Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo Grace the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony in Their 'Wicked' Best

They heard "Paris" but not "Olympics."

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande attend the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony wearing dresses referencing their 'Wicked' Characters
(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande attend the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony in paris france

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande posed together in front of the Eiffel Tower at the 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Cynthia Erivo attends the 2024 Olympics opening ceremony wearing a green dress and matching hat

Cynthia Erivo tapped into Elphaba's penchant for Emerald City green in a strapless gown styled by Jason Bolden.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Ariana Grande attends the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony wearing a pink thom browne dress and coordinating shoes

Ariana Grande channeled her sugar-sweet character in a pink dress by Thom Browne.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

Lady Gaga performs at the 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony wearing a black Dior outfit

Lady Gaga gave her Moulin Rouge best in a black Christian Dior outfit.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

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.

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Halie LeSavage
Senior News Editor (Fashion & Beauty)

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 including stylist Alison Bornstein and J.Crew womenswear creative director Olympia Gayot, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty 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 trends—like the rise of doll-like Mary Janes or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. (She 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. Halie 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 was awarded 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.