By Mia Linder
Fashion is an expressive tool, an art form; a mood board draped across the body in fabric.
Fashion speaks.
It yells.
And at the 2026 Grammy’s, the carpet was loud.
One of the most elevated voices came from Lara Raj, an on-the-rise pop band member of KATSEYE. She struck the paparazzi in custom Ludovic de Saint Sermon, a French designer, and later rattled the stage during her performance of hit song “Gnarly” in personalized apparel from Off White.
Raj wanted her voice to be heard not only in Los Angles, the heart of the entertainment hub, but even back to where her culture — Indian Tamil — is heavily celebrated.
Vogue released exclusive behind-the-scenes footage into what went into sourcing her pieces that, let’s face it… stole the show, stage, and carpet.
Raj’s outfit was a strategic blend of leather, lace, and sparkling crystal textures. With custom designs, every detail was intentional. The style aims to communicate freshness and a sense of humility in her overnight sensation success with the color white-KATSEYE has only been hitting charts since 2023. Their record history is in its toddler stage.
Incorporating jewelry-made garments adds a touch of dominance and the ‘Look at me!’ factor that can’t be mistaken for a play it safe fashion choice.
Raj and her bandmates are creatively directed by Humberto Leon, Joao Moraes, and Katie Qian. Each member of their team has two missions in mind when gearing up for an event:
First, to honor the traditions of their cultures.
Second, to make sure they look fabulous while doing it.
“I really wanted to show my new tattoo. It’s my name in Tamil, which is Vijayalakshmi,” says Raj. “I make sure to go all out with my traditional stuff because I think it’s so important, like, in that space where there’s so much press, so many photos, and eyes on us to really represent the culture,” she adds.
Qian, KATSEYE’s primary stylist, excitedly complies and finds the perfect low-cut dress to do so. “We’re kind of just playing around to see where each girl is comfortable,” says Qian. She then reached across the accessory-strewn table and presented Raj with Tika options to amplify her cultural representation. Her personal charm, decked out in the finest diamonds, was laid gracefully on her forehead.
“Yeah, I feel snatched,” says Raj. Her fellow group members and team of directors each let out a gasp as she playfully looks at herself in the mirror and practices her carpet poses.
On the other hand, KATSEYE’s performance looks were predetermined, laid out in blueprint form upon delivery, and curated specifically to each member.
Given that the fitting takes place five short days before they take the stage at the awards show, Raj breaks into the anticipated dance routine to practice in the “very heavy” black heeled-boots that she’ll perform in, made by American-created designerOff White.
She says, “The first time attending [the Grammy’s] is also our first time being nominated, performing, and everything all at once. We’re matching, but we’re, like, also so individual. I think that’s so cute.”