Heartbreak Hotel is now a thing of the past. Or at least that’s what Jennifer Lopez is showing. The multi-talented global celebrity made an appearance on the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival and unsurprisingly stole the show. JLo knows how to make a splash and considering that this was her first red carpet appearance after the news of her filing for divorce from husband Ben Affleck, the stakes were pretty high. And boy did she really rock it. Say hello to the next pop culture update on the holy ‘revenge dress’.
Risky, wrapped in a bow
The red carpet was rolled out for the premiere of the sports drama biopic on the first day of TIFF stop. Jennifer plays the lead role in the film, which is produced by Ben. Although Ben was certain to attend the big night, everyone knows that JLo is not one to shy away from the limelight.
She looked stunning in a Tamara Ralph FW 2024 Couture number. The gown follows the silhouette and cut of a sheath dress, though is totally disco-core. Now imagine a thin panel of bare skin on either side tied together by velvet, black bow ties (this is where the callbacks to the Revenge dress factor in!). Very glamorous. Very contemporary.
The glittering silver lining on the body of the dress matches well with the black bows, which, by the way, are huge right now. A silver box clutch and matching stilettos make for the final detail.
What is a revenge costume?
In 1994, Prince Charles caused a worldwide sensation by admitting to cheating on Princess Diana during his interview with Jonathan Dimbleby. On June 29, Princess Diana arrived for a fundraising dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens. In one of the first big fashion reaction moments of global significance, she appeared in a Christina Stambolian off-the-shoulder, black and silken evening gown.
The moment was a landmark one that became an evergreen in royal pop culture history. Speaking specifically about the dress, Princess Di had it for 3 years before she finally decided to wear it for the June dinner. There were initially fears that the dress was too risqué. However, her former stylist Anna Harvey revealed that the sole intention for the night was to make Diana look like “a million dollars,” and she did.
In Tina Brown’s book, The Diana ChroniclesChristina explained the poetic logic behind the costume service. Princess Di is compared to the black swan Odile in Tchaikovsky’s ballet Swan Lake“She didn’t play the scene like the innocent Odette in white. She acted like Odile. She was clearly angry,” he said.
The dress has had quite a journey since then. It was sold at an auction in July 1997 to a Scottish couple who wished to use it to raise money for a children’s charity. It was also displayed at the Museum of Style in Newbridge, County Kildare, during the 2017 exhibition Diana: A Fashion Legacy, which was described as “the most important exhibition” of the 2017 exhibition Diana: A Fashion Legacy.
Going back to Jennifer, what do you think of her take on the revenge costume?
