The Country Music Awards are a time for sparkles and feathers, rhinestones and denim, and the ultimate glam looks — so it's no wonder that Ashley Cooke chose a nude sequin-covered J'amemme dress for the 2024 awards.
"The red carpet is the one time to do something different and out of the box, something that typically people wouldn't see you in so I try to challenge myself," Ashley told HELLO! of the look, which was put up to a vote on social media in the days before.
"I really do trust my fans," she laughed. "I am naturally to my core a very indecisive person, and I love to survey, and that's the great thing about a social media platform is that you have hundreds of thousands of people to ask, 'Which one should I wear?'"
The dress of choice for the 2024 CMA Awards has a "high neck collar and is a beautiful, natural, pale pink dress that's almost sculpted to my body which is going to look really cool," says the "Your Place" singer.
For the 27-year-old, her day-to-day style is "a lot more laid back," picking comfort over style every time although when she is on stage, like any country singer, she likes to have "a little bit more of a sparkle".
For beauty and glam, comfort is also key – Ashley arrives with no makeup, and is happy to be on camera looking so, with a pair of army pants, a tank and corduroy jacket.
Alongside her longtime make-up artist and hairstylist Isabella Rosalen, the pair decide to try a slicked-back ponytail – a style Ashley doesn't usually pick – to compliment the high neckline of the dress.
"I'm used to having hair around my face or some kind of messiness with my hair," says Ashley, "and this is out of my comfort zone but that's an exciting thing about a red carpet, that's kind of the point of doing it."
Blake Lively has been a lifelong fashion inspiration for Ashley – "it's always something that's eye-catching yet really flattering" – and the singer has been working with Krista Roser for key events for over two years, praising the stylist for being "dialed in to what we do together".
Krista and her team paired the dress with Vince Camuto Gold platform heels with a Judith Leiber gold clutch and jewelry from Simon G. Jewelry, Gabriel & Co. and Loft, and for the afterparty it was a full outfit change, with Ashley rocking a Nadine Merabi set.
For Ashley, 2024 has been a year of touring her 2023 album Shot In The Dark and 2025 will include more touring, and hopefully new music, and so the CMA Awards red carpet was an opportunity to let loose and have fun. Mission accomplished.