The 2026 BRIT Awards red carpet delivered plenty of headline moments, but Lola Young’s outfit sparked one of the night’s most viral online reactions.
After photos of her green leather peplum top and snake-print trousers hit social media, viewers quickly rallied to turn the look into memes.
The hilarious comments came just weeks after Young made headlines at the 2026 Grammys for her major win and emotional return to the stage.
Highlights
- Lola Young’s unconventional BRIT Awards outfit has become the internet's favorite new meme.
- While some critics joked she looked like she dressed as a "trash can," a wave of loyal fans jumped to her defense.
- Beyond the red carpet roast, the night marked a major career milestone as Young took home her first-ever BRIT Award.
- The singer’s big night followed a harrowing health scare in late 2025.
“Oil container realness,” wrote one user.
The internet roasted Lola Young’s green leather and snake-print BRITs outfit
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Young stepped onto the Manchester red carpet looking relaxed and self-assured. However, the silhouette was unconventional, with the top’s rigid texture drawing hilarious comparisons to industrial materials from online viewers.
“Top looks like corrugated iron,” wrote one user, while another shared, “Why did she grab the nearest trash can for a top?”
“She said f***, they're calling me trash, so I might as well dress as a trash can,” added a third.
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“Me serving oil barrels at the function,” wrote a fourth.
Meanwhile, another group of netizens defended the look. “I understand the point of the outfit, I love it,” said one.
“This is kinda chic,” wrote one more, while another added, “She’s gorgeous and calm. An angel in the human body.”
Beyond her outfit, Young won her first BRIT Award after a year marked by health scares and breakthrough success
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Beyond the memes, the night also marked a major milestone for Young. She won her first-ever BRIT Award for Breakthrough Artist, presented by Myles Smith.
Her rise followed a year full of setbacks. In September 2025, Young reportedly collapsed onstage during her performance of Conceited at New York’s All Things Go Festival.
She was carried off by a medical unit but reassured fans on Instagram hours later, stating, “I am doing okay now. Thank you for all of your support, Lola xxx.”
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At the time, she had already canceled a New Jersey show for mental-health reasons. Before her collapse, she had addressed the crowd, admitting she’s “had a tricky couple of days.”
“Sometimes life can really make you feel like you can’t continue. But you know what? Today I woke up, and I made the decision to come here, and I wanted to be cool. Sometimes life can throw you lemons, and you just gotta make lemonade.”
Her manager later shared that canceling earlier dates had been a “protective measure to keep her safe.”
After Young collapsed, she made her appearance on stage at the 2026 Grammys, delivering an emotional speech while accepting her first Grammy
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In February 2026, she won her first Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for Messy, beating several major U.S. stars in the category including Justin Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, and Lady Gaga.
The moment marked her first live performance in four months following her health scare. For the event, she wore an outfit from Vivienne Westwood’s spring/summer 2025 collection, featuring “trinkets printed in monochromatic halftone, creating an abstract camouflage.”
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“I was actually nervous as hell. I can’t lie,” she told Variety backstage. “We as artists, we have nerves. But this is what I want to do. This is the place I feel like I belong. On the stage is where I feel like I belong.”
She described stepping away from touring as a necessary act of self-care. “This industry is a very difficult industry to be in… I had to make the decision to do it for myself — to be kind to myself and give myself space.”
Reflecting on her Grammy-winning single, she added, “‘Messy’ is a song that symbolizes how we all feel… It speaks on being a messy human being and not being enough for the world.”
At the Grammys ceremony, she performed a stripped-down piano rendition of the track during the Best New Artist medley.
"She's wearing her music?" asked one user
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