Since Tuesday, Jennifer Lopez’s classic Versace gown has started trending again. JLo discussed how difficult it was for her to overcome the ridicule she received after sporting this eye-catching green ensemble in her ‘Halftime’ documentary. JLo also spoke about the initial press coverage she experienced as a result of her appearance early in her career. The details are as follows:
All about Jennifer Lopez’s Iconic Versace dress:
Jennifer Lopez’s plunging, tropical-print Versace gown at the 2000 Grammy Awards is remembered to be one of pop culture’s most significant moments. Lopez, 49, discussed the unforgettable garment that ‘started Google Images,’ referring to it as her biggest fashion moment forever. Confused? Well, before the dawn of the Internet era, it was difficult to find information or photographs. Jennifer Lopez, together with Google, came together to revolutionize that. When JLo wore a Versace gown at the Grammy Awards in 2000, search engines surged. Google’s image search capability was established in response to user requests, who wanted a glimpse of this look. That is the legend behind the fabled ‘Jungle Dress’.
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Why JLo almost didn’t wear the Jungle Dress:
Lopez spoke openly about the Versace gown on the debut of her web show, Moments of Fashion. She stated that she pulled together the complete outfit at the last minute, and by last minute, we mean the day of the Grammys. Since this jungle-print dress had previously been seen on three different people, including Donatella Versace herself, Lieberman pushed hard for another garment. However, despite being advised that the dress would be a huge fashion disaster, Lopez made the front pages of every major newspaper the next day. “I was like, this man just broke records but people want to know about this dress!” Lopez said, referring to Santana’s 11-Grammy win. “It was the craziest thing. But it just goes to show you the power of fashion”.
The excessive trolling was tough for JLo:
Lopez discussed the public attention she got at the beginning of her career due to her body in the Halftime documentary. The singer also mentioned some of the bad publicity she endured. “When I started working, the beauty ideal was very thin: blond, tall, and not a lot of curves. I grew up around women with curves. So it was nothing ever I was ashamed of,” Lopez said in the documentary. The video then featured snippets from interviews, tv programs, and even a “South Park” episode in which she was mocked for her appearance, notably her buttocks. Lopez added: “It was hard when you think people think you’re a joke like you’re a punch line”.
Lopez also revealed in the video that she was on the verge of quitting show business due to bad press. “No matter what I achieved, their appetite to cover my personal life overshadowed everything that was happening in my career,” she said. “I just had very low self-esteem. I really believed a lot of what they said, which is, I wasn’t any good, that I wasn’t a good singer, I wasn’t a good actress, I wasn’t a good dancer. I wasn’t good at anything. I just didn’t belong here. Why wouldn’t I just go away?”
Later in the film, when Lopez donned an enhanced version of her legendary Versace dress as part of the brand’s spring 2020 fashion show in Milan, she was greeted with acclaim and an embrace from Vogue editor Anna Wintour.
