Ariana Grande's pink ballgown and butterfly choker is a tribute to the OG Glinda
You'd be forgiven for thinking the Wicked press tour had already started, what with Ariana Grande's numerous appearances in Glinda the Good Witch's trademark pink. From the 2024 Oscars to CinemaCon as well as this year's Olympic games and most recently, whilst hosting Saturday Night Live, Ariana has adopted her character's style into nearly all of her appearances since filming wrapped on the movie musical at the beginning of the year.
In fact, it was the Australian premiere of Wicked last night [Sunday 3 November] that officially kicked off the cast's global press tour ahead of the movie's imminent release later this month. And if you thought Ariana's previous Wicked-inspired looks were good, you've seen nothing yet...
Arriving on the yellow brick road that fittingly replaced the red carpet found at most premieres, Ariana looked as if she'd shown up in one of her actual costumes.
Her pink ballgown consisted of an 18th-century style corset layered with soft pink tulle and embellished with light peach crystals in an exploding firework arrangement. Sheer sleeves with voluminous shoulders and a princess, layered tulle skirt with ruffle detailing completed the showstopping design, a custom creation by Vivienne Westwood Couture.
Ariana completed her ensemble with a ladylike top-handle handbag in pink satin, also from the British fashion house. She further accessorised with a sparkling silver diamond butterfly choker necklace by Lorraine Schwartz.
If you think Ariana's attire looks familiar, that's entirely intentional...
“We wanted to start this press tour off with a tribute to the beautiful Billie Burke’s Glinda from The Wizard of Oz,” Ariana told Vogue Australia. “The star bursts on the sleeves and corset were designed to resemble Glinda’s wand from the original The Wizard of Oz.” Similarly, the silhouette and colourway of the dress are pretty spot on for that of the dress worn by the Glinda of our childhoods, while the butterfly choker is an exact recreation.
“Our film, Wicked is a very thoughtful and detailed celebration of the land of Oz and the many iterations of these characters that have come before ours, so we thought it would be a beautiful place to start,” she continued. “I think I love [this dress] most of all because it walks the line of paying respect and homage to the Glinda we have known and loved since the original film, while also reinventing and modernising it, and making new choices, which was a balance I feel like I did my best to find as well for my performance in this film. It feels like a physical representation of my experience finding my Galinda.”
“From working on the mood boards [with Mimi Cuttrell, Ariana's stylist] to send to inspire the designers, to shopping for vintage pieces that make sense for this story we are telling, to the fittings, to this, here, now, celebrating the work we’ve done while being able to wear such special pieces is just such a beautiful experience. I’m just grateful that I don’t have to fully say goodbye just yet, and for the fashion, as it has played such a joyous role in that.”
Talk about a gorgeous interpretation of the iconic Glinda gown. We thought we were excited before, but we cannot wait for what other outfits Ariana has planned for the Wicked tour.
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