Kerry Washington channeled Whitney Houston at the American Black Film Festival Honors in a red dress the singer originally wore in 1996
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- Kerry Washington is the latest celebrity to dip into the designer archives for the red carpet.
- The actor wore a vintage Marc Bouwer dress first worn by Whitney Houston in 1996 on Sunday.
- Washington accepted an award for excellence at the American Black Film Festival Honors.
The red dress Kerry Washington wore to the American Black Film Festival Honors on Sunday played a role in Black fashion history.
The ruched, velvet piece was originally worn by Whitney Houston when she performed at the BET Walk of Fame in 1996. It was designed by Marc Bouwer, who frequently dressed the singer for events and designed her 1992 wedding dress, according to InStyle.
Houston even wore a similar design in black for the 1996 Carousel of Hope Ball.
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Washington tapped stylist Law Roach to build her look for Sunday night, which included matching pointed-toe heels and touches of silver jewelry, similar to Houston's styling.
The "Scandal" actor even matched her nails to the dress, which featured a halter neck and ruching from top to bottom. She kept her makeup simple, opting for a nude lip, and brown, smokey eyeshadow.
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The actress accepted an award for excellence in the arts at the event alongside actor Courtney B. Vance. Janelle Monaé and producer Charles D. King were also honored at the event.
Washington took her tribute one step further when she posted a video of herself lip-syncing to Houston's hit song "I Have Nothing" on Instagram Sunday night. In the caption, she called the opportunity to wear the gown "incredibly special."
Roach also shared a side-by-side of Washington and Houston on his Instagram, thanking Bouwer for letting them borrow the dress. Bouwer responded with thanks of his own, commenting on the post that the star looked "major."
According to Sports Illustrated, this isn't the first time the dress made its way back into the spotlight. Model and actress Brooks Nader wore the same number to IMG Model's vice president Luiz Mattos's 50th birthday party in June 2022.
More and more frequently, stars and their stylists are bringing new life to vintage pieces by repurposing them for the red carpet.
Zendaya and Roach pulled two archival designer pieces for the NAACP Image Awards in February, starting with a black and green Versace couture gown from 2002. She later appeared onstage in a 1993 Prada set, swapping out the original pants for a maxi skirt.