Chappell Roan's Dazzling Tribute to Degas at the 2025 Grammys
This year’s Grammys were not short of fashion statements, but it was Chappell Roan who truly captured the essence of high art on the red carpet. By channeling the evocative style of impressionist painter Edgar Degas, Roan not only made a visual impact but also nodded to a cultural icon known for his artistic critiques of society.
The Dress That Stole the Show
When Roan stepped out in her vintage 2003 Jean Paul Gaultier couture dress, the air was filled with nostalgia and admiration. The gown itself, a masterpiece akin to a Degas painting, featured imagery from Degas’s iconic Dancer with a Bouquet. With its layers of soft, pale tulle and bold strokes of color reminiscent of Degas’s palette, the dress seemed to leap straight out of a nineteenth-century Parisian gallery.
Completing her look were accessories that added a finishing touch to her homage. Styled by Genesis Webb, Roan’s ensemble came with a blue-tinted feathered headpiece—an accessory suggesting the delicate plumage depicted in many of Degas's works—and long opera gloves that harked back to the elegance of the Belle Époque era.
A Night of Transformations
This sartorial masterpiece was just the beginning. Later, as Roan prepared to deliver a performance that would leave audiences spellbound, she transformed into a Thom Browne corset dress. Defying expectations with her style choices, she effortlessly shifted from one breathtaking look to the next.
Yet it was her performance ensemble that, alongside her outstanding vocals and stage presence, helped cement her status as the event's standout artist. Entering the stage, each eye was on her not just for her music, but for how her on-point aesthetic choices painted a rich tapestry of homage and modern flair.
A Victory with a Cause
Perhaps the pinnacle of the evening was when Chappell Roan was announced as the winner of the Best New Artist category. For this crowning moment, she donned an Acne Studios dress adorned with dramatic bows, symbolizing celebration and artistry. During her acceptance speech, Roan made sure to bring attention to a cause close to her heart. Artfully yet passionately, she advocated for better support systems within the music industry, emphasizing the challenges faced by emerging artists. Her words were not just a call for equity but seemed to channel the same social critiques once posed by Degas himself through his backstage ballet scenes.
Roan’s appearance at the Grammys was more than just a fashion statement. It was a vivid celebration of history, art, and the perpetual journey of self-expression. With each change of attire and every word spoken, she intertwined the narratives of past and present, leaving an indelible mark on the stage and on the hearts of many.
Sihle Tana
I am a journalist with a passion for covering daily news in Africa. My work has taken me across the continent, reporting on significant events and stories that impact communities. I strive to bring insightful and comprehensive news coverage to my readers.
wow
Of course the Grammys had to turn a music award into a cosplay convention for dead French painters. Next they'll have someone show up as a Van Gogh haircut with earless earpieces.
It’s fascinating how Chappell intentionally bridged 19th-century artistic critique with 21st-century performance art. Degas didn’t just paint dancers-he revealed the labor behind the glamour. That’s exactly what she’s doing now: exposing the invisible work of emerging artists in an industry that eats them alive.
This is why the Grammys are a joke 🤡 Degas is rolling in his grave while some pop star wears his brushstrokes like a Halloween costume. Also, who approved the feather headpiece? That’s not art, that’s a bird that lost a fight.
idk why everyone's acting like this is deep. she just wore a dress with a painting on it. same as every other red carpet.
You ever notice how every time a celebrity does something artsy, the media immediately calls it 'bold' or 'revolutionary'? But if a real artist tried to do this at MoMA, they'd get kicked out for 'lack of conceptual integrity'. This isn't homage-it's cultural appropriation dressed up as activism. And the Acne Studios bow dress? That's corporate PR disguised as protest. They're all just selling the same thing: trauma as trend.
America thinks it invented art because it can slap a famous painter's name on a dress and call it 'cultural commentary'. Degas painted the truth about women's labor in 1880s Paris. This? This is a PR stunt by a label that doesn't even know what 'Belle Époque' means. If you're going to steal from history, at least learn the history first.
I must say, I find this entire spectacle to be an exquisite demonstration of artistic integrity meeting modern celebrity culture. The way she transitioned from Gaultier to Thom Browne to Acne Studios wasn’t merely sartorial-it was a narrative arc worthy of a Fellini film. The feathered headpiece? A deliberate nod to the fragility of female expression under patriarchal systems. And the bows? Symbolic of the ribbons tied around the wrists of silenced artists. Truly, this was not fashion. This was theology.
I just think it’s cool that someone used art to talk about real issues. The music industry is rough for new people. She didn’t just look good-she used the moment to say something.
Jean Paul Gaultier? Please. That dress was a 2003 relic-hardly couture. The real coup was the color grading in the broadcast. They desaturated the background to make the tulle pop, which is a textbook Degasian chiaroscuro manipulation. Amateur.
She didn’t win because of the dress. She won because the industry needed a distraction from their own corruption.
The precision of the costume transitions, paired with the deliberate pacing of her acceptance speech, reflects a profound understanding of performative symbolism. One cannot underestimate the significance of the bow’s placement-centered, not asymmetrical-as a visual metaphor for equilibrium in an otherwise unbalanced system.
Chappell’s whole night was a masterclass in turning pain into power. Every stitch, every feather, every pause before she spoke-it was all calculated to make people feel something. That’s what real art does. If you’re not moved by this, maybe you’re not looking deep enough. Keep your eyes open, and your heart open too. This is how change starts.
I’ve been watching her career since her first EP. This moment was years in the making. The way she used fashion to frame her message wasn’t just smart-it was necessary. The Grammys needed this. The industry needed this.
I love how she didn’t just wear Degas-she channeled his quiet rebellion. The gloves? The way she held her hands? That’s not styling. That’s history speaking. And to the people saying it’s performative? You’ve never been the one trying to be seen while being told to stay quiet.
The feather headpiece was clearly a reference to Degas’s study of ballerinas in rehearsal, but the real genius? She made the audience forget they were watching a pop star and remember they were watching a living painting. The entire night was a slow-motion gasp.