Last night amid the 2026 TV schedule, the 39th Annual Kids' Choice Awards dropped and proved to be quite entertaining. Nominees like Stranger Things, The Thundermans: Undercover, and Spider-Man: Brand New Day triumphantly led the wins this year. And, of course, plenty of people got slimed as is tradition. However, we need to talk about one particular fashion choice that involved an influencer showing up dressed as slime. And I must say, her neon dress is completely bonkers in the best way!
We’ve seen costume fashion before at red carpet events that is incredibly eye-popping. Whether Lady Gaga dressed as meat at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards or Katy Perry appearing as a hamburger at the 2019 Met Gala, outfits like these certainly keep viewers talking. Speaking of talking, we need to have a chat about influencer Haley Kalil (also known as Haley Baylee) showing up at this year's Kids’ Choice Awards in this slime-colored ensemble:
Now, that’s what you call an eye-popping dress! Although with this one, I'd be afraid to pop anything. The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue winner was sporting a bright green gown with balloons of many different sizes spread throughout. It looks as if the balloons are floating right above her, and this almost feels like a piece someone from Nickelodeon could've curated.
And icing on the cake? Haley Kalil is holding a balloon-like green purse to go with it that says “Win the Mall!”, referencing her upcoming 2026 Netflix competition series. The Miss Minnesota 2014 winner was clearly paying tribute to Nick's history with her unique dress, with the kids' network known for their love of ooey-gooey green slime.
I’m not the only curious mind who needs to know more about this green neon dress. When ET wanted the juice on the creativity that went into making this dress, Kalil gave the credit to a 20-year-old fashion design student named Finn Thompson. She made sure to explain what this unique dress was made of and the secret to putting it together:
[Finn] tied each of these by hand. And the only thing I have on is a bodysuit under this. It’s all made of balloon. Even the back. Even the corset in the back. It’s balloon.
That’s real dedication on the fashion student’s part. It must have taken hours to sew so many balloons onto that bodysuit. The question on my mind is—how does she not pop any of those balloons when she’s sitting down? Fortunately, the Forbes top creator recipient answered that question as well. Here was her response:
I can actually sit because I’m wearing that bodysuit. I just lift up the back, pop a squat. I’m just very wide, you know? So, whoever my chair mate is might have to spare some room on the chairs. Sorry!
So then it’s just a matter of lifting the back of the dress to make sure she’s sitting on the bodysuit. That’s a very smart feature for Thompson to design, to say the least. Otherwise, that would be another way to make heads turn if a loud pop occurred with every squat.
As incredibly bonkers as Haley Kalil’s neon dress is, it’s still a fashion moment that I’m proud to say will live in my mind rent-free. With method dressing being so in right now, there’s no better way to show up at a Nickelodeon event than to make slime look so chic. You can see your favorite movies, TV, and music win big at the 39th Kids’ Choice Awards by streaming now the show with a Paramount+ subscription.
