of all the attention from the special and used it to announce her new single, “Flowers,” coming later this month. In the promo for the song, Cyrus can be see walking through Los Angeles in a gold, draped dress with her midriff exposed. The dress is originally from Yves Saint Laurent’s fall/winter 1991 collection, but was then remade for the brand’s spring 2002 haute couture collection. Now, it has found a third life with Cyrus.
With the help of Kenneth, Cyrus has been serving vintage looks for a few years now, so while this exhibition of ensembles doesn’t come as a surprise, it doesn’t make it any less exciting. And considering the singer chose to introduce her new era of music in another iconic look from the annals of fashion history, it’s safe to say the vintage parade will continue into 2023, and we can’t wait to see more.
