Exclusive: All About Katy Perry's Glittery DNC Performance Look

The pop star's stylist Leslie Fremar shares the deets behind her bold performance costume at the Democratic National Convention

Photo: Olivier Douliery/Abacausa/Startraks

The road to the White House is paved with… sparkle? Longtime Hillary Clinton supporter Katy Perry took the stage during the Democratic National Convention in a shimmery striped bodycon column gown that was decidedly less quirky than her other political performance outfits, and we’ve got the exclusive scoop on the planning of the look straight from her stylist Leslie Fremar.

“I have a closet filled with Hillary-themed dresses,” Perry said before her performance of her new single Rise, an anthem for the upcoming Olympics in Rio and her 2013 hit “Roar.”

It’s true: The singer knows how to pack a patriotic punch on stage. She’s all about graphic nail art and all-over red white and blue (remember that extra-dramatic turban at the rally for Clinton in Iowa in March?), but this serious moment called for a change.

Perry opted for a Michael Kors Collection gown from the designer’s Resort 2017 collection. “There was definitely a nod to a flag,” Fremar tells PeopleStyle. “She was wearing stars and stripes, but she wasn’t wearing an American flag, literally, and that was intentional. We were trying to make it a little bit more serious but still playful.” Fremar and her team completed the look after just two fittings before the DNC.

Paul Morigi/WireImage

The fact that Kors is an American designer did come into play with the outfit choices. “When we were looking at different options, we were trying to support an American brand; That was especially important in this arena,” Fremar explains. “I think that it worked out very nicely that we could support an American company.”

Of course, the ensemble wasn’t complete without a touch of Perry’s whimsical personal style, which Fremar gave a high-fashion twist. Her necklace and her ring are from the “Stars and Stripes” vintage Bulgari collection circa the 1970s, which Fremar and her team sourced from Eleuteri in New York City. “This isn’t costume jewelry,” Fremar says. “This is major.” And her “dainty” Jane Taylor earrings helped keep the look “young and fresh,” according to Fremar.

So why did Perry steer clear of her signature poppy patterns and latex minis? “I don’t think she wanted to come out in a costume. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to wear a gown or a cocktail dress, but she wanted it to feel like she was wholeheartedly supporting this cause as herself, not as a character,” says Fremar. “She was thoughtful; She didn’t want it to be comical, but elegant and sophisticated.”

Mission accomplished!