KEY POINT
- Rodrigo debuted the transforming look while performing “The Cure” on Sept. 25 at PeoplesBank Arena in Hartford.
- The white outer dress gradually broke down under water to expose a fire-red corseted bodysuit and miniskirt.
- The design revisits Hussein Chalayan’s spring 2016 runway experiment featuring garments designed to dissolve when exposed to water.
The unusual costume appeared during the climax of “The Cure,” when artificial rain began falling over Rodrigo. Her initial look was a pristine white collared mini dress with a pleated skirt, but the material began disintegrating as the performance continued.
The transformation revealed a fire-red corseted bodysuit paired with a miniskirt, turning the song’s repeated “I’m unraveled” lyric into a visual part of the performance. Rather than relying on a conventional backstage costume change, Rodrigo remained onstage while the clothing itself became part of the choreography.
The outfit was custom designed and developed by Hussein Chalayan, whose work has repeatedly explored how clothing can change form through technology, movement and engineered materials.
Rodrigo’s performance draws directly from Chalayan’s spring 2016 collection. In that presentation, two models wearing white, military-inspired paper garments stood beneath concealed showerheads before water caused the outer layers to dissolve.
The disappearing garments exposed palm-patterned dresses decorated with Swarovski crystals. Chalayan’s team reportedly spent about six months developing the water-reactive material, making the collection an example of fashion being treated as an engineered performance rather than simply a finished garment.
The concept also fits the broader visual language of Rodrigo’s tour wardrobe. Her recent stage style has combined grungy elements, vintage references and feminine silhouettes, including a white ruffled babydoll dress, graphic T-shirts, micro shorts, leather pieces, vintage jeans and Vans.
Chalayan’s earlier work similarly challenged conventional ideas about what clothing could do. His designs have incorporated mechanical components, lasers, LEDs and other transformative elements, while one of his best-known creations turned a coffee table into a wooden skirt.
Rodrigo’s version shifts Chalayan’s experimental idea from a runway setting into a large-scale concert performance. The disappearing white dress provides a physical interpretation of “unraveled,” connecting the title of the tour with a transformation that audiences can watch happen in real time.
The Hartford shows marked the first two nights of The Unraveled Tour, with Rodrigo continuing to build its visual identity through fashion as well as music.
