When Rita Ora arrived at the Royal Albert Hall for the Fashion Awards in London on December 4, 2023, she achieved a red-carpet first by pairing high-concept body art with high-street fashion.
Stepping out in a backless Primark gown, the singer pivoted away from traditional luxury labels to showcase a custom prosthetic chrome spine that appeared to grow directly from her skin.
Accompanied by her husband, Kiwi filmmaker Taika Waititi, Ora drew attention to the dress’s minimalist silhouette, highlighting the metallic silver spikes running down her back. While Waititi opted for a classic all-black winter ensemble, Ora’s look centered on the contrast between the understated fabric of her dress and the dramatic, avant-garde hardware of her accessories.
Taika Waititi and wife Rita Ora coordinate in black ensembles at the Fashion Awards 2023 presented by Pandora at the Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gore, London on December 4, 2023 (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
The New Zealand filmmaker, who directed movies including Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, and Thor: Love and Thunder, looked cozy in a black winter coat paired with a black shirt, trousers, and oxford shoes.
Conversely, Rita braved the cold in a sleeveless black dress that accentuated her stunning proportions and showcased her arm tattoos.
While it looked a little basic, Ora’s outfit made history as the first-ever Primark dress to appear on the British Fashion Awards red carpet.
Rita Ora makes history in a sleek black racer-back Primark gown—the first-ever Primark dress to grace the British Fashion Awards red carpet—finished with minimalist black patent Sergio Rossi open-toe sandals (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
A timeless dress that can take you from formal affairs to the streets, this elegant outfit features a racer neck and a plunging backless design that adds a glamorous touch to the otherwise understated silhouette.
It was fitted at the bodice and around the hips, cascading into a gently ruffled straight skirt with a short train trailing behind her.
Ora’s toned figure was gracefully draped in the maxi-length dress, creating the illusion of height.
The dress is from Rita Ora’s collaboration with popular fast-fashion retailer Primark. She partnered with the brand to produce and sell 500 replicas of the dress, with 100% of all sales going to Breast Cancer Now.
Primark’s global brand ambassador Rita Ora dons a sleeveless black dress with a low, open-back design and a short train (Credit: Abaca Press / INSTARimages)
Knowing Rita Ora’s bold take on red carpet dressing, fans were initially disappointed when she graced the red carpet in a plain black dress. However, as soon as she turned her back to the cameras, the Fifty Shades Darker star startled many with her spiky chrome spine accessory.
The low, open back of her Primark dress allowed the unusual piece to steal the show.
“Basically, we went really simple on the dress because the spine is such a big part of the look,” Rita told her Instagram followers in a behind-the-scenes footage of her getting-ready process.
At last year’s British Fashion Awards, Ora made waves when she showed up looking like a mermaid in a see-through red sheer dress with fish scale prosthetics attached to her face.
“This time, we’re going bigger: a silver chrome spine. It’s gonna take about two, three hours to put on.”
The prosthetic chrome spine, created by prosthetic makeup artist and sculptor Francesco Fabiani using silicone, appeared to be growing out of her skin.
Rita Ora surprises with a stunning silver chrome spine, an unexpected accessory that steals the show on the red carpet (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
Stylist Tom Eerebout further enhanced Ora’s outfit with dazzling, large earrings and ornate bangles that matched her chrome spine.
Her striking look was finished with sleek black patent Sergio Rossi open-toe sandals, a refined choice that highlighted her glossy black pedicure and balanced the drama of the chrome spine—an elevated styling touch from renowned Rita Ora stylist Tom Eerebout.
A fan of the Italian fashion brand, she also wore a 1920s-inspired Zuhair Murad Fall 2017 Couture dress paired with Sergio Rossi ‘Karen’ sandals at Clive Davis’ Pre-Grammy Gala. More recently, she boosted her height in sky-high red patent Sergio Rossi pumps styled with a fluffy red tulle Selezza jacket and matching mini skirt.
Rio Sreedharan fashioned Ora’s dark brown hair in a messy side-swept updo, and Isamaya Ffrench gave her glittery eyeshadow, false eyelashes, and mauve lip color.
Rita Ora enhances her look with a messy updo, glittery eyeshadow, and mauve lipstick, adding to her glamorous appearance at the Fashion Awards 2023 (Credit: PA Images / INSTARimages)
Rita Ora’s Shoe Style, Beyond the Fashion Awards
From avant-garde red-carpet statements to polished heel choices that define her proportions and stage presence, Rita Ora’s footwear evolution is as deliberate as it is daring.
If you’re looking to explore more of her most memorable shoe moments—from towering designer heels to playful collaborations—these Your Next Shoes features offer a deeper look at how she consistently uses footwear to anchor even her boldest fashion statements.
👠 Explore Rita Ora’s Standout Shoe & Fashion Features on Your Next Shoes:
- ⭐ Rita Ora’s Red Carpet Style: From Stuart Weitzman ‘Nudist’ to Futuristic Giuseppe Zanotti Wedges — A retrospective of the singer’s most iconic footwear moments across major red carpets and award shows.
- 💥 Rita Ora’s Distressed Prada Antiqued Pumps Steal the Show at New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Rehearsals — Rita anchors her winter look with unexpected, fashion-forward Prada “Antiqued” pumps.
- 🎀 Rita Ora in Barbie-Pink Russell & Bromley Pumps at the Music Industry Trust Awards — A playful red-carpet moment led by standout pink pumps.
- 📏 Rita Ora’s Height vs. Her Heels — A deep dive into how Rita uses towering heels from top designers to elevate her signature style.
- 👟 Rita Ora Collabs With Giuseppe Zanotti on Shoe Capsule Collection — Coverage of Rita’s own footwear collaboration with Giuseppe Zanotti.