A new film Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, tells the story of a fashion designer creating a comeback dress for a pop star. To celebrate its release, we have ranked 20 of the most unforgettable onstage dresses worn by pop icons. From PJ Harvey's gothic ensemble to Grace Jones's colossal Keith Haring creation, these looks are as memorable as the performances themselves.
20. PJ Harvey
In 2016, PJ Harvey performed at the O2 Academy in Brixton, London, wearing a gothic, avian-inspired dress by Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester. Described as a "fabulously turned-out carrion crow," the outfit epitomized her dramatic yet pared-back stage aesthetic. Harvey noted, "For me, it’s about the ability to meet the world. And it is a second skin, isn’t it? It’s protection, as well." This marked a shift from her earlier Spice Girls co-ords and hot-pink catsuits.
19. Lily Allen
Lily Allen wore what has been called the ultimate revenge dress during her West End Girl tour in Chicago. The dress was printed with enlarged images of receipts linked to her ex-husband's alleged affair. As she performed the song 4Chan Stan, she unfurled the dress to reveal credit card transactions and texts. Created with co-creative director Anna Fleische and stylist Mel Ottenberg, it was a piece of pop performance art.
18. Harry Styles
Harry Styles wore a bespoke blue and white gingham Gucci dress for "Harryween" at Madison Square Garden in 2021, dressing as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz. Accessorized with ruby slippers and a stuffed Toto, the look was lighthearted and playful. It marked a peak in his collaboration with Gucci and delighted fans, contrasting with his more aloof Brit awards outfit.
17. Joni Mitchell
Joni Mitchell wore a marigold-orange dress with turquoise jewelry at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival. The performance was described by Mitchell as "a bit of a disaster" due to a rowdy crowd, but she called them out, winning them over. The vivid dress was a departure from her usual boho aesthetic, helping her stand out on a challenging day.
16. Geri Horner (Halliwell)
Geri Horner's Union Jack dress, worn at the 1997 Brit Awards, became an iconic symbol of Britpop and Blair-mania. The dress was a black Gucci number by Tom Ford with a tea towel sewn on the front. It was later auctioned for £41,000 to the Hard Rock Cafe and resurrected by Roberto Cavalli for the Spice Girls' 2007 comeback tour.
15. Björk
Björk's dress for the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremony featured 210 meters of fabric that expanded across the stadium floor. She said, "I represent the ocean and the idea is that my dress floods the stadium." Other notable looks include the clam shell helmet at Bestival in 2011 and Noir Kei Ninomiya's otherworldly design at Coachella in 2023.
14. Rosalía
Rosalía wore a custom design by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood at the Brits in Manchester in 2026. The operatic and dramatic look complemented her soaring music and thrilling strings from her Lux tour. It was one of many high-drama outfits she donned for the sold-out performances.
13. Grace Slick
Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane headlined Woodstock in 1969 wearing a white fringed tunic-dress over flares. The deliberate color choice contrasted with the surrounding tie-dye. The dress featured snail-shell buttons, reflecting her connection to nature. Slick recalled, "I thought, ‘August – it will be hot and dry on the East Coast."
12. Diana Ross
Diana Ross wore a Bob Mackie design for a performance on The Midnight Special in 1976. Though dramatic, it was one of her more demure looks compared to the colossal dress with an 18-foot train she wore to the 2025 Met Gala. Mackie was known for dressing divas, and Ross set the bar for many of today's pop stars.
11. Amy Winehouse
Amy Winehouse wore an acid-print halter dress designed by her friend and longtime stylist Naomi Parry for her final concert in Belgrade in 2011. The dress married her 60s-inspired style with indie sleaze. Parry had designed a whole collection for what would have been Winehouse's summer tour that year.
10. Madonna
Madonna wore a flamenco-inspired dress with corsetry and flounces on her 1987 Who's That Girl world tour to perform La Isla Bonita. The look gave a taste of the theatricality she would become known for, though it was not as iconic as the Jean Paul Gaultier bra from her 1990 Blond Ambition tour.
9. Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift's powder-blue split-shoulder embellished Alberta Ferretti dress, worn for the Folklore segment of her Eras Tour, was showstopping and elegant. The dress stood out among her massive tour wardrobe of 44 songs and 10 eras. Swift looked good in blue with a red lip, making this a memorable stage look.
8. MIA
MIA performed at the 2009 Grammys while heavily pregnant, wearing a creation by British designer Henry Holland. She went into labor within hours of the performance. The dress sparked online backlash, but MIA was a frontrunner for pregnant performers on stage, predating Rihanna's 2023 Super Bowl reveal.
7. Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker wore a flamingo-pink gown for her 50th anniversary concert in Paris in 1975, one of her last performances before her death weeks later. Known for her banana skirt, Baker's onstage looks inspired Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Aretha Franklin. She was also a wartime spy and civil rights activist.
6. Tina Turner
Tina Turner's flaming dress, designed by Bob Mackie, was also worn by Cher and later Beyoncé in tribute. The over-the-hip-bone slits were a touch of genius. Mackie said, "When she was on stage she became rock’n’roll." The dress was displayed at the V&A's 2023 Diva exhibition.
5. Debbie Harry
Debbie Harry wore a plain white T-shirt as a dress in 1979, matching her low-key bubblegum punk style. The simple look, as if she had found it on her boyfriend's bathroom floor, complemented her cheekbones and skin. Harry loved T-shirts, famously the Doctor X one.
4. Beyoncé
Beyoncé wore a Peter Dundas creation for Roberto Cavalli at the 2017 Grammys. The dress took 50 people a week to embroider and featured her own face, references to the Yoruba goddess Oshun, and lyrics from Love Drought. Beyoncé was pregnant with twins at the time, and the dress was topped with a halo.
3. Cher
Cher wore a Bob Mackie illusion gown on her variety show Cher in the 1970s. Mackie took Cher from crochet and flares to ab-baring naked dresses. The gowns were fun and sexy, and Cher would emerge from a cover-up with an insouciant clap. Watching a newly single woman in her 20s transform into a butterfly was profound.
2. Rihanna
Rihanna wore a black custom Vivienne Westwood gown at the 2012 Victoria's Secret show. The look included lace gloves, thigh-high Gucci boots, a pearl choker, and Chanel sunglasses. It was a simpler time when celebrities were not always contractually obliged to wear head-to-toe looks by one fashion house.
1. Grace Jones
Grace Jones wore a Keith Haring creation for a 1987 New Year's Eve performance at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. The dress was 60 feet high, more of an extravaganza than a garment. Haring attended in jeans and a tee. Jones revisited the look for her Meltdown festival in 2022, and it still felt ahead of its time.
