Ariana Grande has been keeping a relatively low profile lately, but a new Focker family gathering was enough to lure her back onto the red carpet. The Wicked star turned up for the Focker-In-Law premiere in New York, and her vintage gown was gorgeous. What I didn't realize until her stylist explained it, though, was that the dress was chosen with the original Meet the Parents in mind. I love a good fashion throwback, especially when there's a movie connection.
Grande attended the November 11 premiere at New York City's Beacon Theatre ahead of the comedy's arrival on the 2026 movie schedule, alongside returning stars Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro. She wore a floor-length, silver-gray gown with a subtle plaid pattern, delicate straps and floral beading across the fitted bodice. Take a look:
If you'd told me it was simply a pretty vintage find, I would've believed you. But stylist Law Roach explained to ET that the dress was part of a deliberate throwback:
Well, she’s wearing Badgley Mischka from the ‘90s. And the dress just reminded me of, like, the '90s and early 2000s, when I think the original Fockers came out. I mean, ‘Meet the Parents’ came out. 2002, 2004, and it just felt of the era. And you know I’m always trying to bring the story into clothes. I perceive Ari in a way that is very feminine and ladylike and soft and gentle, you know. And so, because that’s the way she treats me. So that’s the way that is reflected in the clothes.
I love that Roach even caught himself mixing up the titles. For the record, Meet the Parents arrived in 2000, and Meet the Fockers followed in 2004. The gown predates both movies, but I get exactly what he means. It has that late-'90s, early-2000s formalwear feel without looking like something the music and screen icon borrowed from an old costume department.
Looking at the photos, I think he nailed it. The tiny gray checks give the full skirt an almost architectural quality, while the little flowers around the neckline soften the whole thing. Grande wore her hair pulled back with a pale bow and kept the jewelry simple. I'm sure Greg Focker would have something awkward to say about it. Jack Byrnes would probably demand to know where she bought it.
I also like hearing Roach explain why he gravitates toward these softer looks for the “7 Rings” performer. He's previously talked about the hours of fittings and planning that go into their collaborations, and his description of their working relationship here is pretty sweet. After all the elaborate Glinda-inspired outfits we saw during the Wicked press tour, including a vintage-inspired look paying tribute to The Wizard of Oz, it's fun seeing the two bring that same attention to detail to another movie.
Of course, Grande wasn't the only one turning heads at the premiere. As you can see in the photo, she arrived with boyfriend Ricky Álvarez, marking their first red-carpet appearance together since rekindling their relationship this year. The two recently had fans talking after a rather adorable blindfolded lip challenge. The two dated in 2015 and 2016, so the evening brought another little throwback. Álvarez wore a black blazer, open-collar shirt and jeans, leaving his date to handle the vintage glamour.
The appearance also comes after the former Nickelodeon star stepped back from public events following a busy stretch of work. Her return couldn't have been better timed, as Focker-In-Law approaches its theatrical release.
In the movie, Grande plays Olivia Jones, Henry Focker's girlfriend, played by Skyler Gisondo. Stiller's Greg isn't particularly thrilled with her, while De Niro's famously intimidating Jack seems to think she's wonderful. Stiller has even teased how much fun Grande and De Niro are together on screen. That's quite a reversal from the original movie, and I'm curious to see how Grande handles herself in the middle of it.
Focker-In-Law arrives in theaters November 25. For now, though, I'm still thinking about that dress. Leave it to Law Roach to find a little Meet the Parents nostalgia hiding in a vintage gown.
