More Is More: Katy Perry Shows Off Lavender Locks and Four Different Looks at the VMAs

After months of not quite there hair, the belle of MTV's ball debuted her brand-new shade on the red carpet—and accessorized her 'do with a veritable runway of looks. Check 'em out!

If this singing thing doesn't work out, Katy Perry could always find work as a quick-change artist. Sure, she might've won her first ever MTV Video Music Awards last night and went on to tie Adele for winning the most overall, but let's talk about what's really important here.

Her style!

Not only did Mrs. Russell Brand unveil a brand-new lavender hair hue—the shade she's been working to attain for months (hence the ever-changing kaleidoscope atop her head this summer), but she also managed to work in no fewer than four different outfits. Quite a feat for someone who wasn't even a performer.

Still, after a year of somewhat lackluster locks—er, looks—has Katy finally got her fashion groove back?

We'd say so! While marriage temporarily rendered her style slightly more mainstream (well, relatively speaking), her new lavender 'do seemed to signal a return to her, well, roots.

Kooky, yes, wacky, absolutely, but she's a pop star, for crying out loud. And love it or hate it, you have to admit, it's quite the topic of conversation this morning. And when you take into account the other looks from last night (Lady Gaga dressed as a man, Nicki Minaj dressed as, um, Lady Gaga), that's quite a feat.

In any case, having been black, ginger-red, blonde, pink and various shades in between in recent weeks, we finally got to see the finished product last night, which came courtesy of months of fine tuning by New York salon owner Rita Hazan.

"It was such an exciting challenge to custom-create Katy's color for her big reveal at the VMAs," Hazan said. "She is a colorist's dream—always willing to take risks to achieve a groundbreaking look—and it was awesome to be able to realize this goal for her."

A colorist's dream and a stylist's dream, we'd imagine.

"Too many dress options! #vmagirlproblems!!!" the fashion plate tweeted before the show. Her solution? Wear them all!

Though she started out making an entrance in an Atelier Versace neon-accented geisha-style mini-dress (with a parasol to boot!), by the time she made it onstage to introduce Adele, she was already in outfit No. 2: a much more subdued and demure high-necked, sheer-sleeved, floor-length purple gown by Tom Ford (a nod to her hair, perhaps?).

Her cartoonishly playful style returned for outfit No. 3, a sparkly black minidress that literally made her a broken record—there were halved pieces of vinyl making up her neckline, with one full record in the center of the dress bearing her name. As for her final outfit, worn to accept her Video of the Year award, well, maybe she watched too much of that royal wedding, because she opted for quite the eye-catching fascinator-hat-cube hybrid, precariously balancing the bright yellow angular headpiece atop her head for her walk to the stage. She paired the attention-grabbing accessory with some neon platforms, and a Dior Couture pink top and black and white tulip skirt.

Which, by her standards, was quite understated.

"I just felt like being colorful and fun and with me, I am OK with self-deprecation," she told reporters backstage. "I am all right with being laughed at and laughed with and just laughing, so that was the inspiration of tonight: just to have a laugh."

Mission accomplished.