Adele's Custom Gown Is a "Bridge Between Worlds"—and a Milestone First for Her Las Vegas Residency

In a 'Marie Claire' exclusive, designer Gaurav Gupta explains how it came together.

Adele performs onstage in Las Vegas wearing a sculptural dress by Gaurav Gupta
(Image credit: Raven B. Varona, courtesy of Gaurav Gupta)

On Oct. 26, Adele glided back onstage at the Colosseum Theater at Caesars Palace to resume her Weekends With Adele residency in front of a sold-out crowd. The Grammy- and Oscar-winning artist appeared in a custom Gaurav Gupta Couture gown with the same aura as her most belt-worthy power ballads. Inspired by a piece from the designer's Spring 2024 couture collection, her midnight-black dress featured a sculptural, asymmetric, off-the-shoulder drape that extended into a full skirt and a dramatic train.

Adele's look—named the "Cosmic Black Saturn Orbit Gown"—was crafted by five artisans over 93 hours. A trellis of darkly glittering embellishments, snaking from the structural bodice down the skirt, is comprised of 2,880 hand-set crystals. All those stats are overshadowed by one more important number. This Weekends With Adele gown marks the first time she's ever been dressed by an Indian designer—both for her Las Vegas residency and for a major appearance, period.

Adele backstage at her Weekends With Adele show wearing a sculptural gown and Old Hollywood waves

Adele backstage before her Weekends With Adele performance.

(Image credit: Raven B. Varona, courtesy of Gaurav Gupta)

a sketch of Adele wearing a black dress from Gaurav Gupta for the return of her weekend concert series in Las Vegas

A sketch of Adele's custom design by Gaurav Gupta.

(Image credit: Gaurav Gupta)

In a red carpet and concert tour economy dominated by luxury labels based in Paris, Milan, and London, Adele's choice to perform in Gaurav Gupta is a significant one. (She also tends to wear labels like Burberry and Louis Vuitton.) By sweeping onstage in her custom-creation—born from a collaboration between Gupta and her stylist, Jamie Mizrahi—the "21" singer is introducing a new audience to an entire lens on couture fashion.

"To see [Adele] embodying a piece rooted in Indian couture for the first time feels like a bridge between worlds," Gupta tells Marie Claire. "Being part of this full-circle iconic and sensational moment was beyond gratifying, a testament to how fashion can be woven into unforgettable experiences."

a close-up of a person stitching beads on to Adele's dress for her performance

A close-up of Adele's gown, which took 93 hours to create.

(Image credit: Courtesy Gaurav Gupta)

Adele's dress for her Las Vegas performance on a mannequin as a person adjusts it

Each embellishment on the gown was hand-placed.

(Image credit: Gaurav Gupta)

a close up of a person adjusting one of adele's dresses for her las vegas residency

Adele performed in the gown for two consecutive nights.

(Image credit: Gaurav Gupta)

The dress marries Adele's on-stage signatures—an Old Hollywood palette and over-the-top volume—with Gupta specialities, including the wing-like sculpted shoulder detailing and the meticulously-placed beads. All in all, it's "inspired by the ethereal power of her voice, presence, and grace," the designer says.

Adele performs onstage at Weekends with Adele in a custom Gaurav Gupta dress

Adele performing onstage in her custom gown.

(Image credit: Raven B. Varona, courtesy of Gaurav Gupta)

Adele performing in her custom dress by Gaurav Gupta at Weekends With Adele

Adele performing onstage in her custom gown.

(Image credit: Raven B. Varona, courtesy of Gaurav Gupta)

Adele would wear her gown two times in a row: First for Weekends With Adele's return grand opening, then the following night with Céline Dion in the audience. Videos of the two powerhouses connecting mid-performance, with hugs, hand-holding, and a few tears, quickly went viral after the Oct. 27 show. The Colosseum Theater was originally built in 2003 for Dion's first Las Vegas residency; her presence at the show, as she battles a health condition impacting her ability to perform, was a literal and figurative passing of the baton.

A designer couldn't dream up a more poignant moment for their custom couture to make its debut. "Creating this gown for Adele was not only a personal honor, but became so much more when she wore it during such a significant moment," Gupta says. It's style history made twice over.

Halie LeSavage
Senior Fashion & Beauty News Editor

Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”

Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.