Dressing rising pop star Chappell Roan is about making the impossible happen without getting in trouble.
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The first time Genesis Webb metChappell Roan, at a 2023Vmagazine shoot, they clicked immediately.
I just want you to look sick.
Now, youd be hard-pressed to find a festival crowd famously full of half-fans!
that doesnt knowhow to arm-spell Hot to Go!
The singer also incorporates elements of drag: white face paint, heavy makeup, giant red hair.
I love burlesque outfits because theyre so dramatic and pretty and sparkly and intricate, she told Vulturein 2023.
Its why I love being a stylist, especially someone who doesnt just do full looks from the runway.
We start with a theme and then go, Okay, how can we make it campier, bigger?
Ahead, Webb details five of her seemingly impossible Chappell Roan looks.
.The Prosthetic Nose
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UMG Grammy Awards After-party +Good Luck, Babe!
Cover Art
The Backstory
I make mood boards for all of our projects together.
It details the overall styling vibe, but also makeup and hair.
Chappell makes Pinterest boards for me to get overall feelings of what she wants.
Were just putting ideas we like into one tangible look.
For the prosthetic nose, we were grappling with a lot of different ideas.
She was like, Lets doPenelope.
I dont know if its my secret to tell why she chose it.
That one felt right for a variety of reasons.
But she wanted to make it not serious.
I really liked this dress.
I dont care what we have to do.
The Necklace Lesson
I didnt anticipate that look being used for Good Luck Babe.
I just wish I wouldnt have used the necklace.
That necklace haunts me.
It just doesnt fit.
It shouldve been something else.
When you look at something for so long after its done, you find the errors.
Id just watchedPoor Things.
Chappell said she loved it too.
We always run through everything together; I send her pictures of things in real time.
Sourcing a Corset
I went to Palace, an appointment-only costume shop in L.A. Its all antique styling.
The petticoat is the only thing that we bought new, just to give some sort of shape.
But I love that its visible and not underneath.
It really matched this set that was made.
The bottoms probably are from the 1930s.
They match the gloves.
And then the boots are Betsey Johnson.
We had a fitting before we left.
It was the first time that I had traveled for a job.
From 2010 to 2013, Betsey had a chokehold on teen prom dresses.
She was able to take the 80s prom dress and update it to make it more modern.
People were saying she resembled drag queen Lil Poundcake, which it looks exactly like.
The cigarettes in the hair are my favorite part.
I was with my friend Hunter Clem, whos also a stylist.
I was just like,Okay, its Coachella.Everyones rich.
Thats hilarious to me.
Maybe the band has Eat the Rich; what should Chappell have?
And literally in sync, we said, Eat Me.
It was just funny.
It was truly not a statement at all literally having fun.
I think its very tongue in cheek.
Everything we do, I ask myself, Can this be onDrag Race?
Vivienne Westwood was our whole mood board for everything.
This is Zana Bayne leather, and shes a leather legend.
And then the latex is Busted and we had him do custom.
The necklace was borrowed from Violet Chachki …
I think the bracelet was also.
It was not that much time.
I was just scared of her missing her cue.
.The Impossible Butterfly
I love bringing to light old icons.
Coachella, Not Coachella
Sammy fromJackalope Landis who made it, and she did an impeccable job.
I didnt want it to look like I was dressing her to go to Coachella.
I had them in my room laid out on the floor for three months.
I dont think they were that hard to wear.
She had angel wings for her last tour, and she said those were way worse and way smaller.
I think this waistband here really helps.
And also theyre so big that you could just hit things by accident.
It was truly not a glamourous experience.
But I loved it.
And theyre worth it.