Sombr Swaps Valentino for ERL at the MTV VMAs

Sombr attended the 2026 MTV VMAs on Sunday, where he is nominated for Best Alternative for Homewrecker and Best Art Direction for My Body Isn’t Ready. He will also take to the stage alongside RAYE and Teddy Swims for a special tribute to George Michael.

The singer and Valentino have been practically inseparable since he stepped onto the scene, so you’ll be just as surprised as I am to see him move away from Alessandro Michele for the red carpet. Perhaps he is saving Valentino for the performance.

Instead, Sombr wore a custom ERL look designed by Eli Russell Linnetz and made in his Venice Beach studio. The faux-fur skunk coat was paired with flared trousers cut from deadstock washed leather, along with a handmade silver-and-pearl skate chain by artist Tom Binns. A crystal-and-stone-encrusted ‘SEX’ belt buckle, assembled by Linnetz from pieces he has collected over the years, completed the look.

After Lisa’s sweeping red Quine Li coat, Sombr has given us another major coat moment. Are statement coats going to be the story of the night?

This is rock ’n’ roll through and through, and it’s good to see Sombr’s style personality translate beyond Valentino. The low-slung leather trousers, bare chest, layers of jewellery and oversized coat still feel recognisably him, but ERL takes that aesthetic somewhere we haven’t seen from him on the red carpet before.

And the smoky black eye makeup feels like a nod to the rock stars of the ’80s, when eyeliner was as much a part of the look as leather, jewellery and big hair. With everything else happening here, it fits right in.

Stylist: Jake Sammis.

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