Olivia Rodrigo has confirmed that she is the new owner of one of rock's most recognizable pieces of clothing. The singer revealed in a new interview with The Hollywood Reporter that she spent what she called an «exorbitant amount of money» to buy the vintage white Gunne Sax dress worn by Meg White on the cover of The White Stripes' 2003 album «Elephant».
The dress was auctioned by Julien's Auctions in May with an estimated value of between $4,000 and $6,000. It ultimately sold for $25,600, and Rodrigo has now confirmed she was the successful bidder. The garment is instantly identifiable to fans of the band: Meg White wore it on the album's artwork, which shows her and Jack White seated on either side of an elephant trunk-shaped rope against the duo's signature red backdrop.
Rodrigo had originally planned to wear the dress while performing at her inaugural Daisy Chain Fields festival in California in August, but reconsidered because of the weather. «It was too fucking hot,» she said, adding that she might wear it if she stages the festival in winter. «Maybe if I do Daisy Chain in the winter, I can wear it,» she said.
Her admiration for The White Stripes is not new. When she first met Jack White in 2022, she described him as her «hero of all heroes,» and White returned the compliment. «She's very cool, very real and very much a lover of music,» he said at the time. «She's also introducing another set of youth to the love of vinyl records as well. Respect.»
White became something of a mentor to Rodrigo as she worked on her second album, «Guts.» She later revealed that he had written her a letter containing the advice: «Your only job is to write music that you would want to hear on the radio.» Their connection continued at The White Stripes' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction in 2025, where Rodrigo called «Seven Nation Army» the «most iconic song of all time.» She and Feist performed an acoustic rendition of «We're Going to Be Friends» at the ceremony, while Twenty One Pilots covered «Seven Nation Army.»
Rodrigo has continued to cite rock and alternative music as a major influence on her own work. Last year, she spoke about delving deeper into The Cure, New Order and Joy Division, having previously named Bikini Kill as another artist she grew up listening to. The purchase of the «Elephant» dress adds a notable piece of rock history to her collection and underscores the enduring cultural pull of The White Stripes, whose visual identity remains as memorable as their music.