Rosalía Towers in Giuseppe Zanotti x Christian Cowan Watch-Strap Wedges at 2019 VMAs

At the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Rosalía — standing 5’4½” (163.8 cm) and wearing a US shoe size 8 — celebrated her wins for Best Latin and Best Choreography for “Con Altura” in one of the night’s most unconventional shoe looks, using towering Giuseppe Zanotti x Christian Cowan wedges to add even more drama to her compact frame.

Rosalía celebrates her MTV Video Music Award wins in a black velvet mini dress and Giuseppe Zanotti x Christian Cowan gold watch-strap wedges in the press room at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, 2019 (Credit: Avalon / WENN)

The Spanish singer paired her press-room outfit with metallic gold wedges from the Giuseppe Zanotti and Christian Cowan collaboration, a sculptural design wrapped with oversized watch-inspired ankle straps that matched the futuristic mood of her performance era.

A close-up of Rosalía’s Giuseppe Zanotti x Christian Cowan gold leather wedges, featuring sculptural curved heels and oversized watch-inspired ankle straps

During the ceremony, Rosalía performed “A Ningún Hombre,” “Yo x Ti, Tu x Mi,” and “Aute Cuture,” bringing the same dramatic energy seen in her red-carpet and press-room styling.

Earlier that evening, Rosalía arrived on the red carpet in an off-the-shoulder black Burberry gown styled with opera-length gloves and statement drop earrings, creating a sharper contrast to the bold metallic wedges she later wore in the press room.

Rosalía donned an off-the-shoulder black Burberry gown at the 2019 MTV Video Music Awards held at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on August 26, 2019

“Wow. I wasn’t expecting this, honestly. Thank you, because it’s such an incredible honor. I come from Barcelona. I’m so happy to be here representing where I come from and representing my culture…Thank you for allowing me to perform tonight, singing in Spanish,” the Catalan pop star said during her acceptance speech.

Around the same time, “Con Altura” also landed on Barack Obama’s 2019 summer playlist, underscoring how widely Rosalía’s music had crossed into mainstream pop culture.

A few days earlier, she also attended the premiere of The Lion King at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square in London, England.

Rosalía arrives at “The Lion King” European premiere in London wearing a dramatic black Christian Cowan latex catsuit layered under a sheer feather-trimmed robe, styled with towering pigtails, gold jewelry, and her signature claw-like nails on July 14, 2019

Sculptural Heels and Theatrical Fashion: Why the Zanotti x Cowan Partnership Still Stands Out

Rosalía’s gold watch-strap wedges captured exactly why the Giuseppe Zanotti and Christian Cowan collaboration resonated so strongly in 2019.

Rather than treating shoes as a supporting accessory, the partnership pushed footwear into full performance territory — combining Zanotti’s glamorous Italian craftsmanship with Cowan’s exaggerated, pop-inspired approach to fashion.

The result was a series of sculptural heels and metallic statement designs that still feel unmistakably tied to that fearless era of celebrity dressing.