Under the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony, Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo weren't playing by the rules of someone else's style game.
While hundreds of athletes sailed down the Seine in their official uniforms—including Team USA in Ralph Lauren—the stars of Wicked ignored the sporty dress code and decided to method dress as their characters, Elphaba and Glinda the Good Witch, instead.
Working with longtime stylist Jason Bolden, Cynthia Erivo looked ready for the Emerald City in a custom deep green, strapless dress by Louis Vuitton. The high-shine satin number featured a corseted bodice and a full skirt with exaggerated, angular bustling at the hips. Erivo took her color-coordination seriously, matching her dress to a wide-brim, slanted hat, pointed-toe pumps, and a swirling green manicure.
Ariana Grande, meanwhile, tapped into Glinda the Good Witch's bubbly pink wardrobe. She and stylist Mimi Cuttrell pulled a Thom Browne dress with a high neckline, drop waist, and a demure bow detail. Grande accessorized with demure white gloves, pointed-toe pink heels, and Swarovski jewelry. The tiny bow on the front of her dress matched a hip-length ribbon tied to the back of her low bun.
For Grande and Erivo, it's not too early to start promoting their November film with their fashion. Ahead of Wicked's fall release, the pair have made several red carpet appearances in pink and emerald outfits referencing their characters.
So far, the 2024 Paris Olympics are as much a style competition as they are a celebration of sports. On the eve of the Opening Ceremony, stars gathered for a party at the Fondation Louis Vuitton museum in their athletics after dark best. Zendaya glimmered in a beaded Louis Vuitton gown, while Serena Williams abandoned tennis fashion for a sleek, style mogul suit. The next day, Lady Gaga got the festivities off to a haute couture start in her Opening Ceremony performance costume: a black Christian Dior ensemble incorporating a black bustier, black opera gloves, and miles of flamingo pink feathers.
So far, celebrities from Kaia Gerber to Chrissy Teigen have touched down in the City of Light. Fashion has always been a spectator sport, and between the many Olympic fashion collabs, tricked-out team uniforms, and famous faces in the stands, this year's Olympics will be one to watch for more than gold medals.
