Olivia Rodrigo’s Concert Outfit Does Something I’ve Never Seen Before

Olivia Rodrigo’s Dress Literally Melted Off During Her Concert

Okay, I have seen plenty of outfit changes at concerts, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one quite like this.

Olivia Rodrigo kicked off her Unraveled Tour in Hartford, Connecticut, on September 25, and there’s one moment from the show that has been making its way around social media.

Her dress literally melted away while she was wearing it.

During her performance of “The Cure,” Rodrigo stood on a stage in the middle of the crowd as artificial rain started pouring down on her. She was wearing a light-colored, collared mini dress, but as the water continued to fall, the fabric slowly started breaking apart.

Before long, the entire outer dress had dissolved, revealing a red lace corseted outfit underneath.

So, How Does a Dress Just Melt Away?

This is where it gets really cool.

The dress was custom designed by Hussein Chalayan, a designer known for mixing fashion with technology. The outer layer was made from a special paper-like material designed to dissolve when it comes into contact with water.

And apparently, there was a lot of testing that went into getting this moment just right.

The dress needed to dissolve at the right speed while Rodrigo stood underneath pouring water all while she was, you know, still trying to perform a song.

Chalayan has actually played around with this idea before. Back in 2015, he debuted water-soluble clothing as part of his Spring/Summer 2016 collection. Models stood underneath showers as portions of their outfits dissolved, revealing completely different looks underneath.

Getty Images

It Fits the Tour Pretty Perfectly

The coolest part might be that this wasn’t just a random concert trick.

Rodrigo’s tour is called the Unraveled Tour, so having an outfit literally unravel and disappear in front of the crowd fits the theme pretty perfectly.

What looks like a wild wardrobe change is actually a mix of fashion, engineering and some pretty creative concert storytelling.

I’ve seen quick changes, trap doors and plenty of elaborate concert costumes before, but having your dress actually dissolve off of you while you’re singing?

That’s a new one.