To celebrate the release of the film Mother Mary, starring Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel, in which a fashion designer creates a comeback dress for a pop star, we weigh up the best performative looks.
20. PJ Harvey
Dressed like a fabulously turned-out carrion crow, Harvey wore a gothic, avian-like get-up to perform her ninth album, The Hope Six Demolition Project, in Brixton, south London, in 2016. The dress, by Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester, epitomises her more dramatic stage looks.
19. Lily Allen
Allen wore a dress printed with enlarged images of receipts on stage in Chicago, linked to an alleged affair by her ex-husband. The piece of pop performance art was created with co-creative director Anna Fleische and stylist Mel Ottenberg.
18. Harry Styles
Styles wore a bespoke blue and white gingham dress by Gucci for his Harryween concert at Madison Square Garden in 2021, accessorised with red ruby slippers and a stuffed Toto. The look was lighthearted and gave fans what they wanted.
17. Joni Mitchell
Mitchell wore a marigold-orange dress with turquoise jewellery at the 1970 Isle of Wight festival. Despite a rowdy crowd, she called them out and won them over, proving her strength and style.
16. Geri Horner (Halliwell)
Horner wore a union jack dress at the 1997 Brit awards, a Gucci number with a tea towel sewn on the front. It became shorthand for a camper side of Britpop and was later auctioned for £41,000.
15. Björk
Björk wore a dress with 210 metres of fabric at the Athens Olympics in 2004, representing the ocean. The look was one of many sensational costumes she has worn over 30 years.
14. Rosalía
Rosalía wore a custom design by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood at the Brits in Manchester in 2026. The high-drama look complements her soaring, operatic music.
13. Grace Slick
Slick wore a white fringed tunic-dress over flares at Woodstock in 1969, cementing her role as a hippy pin-up. The colour choice was deliberate, contrasting with the tie-dye around her.
12. Diana Ross
Ross wore a Bob Mackie dress on The Midnight Special in 1976. The design set the bar for many today's popstars, though it was one of her more demure looks.
11. Amy Winehouse
Winehouse wore an acid-print halter dress by Naomi Parry for her final concert in Belgrade in 2011. The look married her 60s-inspired style with indie sleaze.
10. Madonna
Madonna wore a flamenco-inspired dress with corsetry on her Who's That Girl tour in 1987, giving a flavour of the sartorial drama to come. The look preceded her iconic Jean Paul Gaultier bra.
9. Taylor Swift
Swift wore a powder-blue split-shoulder embellished Alberta Ferretti dress for the Folklore segment of her Eras Tour. The look was showstopping, elegant, and ethereal.
8. MIA
MIA wore a Henry Holland dress at the Grammys in 2009 while very pregnant, facing backlash from bloggers. She was a frontrunner for popstars performing while pregnant.
7. Josephine Baker
Baker wore a flamingo-pink gown for her final concert in Paris in 1975 at age 68. The look epitomised her flamboyant style, which belied her talents as a spy and activist.
6. Tina Turner
Turner wore a flaming dress with over-the-hip-bone slits by Bob Mackie. The dress was later worn by Cher and Beyoncé, and displayed at the V&A in 2023.
5. Debbie Harry
Harry wore a plain white T-shirt as a dress in 1979, matching her low-key bubblegum punk style. The look was simple but iconic.
4. Beyoncé
Beyoncé wore a Peter Dundas creation at the Grammys in 2017, embroidered with her face and references to the Yoruba goddess Oshun. The dress took 50 people a week to make.
3. Cher
Cher wore a Bob Mackie illusion gown on her variety show Cher. The look symbolised her emergence into a solo career after her divorce.
2. Rihanna
Rihanna wore a custom Vivienne Westwood gown at the Victoria's Secret show in 2012, paired with lace gloves and Gucci boots. The look was top-tier.
1. Grace Jones
Jones wore a 60ft-high Keith Haring creation for a New Year's Eve concert in 1987. The look was less a dress and more an extravaganza, still feeling ahead of its time.
