On a red carpet already packed with sequins and cutouts, Chappell Roan still managed to stop the scroll. Her deep red, nearly naked Grammys gown looked like it was hanging from metal nipple rings, turning her into instant meme material and the night’s most polarizing fashion moment. But the look that had people zooming in on screenshots was far more engineered, and far more referential, than it first appeared.
Behind the shock factor was a carefully built fashion story, from archival runway inspiration to prosthetics, faux tattoos, and a quick-change into something far more covered once she stepped inside the show. What read as pure chaos at first glance was actually a tightly controlled performance of risk, camp, and pop-star world building.
The “naked” dress that broke the internet
From the front, the dress looked almost impossibly minimal: a sheer chiffon slip in a deep garnet tone, draped low at the hips and seemingly suspended from two metal rings at Chappell Roan’s chest. The effect was so extreme that some viewers genuinely believed the gown was attached to real piercings, especially once close-up photos of the hardware started circulating and people realized the fabric appeared to hang directly from the rings, as detailed in breakdowns of how the dress hung from her chest. The look instantly slotted into the Grammys tradition of headline-grabbing outfits, but this one felt more confrontational, less about sparkle and more about the mechanics of exposure.
Zoomed-out shots showed the full drama of the silhouette, with the sheer gown pooling into a long train behind her and a matching cape that she could sweep around her shoulders when she wanted a bit more coverage. Fashion watchers quickly clocked that Chappell Roan was wearing a pierced-nipple design from Mugler, a house known for pushing the boundaries of what counts as clothing. The gown’s shock value was not accidental; it was baked into the design, which has already gone down in fashion history for how little it leaves to the imagination.
The Mugler medieval fantasy and its runway roots
What looked like a one-off stunt was actually a very specific fashion reference. The dress Chappell Roan wore was inspired by the pierced-nipple gowns from Mugler’s “Jeu de Paume” spring/summer 1998 couture show, which has become shorthand for the label’s most extreme body-centric designs. Those original runway looks were notorious because the chiffon slips were reportedly suspended from models’ very real nipple rings, a detail that has been cited in coverage of how Manfred Thierry Mugler approached the collection. By tapping into that archive, Chappell Roan was not just being provocative, she was aligning herself with a specific lineage of high-fashion spectacle.
The Grammys version was created as a custom deep red garnet draped piercing georgette négligée dress and cape, credited on social media as a look for the 68th Annual Grammy Aw. Styled by Genesis Webb, the dress and cape were described as part of a collection by Manfred Thierry Mugler, with the cape giving her the option to shift from nearly nude to slightly more covered as she moved along the carpet, a styling detail highlighted in coverage of how the deep-red georgette piece came with a matching layer she could pull on when she wanted to adjust the drama. The result was a modern “Mugler medieval fantasy,” as one member of her glam team put it, that nodded to armor and fetish wear at the same time.
Prosthetic nipples, silicone covers and the engineering underneath
The most important secret of the look is that the nipple rings were not real. While the chiffon slip appeared to hang from metal hoops, those rings were actually attached to prosthetic nipples that sat on top of her skin, a detail confirmed in reports explaining that Roan’s “Mugler medieval fantasy” look was built with prosthetics. A body language expert who analyzed the appearance underscored that, while the chiffon slip looked like it was hanging from nipple rings, those were prosthetic pieces echoing the original runway show, where models wore versions suspended from real piercings, a contrast that was spelled out in coverage noting that While the Grammys version used prosthetics, the 1998 couture looks relied on actual body modification.
Underneath the prosthetics, there was even more hidden structure. Fans dissecting high-res photos pointed out that she appeared to be wearing ultra-realistic silicone nipple covers that perfectly matched her skin tone, which acted as both coverage and support, a detail that was spelled out in posts explaining that She wore silicone pieces that doubled as structure. Others noted that she likely had custom pasties blended into her skin and a nude mesh top for stability, pointing to the neckline as evidence that the dress was more secure than it looked, a theory laid out by fans who insisted that mutilating herself for a red carpet moment.
Faux tattoos, piercings and the glam that sold the fantasy
The dress might have been the headline, but the body art did a lot of the storytelling. Chappell Roan covered her skin in temporary tattoos and faux piercings, turning the look into something closer to a character than a standard awards-show gown. She completed the outfit with loads of temporary body art, including a pony drawing on her chest that many read as a nod to her hit “Pink Po,” a detail highlighted in coverage noting that She completed the look with that pony sketch. The tattoos themselves were created by Jenny Collins, also known as Puppy Puppy Playtime, who was credited with the intricate designs that crawled across her torso and limbs, as explained in breakdowns that identified Jenny Collins and her alter ego Puppy Puppy Playtime as the artist behind the ink.
Makeup artist Dahling approached the glam as a supporting character, keeping the face relatively soft so the tattoos, jewelry and sculptural details could take center stage. In interviews about the beauty look, Dahling explained that the goal was to let the intricate faux tattoos and metal accents do the heavy lifting, describing the makeup as something that allowed the body art and accessories to shine, a philosophy laid out in coverage of how Dahling framed the glam. Another breakdown of the beauty look reiterated that Dahling treated the makeup as a subtle backdrop so the tattoos and sculptural details could be the real stars, emphasizing that the glam “came from” the body art, as described in a feature that again credited Dahling with that approach.
Backlash, defenses and a quick-change into Rodarte
As photos spread, the dress became a lightning rod in a broader conversation about how far red carpet nudity can go. One insider described the Grammys carpet as a “spectacle of nudity” with a “clown aesthetic,” singling out Chappell Roan’s gown as one of the most daring looks and noting that her dress was inspired by Mugler’s “Jeu de Paume” couture collection that featured a pierced-nipple gown, a criticism captured in commentary that said Her daring dress was part of that shift. At the same time, fans rushed to defend her, pointing out the prosthetics, silicone covers and mesh support, and arguing that the outrage was misplaced given how much engineering went into making sure the look was safe and secure, a defense spelled out in posts insisting that she had custom pasties and mesh and that the dress was secure even if something was tugged, as detailed in fan threads where not harming herself became a rallying line.
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