Olivia Dean Proves She's Gen Z's Adele in a Nostalgic Richard Quinn Ballgown
Then, she switched into something more performance-friendly.
As a 23-year-old, I can confidently say Olivia Dean is my generation's Adele. The rising British pop star shares Adele's smooth-as-silk, neo-soul sound and her love of nostalgic fashion, too. On November 19, Dean stole the show at the 2025 ARIA Awards in a fresh-off-the-runway, Adele-coded ballgown.
If you needed more proof Dean is a fashion girl, she "flew 24hrs for this dress"— her words, not mine. Mere days after her Saturday Night Live performance, she popped up in Sydney, Australia, to serenade the audience with her Grammy-nominated hit, "Man I Need." Beforehand, however, her custom-made red carpet look got a proper close-up.
Dean's stylist, Simone Beyene, teamed up with Richard Quinn to reimagine Look 9 from the 56-piece Spring 2026 collection. Even so, its foundation featured many of the same elements, beginning with a drop-waist bodice. Hundreds of black beads mimicked florals, which complemented the oversize rosette atop her strapless neckline. Zoom in to appreciate the velvet bow underneath its ivory petals.
Olivia Dean looked every bit Gen Z's Adele in a bubble-hem ballgown.
Dean's crisp taffeta skirt flared out below her hips, just like the original Spring 2026 design. The voluminous, petticoated piece tapped into the bubble-hem trend with a high-low silhouette.
From there, the "Dive" singer took creative liberties: first, her strapless bust was missing criss-cross halter-neck velvet. On the catwalk, the model accessorized with opera-length gloves, also in black velvet. Dean opted for gold hoop earrings, a single $9,400 Cartier bangle, and pointy Jimmy Choo pumps instead.
A model wore a version of Olivia's Richard Quinn gown on the Spring 2026 runway.
Once it was time to take center stage, Dean traded her Adele-ish ballgown for something more dance-friendly. Rachel Gilbert's Posie Mini made the cut—presumably for its flat metallic sequins, which stretched from the spaghetti-slim straps to the fringed thigh-length hem. She chose the gold colorway, though the Australian brand also offers it in white and blue. That way, the $1,695 mini matched her yellow gold Cartier jewels.
During the show, Olivia was all smiles in a fringed mini dress.
The newly-minted Grammy nominee is certainly one to watch on the style front—in case you hadn't gathered that from her stint as Sabrina Carpenter's Short n' Sweet tour opener. Each night, she boogied in another retro-inspired dress, either from Rodarte, Diotima, or Clio Peppiatt.
Just this weekend, she made waves for her Saturday Night Live selects, both created just for her by Versace. New creative director Dario Vitale gifted her a baby pink column gown with major Adele-approved glamour. For her second song, she switched things up in a metallic mini dress, which drew inspiration from Vitale's Spring 2026 show. It seems Dean's forthcoming solo tour, The Art of Loving Live, will share the same major designer tags as her pop predecessors.
