Ariana Grande’s dress was a fire hazard on the set of ‘Don’t Look Up’

Photos via Netflix

Manufacturers on set of Don’t look up worry Ariana Grande’s Valentino’s couture dress will catch fire during her duet performance with Kid Cudi.

Grande plays pop diva Riley Bina in the film, who raises awareness of impending doom in the world by hosting a concert with boyfriend DJ Chello, played by Cudi. For her performance, costume designer Susan Matheson chose a white dress with beaded feathers. Unfortunately, this choice comes with some safety risks.

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“The producers created the effect when people ran up to me to say they had fireworks going off next to Ariana, who was hanging from the ceiling,” Matheson said in an interview for Vogue. “They told me we had to fireproof the feathers, and I had to go, ‘Do you know what happens to the feathers when they get wet?’ Plus, I can’t let them touch it or set off fireworks anywhere near Ariana.”

Finally, Matheson found her way, and the fireworks were removed from the Grande and the designer gown. “We had to figure out how to do things safely,” Matheson said. “I may have yelled, but it’s a museum piece; I feel extremely protected.”

This wasn’t Matheson’s only challenge when building the look for Grande. One of the main difficulties is finding costumes that are different from the pop star’s real-life image. “I knew I had to do something that was the opposite of how Ariana looked in real life,” Matheson said. “I’ve looked through everything she’s ever worn in a music video or photographed at an event. I wanted to do something much more edgy than what we’re used to seeing in her. “

Matheson did an incredible job designing Grande’s unique look for Don’t Look Up, and the fire hazard dress is well worth the risk. Matheson achieved a unique look for the rest of the characters, and she happily revealed that Tiger King inspired Timothée Chalamet’s mullet.