Chappell Roan revives 1998 nipple piercing dress that once caused people to ‘wince’

‘Subway’ singer wore a burgundy Mugler dress suspended from her nipples before changing into a more demure number to present the Best New Artist award at the Grammys

Chappell Roan turned heads on the Grammys red carpet wearing a sheer burgundy Mugler dress suspended from her nipples, a design recreated from the house’s spring 1998 collection.

The “Subway” singer, nominated for two awards at the ceremony on Sunday night, posed for cameras with the delicate fabric hanging from hoop rings attached to her nipples, featuring a low black revealing a large henna design and more body art across her decolletage, torso and arms.

Unlike Bianca Censori’s shock-value naked ensemble at the 2025 Grammys, Roan reportedly wore prosthetic covers under the Mugler design to conceal her nipples.

The dress, reimagined by the brand’s creative director Miguel Castro Freitas for the fashion house’s spring/summer 2026 collection, was paired with a choker, dangling earrings and gladiator-style heeled sandals, complemented by Roan’s signature hair cascading down her chest.

The original dress was designed by Thierry Mugler in 1998, which proved shocking when it appeared on the spring/summer runway as part of the “Jeu de Paume” collection.

Chappell Roan in Miguel Castro Freitas’s reimagined Mugler dress (Getty)

The New York Times, in its contemporaneous review of the collection, noted that “one could wince when the nipple dress arrived.”

It was modelled by Mugler’s muse, the Belgian model and actor Erica Vanbriel, who bared her own pierced nipples for the look. The black muslin-style material was attached to the hoop rings on her nipples, and she wore a matching cape covering her shoulders.

Reflecting on the story behind the dress, Vanbriel told Byline Byline that Mugler was aiming for a “Greek goddess style” when he created the look.

“I had my nipples pierced and I guess the word spread very fast. Next thing I knew, Thierry said I have a dress for you and I’m going to hang it off your nipples. It’s going to be a light muslin material,” she recalled.

Mugler’s muse, Erica Vanbriel, was the first to model the dress in 1998 (Miquel Benitez/Shutterstock)

Recalling walking down the runway in the dress, she said the room felt serene.

“You could hear people talking about it as copious cameras flashed in my eyes. It was a little bit nerve-racking, and I remember thinking oh my goodness, here I am with my boobs out,” she said.

“But on the other hand, it is Mugler, it's sexy, it's hot, it’s daring, and it's out there. Mugler had my back you know?”

Roan wore henna designs and body art as part of her Grammys look (Getty Images)

Freitas had reinterpreted the dress for the fashion house’s spring/summer 2026 collection, this time in a nude-colored fabric printed with silver stars. Roan’s dress was a custom offshoot from that reimagined collection.

The 2026 Grammy Awards were hosted by Trevor Noah at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, featuring performances from Justin Bieber, Addison Rae, Tyler, the Creator, and more.

Belgian model Erica Vanbriel said it was ‘nerve-wracking’ modelling the dress on the runway (Miquel Benitez/Shutterstock)

Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny took home the top prize for Album of the Year, while Kendrick Lamar and SZA won Record of the Year for their single “Luther.”

Roan changed into a more demure look to present the award for Best New Artist to British singer Olivia Dean, a trophy won by the “Pink Pony Club” singer a year prior.