Jennifer Lopez turned heads and surely inspired the Italian luxury fashion house anew as she made an appearance at the Dolce & Gabbana event highlighting the brand’s latest Alta Moda collection in Venice. The actress showed off her outfit, and the fact that she looks like an actual work of art herself, as she posted pictures from her outfit to the event on Twitter.
And we weren’t the only ones having trouble processing what we were seeing. Fan reaction ranged from the totally relatable “Is she even real?” to the celebratory “She looks amazing!” without forgetting the “How does she even do it?” and the “Yaaaas Queen!” Personally, we agree with all those assessments.
But we especially want to highlight that JLo, at 52, is totally owning her image, and the narrative around her. It’s not easy to be as big a celebrity as she is, with the weight of expectations placed on her, and go out there with the kind of confidence she carries. Plus, being one of the muses of a big luxury brand is not exactly anything to scoff at.
And she even looked like she was strutting the runway as she walked down the streets. How is that even a thing?
We don’t like the Game of Thrones comparisons, as things didn’t really go well for most women on that show, but we’ll take the compliment anyway:
Even up close she stunned! You know how there’s always one very awkward picture, even on your best day? That one taken from the angle that doesn’t favor you, or anyone. The one you make sure your friends know not to post on social media. JLo apparently doesn’t have that angle.
The fashion is amazing. The model is rocking the outfit. The confidence, however? That’s what we’re staying with. May we all feel as comfortable in our skin – and clothes – as JLo does these days. Now, that would be a win.
JLo wasn’t the only celebrity that looked amazing at the Dolce & Gabbana event. She was joined by the stunning Vanessa Bryant, Zoe Saldaña, and Ciara.
It’s important to note that the celebrity-studded event was also met with backlash given Dolce & Gabbana’s controversial past: one that has included racism, sexism, and homophobia.
In 2018, they released a promotional video that was culturally insensitive and depicted an Asian woman struggling to eat items like pizza and a cannoli while a narrator asks, “Is it too huge for you?” That was followed by screenshots of a conversation between Stefano Gabbana and fashion writer Michaela Phuong that held deeply racist ideas about the Chinese community.
That’s not the end either. A collection in 2013 was criticized for including Blackamoor imagery — “racially charged imagery of that is based on caricatures of the black body.”In 2015, owners Domenico and Stefano came out against same-sex parenting, prompting many who supported the brand to demand an apology. And in 2018, Gabbana called Selena Gomez “ugly,” prompting her fans to call out the designer for “cyberbullying.”
All together, Dolce & Gabbana still has a long way to go when it comes to rehabilitating its image — no matter who’s serving the looks.