Sparkly, Silvery Glitz and Solidarity at the 16th Annual Latin Grammys

Thursday night’s Latin Grammy Awards show was incredibly lit—Will Smith performed with Bomba Estéreo, J Balvin and Farruko performed with Major Lazer and Mø, though no one was as en fuego as Banda el Recodo, who collaborated with Wisin. The red carpet was just as excellent, with attendees flossing their sparkliest gowns. It was also a good opportunity for showing off your coordinating outfits with your girl posse. Mariachis know it’s always a good idea to match your squad, and their look here is half pant, have skirt, so they never have to choose just one.

Before we get into it, though, let’s take a look at the best style statement of all, from Los Tigres del Norte and Maná, after performing “Somos Más Americanos”:

“I’m personally offended,” Los Tigres’ Jorge Hernández told Rolling Stone. “And I think our people are too.” The sign was met with a standing ovation and fists in solidarity, a continuation of a pervasive disdain among Latinos from all over for Trump’s racist comments about Mexicans. It was cathartic.

And didn’t everyone look like a dream? Singer Manu Manzo had one of the best looks of the night, a simple eggplant gown with matching tassel earrings and a strong brow. Raquel Sofía’s signature side-shave hairdo offset perfectly the 17th Century teacup style of her gown, a pattern we’ve seen before and is a nice, classic look to punk up.

THE GOD Rita Moreno, first boricua to EGOT (Lin-Manuel, we see you), is a damn vision; the tiny bolero, the silvery stripe, the contrasting hues and—is that a flatform? She looks fabulous. In contrast, pop starlet Sofía Reyes went utterly demure and Grecian in BCBGeneration, showing a red carpet look doesn’t need a trillion-dollar gown to express elegance.

Singer Julieta Rada is taking a big risk with this emerald crop top/napkin fold waistline, but like her music, she works best when she’s a little funky and off-kilter. Julieta Venegas didn’t take the stage this year and apparently decided to keep it casual, but everyone knows a trouser on the carpet is admirable. Taking Venegas’s place on the Latin Grammy sweep queue was Natalia Lafourcade, also elegant in a navy blue shift. Liza Hernandez’s accessories game is on point—she kept it minimal and let her gown do the talking.

So many legends! Aida Cuevas’s gown flexes like the queen she is, while Berta Rojas proudly flexed her scalp—bald likely due to chemotherapy—by dotting it with littler rhinestones. She has my favorite look of the night. My fave Javiera Mena went quirky and chic, in a party pajama look that’s giving me a lot of Dries van Noten, but might just actually be pajamas. This is very aspirational for me.

Couples skate! Liliana Saumet and Simón Mejia of Bomba Estéreo kicked off the sheer lady-demure man trend that continued with their collaborators Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith, whose consistent semi-nudie sensibility in evening wear is the absolute best. She is breastly, yet still looks like she could teach Sunday school in that frock; awe-inspiring. Lace-n-florals was the wave for Jesse y Joy, and it worked.

Repeat hair offender Motiff at least has a sense of adventure on the carpet, almost literally because he looks a bit like a cruise ship director? His unidentified companion provides a useful counterpoint. Prince Royce’s own companion, actor Emeraude Tobia, is very #lifegoals here: the color choice is perfection, the style is perfection, her hair is shiny as fuck, and she’s got Prince Royce on her arm. Zoe Saldana and her husband, Marco Perego, are doing a very LA cool thing, which tan suede almost always delivers. They look comfortable.

Of all the looks in this Major Lazer, Mø, J Balvin group shot, the eye travels to Diplo’s tweed jacket first, then to Mø’s cool sheer nightgown style dress with a moto jacket, then to Jillionaire’s hat and oversized flight jacket, all of which makes a good case for unexpected red carpet dressing.

Wouldn’t be an awards show without pageant sparkles, no? Alejandra Espinoza is pulling off a lot of old-Hollywood glamour and nu-club accessorizing, which is impressive, while Alexandra Olavarria dipped herself in 14 carats. Debi Nova’s grecian gown looks like poured-on liquid silver, but Fernanda Kelly is going for less coverage, more va-voom. I haven’t seen a sheer look like this in awhile, so I’m gonna let it live.

Genesis Rodriguez, also poured-on and lovely, while Jessica Cediel chose a perfect peachy-pink for her complexion. Laura Govan’s flapper style is classic for her and she pulls it off, a statuette to Lourdes Stephen’s regal queen look.

Malu’s mosaic dress is unexpected but pretty, and not as traditional a gown as Roselyn Sanchez’s gorgeously embroidered creation, which lands somewhere between Malu’s and Sharlene Taule’s ice-blue guy.

Here are some incredibly well-dressed men! Farruko went smoking jacket, Omi opted for a more cooly tailored ensemble, while EL REY RICKY is the coolest man on earth in a classic evergreen suit.

Oh hey, it’s Fifth Harmony, doing the thing they do.

The best for last, though—onstage outfits most always trump the step and repeat. At left, ChocQuibTown’s Goyo won the evening in a silvery jumpsuit and custom graffiti’d duster. J Balvin and Mø, who performed “Lean On,” were united with Goyo in sneaker looks. And boss Natalia Lafourcade dressed up her party frock with a flower crown, repping México and making metaphor, perhaps, of her gorgeous, big-winning single/album “Hasta la Raíz.”