Kaia Gerber’s Plunging Gown Is American Fashion History

Kaia Gerber was just a toddler when Donna Karan presented her 2003 collection. But last night, the supermodel donned one of the American designer’s ’00s LBDs with peak confidence.

Gerber attended the Toronto Film Festival premiere of Saturday Night (the SNL-inspired project in which she plays the role of Jacqueline Carlin) while wearing a vintage Donna Karan gown dated to 2003. The early aughts piece was classic Karan, from the monochrome palette to the plunging front which flashed Gerber’s abs. The dress’s hemline pooled against the red carpet as Gerber posed with her Saturday Night co-star Cory Michael Smith. Gerber, working with the stylist Molly Dickson, kept things classic, going for a dewy makeup look, curled hair, and stacks of chunky gold bangles.

The reverse side of Gerber’s dress also featured some interest. A cut-out detail at the back added a pinch of drama to the understated look while a slightly sheer skirt nodded to celebrity fashion’s current obsession with see-through fabrics.

Gerber is no stranger to an archival fashion moment, referential or otherwise. During the Academy Museum Gala late last year, the actress turned to Celine designer Hedi Slimane who created a polka dot frock inspired by Audrey Hepburn. And, a few weeks prior, Gerber turned up to the National Book Awards in another piece of American fashion history. She wore a chocolate brown stunner from Ralph Lauren’s fall 2001 collection—yes, meaning that dress happened to be six months older than she is.

Gerber has recently been turning her sights away from the runway and towards the big screen. Her appearance in Saturday Night follows a string of acting gigs in projects like Bottoms, Babylon, and American Horror Story. Saturday Night is based on the true story of the lead-up to producer Lorne Michael’s first broadcast of Saturday Night Live in 1975.

“I am playing Jacqueline Carlin who was Chevy Chases’s fiancé at the time,” Gerber said of her Saturday Night role during the Palm Royale premiere. “I’m so excited to be a part of this cast, I get to reunite with Rachel Sennott who was my Bottoms co-star. The whole time we were filming this I was just begging Kristen [Wiig] for any stories from SNL. I think her work on that show is just perfection.”