Has this time of year got you bored of knitwear? Tired of layering? Fed-up of always carrying a coat? Sure, us too. And likely Dakota Johnson also. The actor arrived at SNL‘s 50th birthday celebrations in New York City wearing a Gucci dress that left little to the imagination by doing away with any layers surplus to requirements.
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Johnson’s floor-length black velvet gown was complete with asymmetric neckline and single sleeve, yet it was the dramatic split at its side that become its point of interest. The hyper-dramatic slit went way beyond thigh-high to open all the way to the hip in a fashion that some of the most celebrated (or gawped at) gowns in red-carpet history have also boasted. We’re thinking Liz Hurley in Versace in 1994. You know the one. The dress also called on Gucci’s recognisable horsebit hardware to fashion the gown into a place of a little more safety and security with a triptych of buckles fastening up the star’s waist.
Johnson’s approach to opting for such a daring split is something of a sartorial breath of fresh air in the middle of February. Just when we’ve reached peak annoyance at having to wear what feels like thousands of items at once, the star reminds that sometime soon we might be able to give up on the countless clothes. That’s not to say that we are all going to soon be reaching for the scissors to cut in hip-high splits, but there’s still something to be gleaned from this less-is-more approach as we edge slowly towards spring and then summer’s warmer climes.
Much like the dress itself, the rest of Johnson’s look relied on elegant simplicity as she kept the look streamlined. Leaning into the gold hardware seen at the hip of the gown, she added just a large gold pair of hoop earrings by Sidney Garber and a pair of black Gucci shoes. Her hair was worn in her classic fringe style with gentle waves and her complexion was given a gentle golden glow with heavily lined eyes.
Another stellar look from Johnson that has us taking notes.
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