Everyone’s still talking about Chappell Roan after she wore that super explicit sheer red dress attached to her nipples to the Grammys, but she wasn’t actually the first person to wear it.
The outrageous dress is an almost identical recreation of a gown that Thierry Mugler designed for his 1998 Spring/Summer fashion show, and it was worn on the runway by a Belgian model and actress called Erica Vanbriel. Mugler’s original dress was black, but apart from that, it was practically the same, with a long, sheer piece of chiffon attached to the model’s nipple rings.
In the same way as Roan, Vanbriel started with a matching sheer black cape over the top, then stripped down on the runway to reveal the x-rated dress. They also both wore a choker-style necklace and black strappy heels. It was a moment that rocked the fashion world almost 30 years ago and has gone down in history as one of the fashion house’s greatest runway looks of all time.
Credit: David Fisher/Shutterstock and Miquel Benitez/Shutterstock
Speaking about the dress in an interview with Byline, the model explained that she got her nipples pierced, and that actually inspired Mugler to make the x-rated outfit.
“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. Thierry got really excited, and then I got really excited. Thierry thought it was a great idea, and he was aiming for a Greek goddess style,” she said.
Not everyone knew that the dress was attached to her actual nipples. Roan wore a prosthetic with silicon nipples on the Grammys red carpet, so it wasn’t quite as risqué as the original.
Credit: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock and Miquel Benitez/Shutterstock
“It was funny because not everyone knew the dress was attached to my nipples. People pulled from the back of the dress, and I was like no don’t do that! I think I have pretty sturdy nipples, so it worked out. I had a model even step on the back of my train right before I walked out. It hurt a little bit,” the model said.
Social media obviously wasn’t a thing back then, but it had exactly the same reaction as when the singer stepped out at the Grammys, and got everyone talking.
Vanbriel recalled: “I distinctly remember the silence when I stepped out on the runway, it was very serene, and 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. 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?”
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Featured image credit: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock and David Fisher/Shutterstock
