FASHION

Kim Kardashian Channels Mariah Carey In Tom Ford-era Gucci

by Matthew Velasco

Kim Kardashian and Mariah Carey in Gucci fall 1997.
@chrisappleton1 / Getty Images

Fresh off her vintage-inspired, Internet-breaking Met Gala moment courtesy of John Galliano, Kim Kardashian has set her sights on another beloved ’90s designer: Tom Ford for Gucci. Yesterday, Kardashian continued her love affair with archival fashion by way of a va-va-voom LBD that just so happened to be worn by none other than Mariah Carey on the red carpet.

Kardashian slipped into an off-the-shoulder dress from Ford’s fall 1997 Gucci collection that she purchased from luxury dealer TheRealList. The piece was signature Tom Ford for Gucci, from the monochrome colorway and curve-hugging shape to the thin belt straps that accented the top of the dress. Like many of Ford’s signature ’90s designs, Kardashian’s LBD was more about shape and cut, rather than over-the-top ornamentation. The Skims founder complimented her vintage find with minimal jewelry, her go-to smokey makeup, and a messy updo courtesy of her hairstylist Chris Appleton.

Like many fashion girls—from Bella Hadid to Rihanna—this isn’t the first time that Kardashian has sported pieces from Ford’s beloved stint at the Italian house. The businesswoman made a habit out of wearing Ford’s hero Gucci pieces, like the GG-logo thong he popularized in the early aughts, during the late 2010s. More recently, though, Kardashian sported a pair of rare, Ford-era lace-up Gucci pants in February. Her latest Gucci grail, however, has quite the backstory.

@chrisappleton1

After the piece debuted on the Milan runway in 1997, Mariah Carey wore the exact dress just a few months later during the VH1 Fashion Awards. Like Kardashian, the Grammy winner kept stylings to a minimum. She paired her all-black number with a fresh face of makeup, pin-straight hair, and patent leather pumps.

Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images

As it turns out, this vintage Ford dress isn’t the only ’90s fashion Kardashian has dabbled in this week. Just yesterday, she showed off a vintage Chrome Hearts bustier, skirt, and jewelry which also proved to be all about a simple silhouette and sleek, monochrome fabrics. And like her Gucci number—which she wore to sit court-side at a WNBA game with North rather than on the red carpet like Carey did—she slipped on her Chrome Hearts for, you guessed it, a trip on her private jet. Casual.

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