By Adam Graham, The Detroit News
DETROIT — When Meg White’s dress that she wore on the cover of the White Stripes’ 2003 album “Elephant” sold at auction earlier this year, it wound up in the hands of a special collector and giant fan: Olivia Rodrigo.
The pop megastar tells The Hollywood Reporter that she spent an “exorbitant amount of money” to purchase the vintage white cotton eyelet maxi dress by Gunne Sax, which was part of an auction of White Stripes memorabilia by Julien’s Auctions.
The final price tag was $25,600, according to auction prices, by far the most expensive piece in the collection.
Rodrigo tells The Hollywood Reporter she planned to wear the dress on stage at her Daisy Chain Fields festival in August, but decided against it because it was “too f—— hot,” she said. “Maybe if I do Daisy Chain in the winter, I can wear it.”
Rodrigo — who was 5 weeks old when “Elephant” was released — has long professed her love for Jack White and the White Stripes.
“I love Jack White. He’s like my hero,” Rodrigo, 23, said of the Detroit-born musician during a “Tonight Show” appearance in May. “He’s the coolest guy ever. Wonderful person. Always stands up for what’s right.”
When Rodrigo appeared on “SNL” earlier this year, White — who had performed on the previous week’s episode — left a message for her in her dressing room.
The pair first met up at White’s Third Man Records in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2022, which White immortalized in an Instagram post.
“I had the chance to meet a talented singer and musician today named @OliviaRodrigo, she’s very cool, very real and very much a lover of music,” White wrote at the time. “She’s also introducing another set of youth to the love of vinyl records as well. Respect.”
When the White Stripes were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame during last year’s ceremony, Rodrigo performed the band’s hit “We’re Going to Be Friends” alongside Feist.
The White Stripes auction came from the personal collection of Detroit musician Tracee Mae Miller, a collaborator and close friend of White.
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The dress Rodrigo purchased “features a slight sweetheart neckline, ruffles at the empire waistline, bishop sleeves that taper at the wrist with a zipper detail, and a flowing, floor-length maxi skirt with a tiered design and ruffle at the hem,” according to an item description.
For the “Elephant” album cover shoot, “the dress was pulled the dress directly from her closet for Meg to wear,” according to the description.
Other items in the auction included a gold sales plaque for “Elephant,” a wedding ring from the “Hotel Yorba” music video and a personalized Jack White Zippo later. In all, the auction netted $53,952.
Rodrigo is currently on the road, touring behind her album “You Seem Pretty Sad for a Girl So in Love,” which was released in June.
©2026 The Detroit News. Visit detroitnews.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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