If last night's celebratory 2023 CMT Awards were a ball, then show host Kelsea Ballerini was the belle. The country music star helmed the evening alongside Kane Brown as country's only entirely fan-voted awards show brought the performances and the joy to fans. And Kelsea herself brought the fashion, too.
Kelsea and her stylist Molly Dickson cooked up a whole lineup of beautiful host-worthy looks—from playful vintage performance pieces to a soft lilac jumpsuit from George’s Hobeika—and they let Cosmopolitan in behind-the-scenes as Kelsea prepared to take the stage.
"For stage, it’s kind of an excuse to be larger than life. I pick outfits that hopefully bring the music to life, but also that I would never wear in “real life.” I kind of feel like Hannah Montana in that way," she said. "For carpet, I love wearing a look that feels true to how I’m feeling in my life right then. Tonight, I’m feeling confident and feminine in the Dolce."
"I love the juxtaposition between the feminine grown up feeling of the Dolce gown for the carpet and then the vintage color pop of the leotard and jacket I am wearing for the performance," Kelsea added. "It is fun to be able show off these two different styles of style in one night."
The red carpet and performance outfits weren't all Kelsea and Molly had in store, though. As the host, Kelsea was on stage often, donning everything from a green Roland Mouret number to a pink heart dress from Area.
"I’ve been on tour and, to put it really country, running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Luckily, it’s my third-year hosting, so I am counting on muscle memory and just leaning into having fun and being present," Kelsea said.
Part of that fun included playing with fashion: a Tom Ford vintage dress for the show opening, a bright performance jacket, and of course, rows and rows of shoes.
"If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only take three items…they would all be shoes," Kelsea said. "I think because I’m tall, I use to never wear fun heels because I was insecure about being taller than the boys, now I quite enjoy it."
Thankfully for country music at large, Kelsea is not stranded on a desert island and can instead celebrate a successful third CMT Awards hosting job.
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