Few red carpet looks have shocked the Marie Claire masses quite like Chappell Roan's naked dress at the 2026 Grammy Awards, which dangled from (what else?) her nipples. But that wasn't the only Grammys surprise up Roan's sleeves (or lack thereof). Once inside the Crypto.com Arena, she traded her custom Mugler for an archival Rodarte gown.
In keeping with Grammys tradition, Roan took center stage to present Olivia Dean with the Best New Artist award. (The "Pink Pony Club" singer received it last year.) Stylist Genesis Webb sourced Rodarte's archives for a single-shoulder gown fit for a Grecian goddess and TV broadcast guidelines. Smoky gray, partially-sheer chiffon draped from one shoulder, across her bust, and down her legs. In addition to distressed floral appliqués atop her shoulder and waist, an asymmetrical cutout crossed her chest. At first glance, fans might think it was simple for the red carpet risk-taker, but she was just giving TV viewers a breather after her jaw-dropping Mugler moment.
Webb did her big one for Roan's second-ever Grammy Awards, with not one, but two impressive designer pulls. The dynamic duo dug through Mugler's catalog and created a custom two-piece for Roan, beginning with an elongated, floor-length cape. Its gold chain-link choker channeled the medieval aesthetic Roan adores. But in true pop star form, it didn't stay on for long.
After a few poses, the "Good Luck, Babe" singer stripped down to a matching high-low slip, also in a rich burgundy shade. In lieu of classic shoulder straps, each strand of weightless chiffon moved south to faux nipple piercings, which drooped to her waist like curtains. (The same silhouette debuted on Mugler's Spring 2026 runway, except in nude with a silver star print.) From there, the sheerness continued with Roan's thong-baring maxi skirt, just like the label's original runway blueprint.
"It’s giving drama, but in a very quick, cool-girl way," Roan's makeup artist, Andrew Dahling, tells Marie Claire, about the dresses and accompanying bold eye makeup look, created with "shadow sticks and dazzle shadows and lavender blush." "It’s about shape to the eyes—glamour, glitz, metallics in strategic places to make her eyes pop."
Upping the Middle Ages-ness of it all, Dahling collaborated with MAC Cosmetics to make Roan's naked dress a bit more "medieval." "We started with this very archival, full, bare moment," Dahling says. "Once the tattoos came into play, everything became very medieval, but in a real way. It's still fantasy and something otherworldly, but grounded."
Dahling also provided insight on her Mugler bust—or lack thereof. "There was so much going on—the tattoos, the prosthetic nipples, all of it, but overall we wanted everything to feel cohesive and really honor the dress and the medieval world we were living in," he says. "The glam came from that."
Roan didn't sing her nominated hit "The Subway" at the 2026 Grammys, but she delivered an award-worthy performance in the form of multiple designer looks.
