Heartbreak hotels are a thing of the past. Or at least that’s what Jennifer Lopez is making it seem like. The multi-faceted global icon made an appearance on the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival and inadvertently turned heads. JLo knows how to make a splash, and considering this was her first red carpet following the news that she had filed for divorce from her husband of (almost) 2 years, Ben Affleck, the stakes were high. And boy did she deliver. Say hello to the next pop culture update on the hallowed “revenge dress.”
Daring, wrapped in flirtatiousness
The red carpet was rolled out on the first day of TIFF for the premiere of the sports drama biopic UnstoppableJennifer stars in the Ben-produced film. While Ben was unsurprisingly a no-show on the big night, everyone knows JLo isn’t one to shy away from the spotlight.
She arrived looking spectacular in a Tamara Ralph Fall/Winter 2024 couture gown. The dress follows the silhouette and cut of a sheath dress, albeit with an absolute disco-core vibe. Now imagine a slender panel of bare skin running down either side, held together by a row of black velvet bows (this is where the nod to the revenge dress comes in!). So flirtatious. So contemporary.
The shiny silver of the bodice contrasts well with the black of the bows, which, by the way, are very big right now. A silver clutch and matching stilettos complete the details.
What is the revenge dress?
In 1994, Prince Charles caused an unconventional shock by admitting to cheating on Princess Diana during his interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. On 29 June, Princess Diana arrived at a charity dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. In one of the first major fashion turnaround moments of global significance, she appeared in a black, silk off-the-shoulder evening dress by Christina Stambolian.
The moment was iconic and became an evergreen moment in the annals of royal pop culture. Speaking specifically about the dress, Princess Diana had it for 3 years before she finally decided to wear it to the June dinner. The earlier apprehension had been that the dress was too risky. However, Anna Harvey, her former stylist, revealed that the only intention for the evening was for Diana to look “like a million bucks” – and so she did.
In Tina Brown’s book, The Chronicles of DianaChristina elaborated on the poetic logic behind the costume service. Comparing Princess Diana to the black swan Odile in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake“She chose not to play the scene as Odette, innocent in white. She played it as Odile. She was clearly angry,” he said.
Since then, the dress has come a long way. In July 1997, it was sold at auction to a Scottish couple who expressed a wish to use it to raise money for children’s charities. It was also displayed at the Newbridge Museum of Style in County Kildare during the 2017 Diana: A Fashion Legacy exhibition, which was hailed as “the most important exhibition ever”.
Back to Jennifer, what do you think of her portrayal of revenge?
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