Olivia Rodrigo debuts Unraveled Tour with dissolving dress

Olivia Rodrigo launched her Unraveled Tour on September 25 at the People’s Bank Arena in Hartford, Connecticut, featuring a high-concept wardrobe designed by Hussein Chalayan. A centerpiece of the performance occurred during the song ‘the cure,’ where artificial rain caused Rodrigo’s white, water-reactive dress to dissolve, revealing a red corset bodysuit and miniskirt underneath.

The custom garment utilized polyvinyl alcohol fibers, a material Chalayan developed to react to liquid. This design choice was intended to visually represent the tour’s theme of being ‘unraveled’ and was inspired by the designer’s 2016 collection. The concert was structured into seasonal chapters—Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter—and included 25 songs, with a significant focus on tracks from her new album, ‘you seem pretty sad for a girl so in love’.

While many fans praised the performance as a piece of art, some social media reactions compared the dissolving fabric to ‘wet toilet paper.’ Additionally, Rodrigo’s tour schedule prevented her from attending the 2026 MTV VMAs, despite receiving four nominations including Best Pop and Best Alternative.