Dakota Johnson's Velvet Thigh-Slit Gucci Gown for SNL's After-Party Is Giving Tom Ford Energy
Unless you were living under a rock all weekend, you probably saw that Saturday Night Live celebrated its 50th anniversary with a star-studded special episode and event in New York City. Sabrina Carpenter sang off-key (somehow), the very best of SNL's cast past and present joined forces on stage, and Kate McKinnon's iconic "Close Encounter" sketch from 2015 was brought back 10 years later. It was great, yet in the days since the celebration, the thing I've thought about most is Dakota Johnson's jaw-dropping Gucci dress that she wore to the event. I am a fashion editor, after all.
On Dakota Johnson: Gucci dress
To watch the show unfold and celebrate it afterward, Johnson wore a black one-shoulder gown that featured a striking slit—if you can even call it that—on one leg. In reality, the dress was sideless and held together by three of Gucci's signature horsebit closures made of brass. (According to The Fashion Law, Gucci's founder Guccio Gucci began decorating his leather goods with a horsebit after a stay in London, where he was inspired by the English racing set.) Between its sexy cutout, velvet material, and gold hardware, the dress immediately made me think of Tom Ford's designs for the Italian house between 1994 and 2004, one of its most beloved and renowned eras.
The longtime Gucci ambassador effortlessly pulled off the risqué yet classy gown, and her look undoubtedly took home my best dressed designation for the evening. Follow Johnson's lead by shopping the eight velvet dresses below.
Shop velvet dresses:
Eliza Huber is an NYC-based senior fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and the intersection of sports and fashion. She joinedBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing in 2021 from Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a business degree from the University of Iowa. She's launched two columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, Gracie Abrams, and Sabrina Carpenter; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top runway trends each season. Eliza lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, watching WNBA games, and scouring The RealReal for discounted Prada.
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