The red carpet outside Crypto.com Arena always delivers at least one moment that hijacks the night’s early headlines.
On February 1, the focus snapped to Chappell Roan before the ceremony even got underway.
Roan arrived as a major nominee, with “The Subway” up for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.
Her name was already on the must watch list, but the cameras quickly zeroed in on something else.
At first glance, it was a classic red carpet escalation: sheer fabric, dramatic movement, and a silhouette designed to be photographed from every angle.
Fashion coverage described a wine toned Mugler look, paired with a flowing sheer cape, that leaned hard into theatrical styling.
Then the details started to land, one by one.
Reports noted elaborate faux tattoo work, including a large lace style design across her back, created with makeup artist Andrew Dahling in collaboration with MAC Cosmetics.
Dahling said the tattoo element changed the entire tone of the look once it came together.
“We started with this very archival, full, bare moment,” he explained, adding, “Once the tattoos came into play, everything became very medieval… grounded.”
Midway through the arrivals, the reason fans kept replaying the footage became impossible to miss.
The sheer maroon Mugler gown was reported to be draped from faux nipples and faux nipple rings, creating the topless illusion that sparked instant debate online.
Vogue linked the design back to Thierry Mugler’s 1998 couture, reinterpreted for the house by Miguel Castro Freitas.
A body language breakdown added fuel to the story, arguing that her posture was the real headline.
“Off the scale confidence from Chappell Roan,” said Darren Stanton, pointing to her stance and a “chin thrust” gesture as signs of strength.
But the most viral twist did not come from the dress construction or the tattoos.
It came from a sudden red carpet interruption that caught her mid pose and sparked a new wave of comments.
Jamie Foxx tells Chappell Roan how much his kids love her while on the #Grammys red carpet pic.twitter.com/HH3qx0hnSg
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 2, 2026
In clips circulating online, Corinne Foxx and Anelise Bishop appeared alongside Jamie Foxx as he approached Roan to share that his kids love her, before she was quickly guided back to her photos.
As he backed away, Foxx could be heard repeating a quick apology that fans immediately latched onto.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, a blink and you miss it line that turned her headline making look into the night’s most replayed red carpet moment.
Featured Image Credit: (The Hollywood Reporter/X)
