Dua Lipa Pours Herself Into a Cherry Red Corset Gown With a Sweeping Merlot Cape at Her Intimate London Concert

The British pop star wore an elegant archival design from Jean Paul Gaultier for the occasion.

Dua Lipa wearing a red gown with a merlot cape at a london concert
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dua Lipa looked more elegant than ever before in a cherry red corset gown at London’s Royal Albert Hall, where she held an intimate concert amid her Radical Optimism tour. Backed up by a 53-piece orchestra, a 14-person choir, and a seven-person band instead of dancers, the British pop star belted out soulful renditions of her pop music hits, including "Training Season," "Be the One," and "Levitating."

Normally, Dua Lipa dresses like she's headed to the club right after her shows. Many of her outfits on and off the stage tend to favor studded leather, lingerie-inspired black lace, and strategic cut-outs. Her costuming throughout the Oct. 17 evening performance, however, mirrored the historic venue's stately vibe. Standing at the center of a swirling custom catwalk, she performed in a fiery red bustier dress with a sweetheart neckline, boned bodice, and daring thigh-high slit.

A photo of Dua Lipa wearing a crimson corset dress

Dua Lipa wears a crimson corset dress to perform a special show at London’s Royal Albert Hall.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Likely styled and commissioned by Lorenzo Posocco—with whom Dua Lipa has worked for years—the gown was accessorized with a sweeping merlot-colored cape and matching burgundy opera gloves. The look was a testament to the bright red color trend that dominated last year, as well as the wine-red trend that seems to be gradually replacing it. Lily Collins, Jenna Ortega, Jennifer Lawrence, and Quinta Brunson have all been spotted taking shades of black cherry and pinot noir for a spin in recent weeks. The hue made a big splash on the Fall 2024 runways at Tory Burch, Prada, and Ferragamo, as well as on the Spring 2024 runways at Gucci and Bottega Veneta.

A photo of Dua Lipa singing in a strapless red dress with a wine-colored cape

Dua Lipa sings in a strapless red dress wrapped with a wine-colored cape from Jean Paul Gaultier.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dua's red-hot look appears to be a modern recreation of a gown from Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2001 Couture collection, which debuted in Paris. The original design was shown in a blush pink color with a gauzy black cape and bright red opera gloves.

A photo of a model showing off a blush pink corset dress from Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring Summer 2001 couture collection in Paris, France.

A model shows off Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2001 couture collection in Paris, France.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Dua, of course, put her own spin on the archival design by pairing it with oxblood ankle-strap stiletto heels and old Hollywood-style brunette waves.

A photo of Dua Lipa in a modern recreation of a gown from Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2001 Couture collection.

Dua Lipa croons in a modern recreation of a gown from Jean Paul Gaultier's Spring 2001 Couture collection.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Near the end of her set, she changed into a black ball gown-inspired two-piece set embellished with silver chain hardware, a fluffy feather collar, and a sheer tulle skirt before inviting Elton John on stage for a duet of their 2021 single "Cold Heart." You'll have watch clips from the concert in order to see the stunning second look, but luckily, TikTok already has you covered.

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Hanna Lustig
Staff Writer

Hanna Lustig is a staff writer at Marie Claire, where she gets to gab every day about the topics she holds most dear: fashion, beauty, and celebrity. Hanna’s editorial journey began with formative internships at Elle and InStyle, where she was lucky enough to work for some of the smartest women in media while she was still in college at the University of Tennessee. Hanna then accepted a digital culture reporting fellowship at Insider, where she helped carve out a new beat dedicated to covering influencers. Those experiences later served her well as a staff writer at Glamour, where she developed a knack for spinning quick turnaround celebrity news and trend reporting into juicy feature stories. Some of her greatest hits include an earnest ode to the no-pants trend, this meticulously reported feature exploring the rise of endoscopic facelifts, this snappy take on the Chanel-designed fantasy of Sofia Richie’s wedding, this tribute to WAGs past and present, and this timeline of Katie Holmes’s life and career as told through her denim collection.

Diane Keaton once hung up on Hanna during an interview, but thankfully that mishap did not derail what has otherwise been a deeply fulfilling career writing for and about women. As one of Marie Claire's resident experts on style and culture, her current coverage ranges from exploring TikTok's contrast makeup theory and the return of the boat shoe trend to interviews with costume designers for hit shows like Nobody Wants This and The Penguin. When she’s not at work, Hanna can probably be found listening to pop music, talking to her dog, and gossiping with her best friends. For more of Hanna’s perfect opinions on pop culture, you can follow her on Instagram and X.