Ariana Grande's year in fashion: An overview of the singer's stylish, career-defining 2018

No celeb has had a 2018 quite like Ariana Grande. From hit singles (constructive and character-building, Thank U, Next) to heartbreak, the singer's year has been marked by creativity and controversy — her visually stunning God is a Woman music video drew praise from feminists, ire from Catholics, and a copycat callout from Diet Prada. She also attracted criticism for the mini dress she wore to sing her respects at Aretha Franklin's memorial service, during which she was fondled by a priest and ogled creepily by Bill Clinton — in equal measure.

With all the time she's spent recording and recovering, we've seen precious little of Grande on the red carpet. To make every little appearance count, stylist Law Roach (Roach also counts Celine Dion, Zendaya, Tiffany Haddish and Anne Hathway as clients) has distilled the superstar's look into a simple but effective formula. It comprises an unmistakable high ponytail, statospheric hemlines (think strappy, empire-waist puffball confections or massively oversized sweatshirts), thigh-high boots and unabashedly girly shades of powder pink, lilac and taupe. Will these codes eventually define Grande's pop-diva iconography? Who knows. 2019 may bring with it a whole new Ariana look and sound, but there's no mistaking that 2018 was a vintage year for the performer.