Chappell Roan had a close call before taking the stage as the musical guest on Saturday Night Live in November. In a recent interview with Canadian journalist Nardwuar, the 26-year-old singer revealed that her performance almost went off-track due to a major wardrobe malfunction just moments before going on air.
Roan was wearing a stunning, form-fitting white-jeweled gown for her performance of “Pink Pony Club,” but moments before walking on stage, the dress ripped down the back. “It ripped all the way down the back right before I walked on stage,” she shared. “I had to have SNL‘s in-house seamstress… sew me into the dress.”
When Nardwuar asked about her wardrobe upkeep, Roan explained, “They smell crazy, yeah. I don’t know if I clean it. I just put it in a bag and put it back on the rack.”
Roan’s show-stopping look included a voluminous red wig with silver streaks, bold dark makeup, and a large jeweled spider brooch—a subtle Halloween tribute. She debuted the song “Pink Pony Club” seated on a throne-like chair, complete with a jewel-encrusted spider bracelet. For her second performance, she switched gears to debut her country-style track, “The Giver,” wearing a pink and white gingham bralette, matching shorts, and cowboy boots, along with her backing singers in similar country-inspired outfits.
When asked if she ever reuses outfits, Roan replied, “I would love to, but my stylist is like, we gotta keep it moving.”
Roan is known for her daring, theatrical fashion choices, drawing inspiration from drag queens, horror movies, and theater. In June, she shocked audiences at New York’s Governors Ball music festival, where she performed in an all-green Statue of Liberty-inspired look. For her SNL promo, she wore a striking blue and green burlesque-style outfit designed by Project Runway alum Gunnar Deatherage. The elaborate design, featuring dragonfly wings and an oversized headpiece, drew significant attention.
Deatherage later shared the creative process behind the dramatic look on social media, explaining that the outfit was inspired by 1900s burlesque dancers. “As we kept building the look, it was clear that it needed to be seen in a stationary moment, not on stage jumping around,” he explained. “We didn’t want to restrict Chappell from being herself on stage.”
Through these bold fashion choices and performances, Roan continues to make her mark as one of pop’s most intriguing and boundary-pushing artists.
