Blake Lively’s dress looked more than familiar as she attended the It Ends With Us premiere in New York City this week.
The 36-year-old, who has cemented herself as a style icon for her unique, show-stopping looks, was always going to wear a dress that made reference to her character, florist Lily Bloom. However, Lively also used her red carpet moment to pay homage to pop icon, Britney Spears.
Lively plumped for a vintage Versace dress from the fashion house’s autumn/winter 2002 collection; a nude midi dress decorated with pink, blue, yellow, and purple sequinned flowers.
Those with an encyclopaedic knowledge of iconic red carpet moments may recognise this as the dress that Spears wore to a runway show during Milan Fashion Week in 2002. But Lively confirmed this was more than just a dupe of the iconic gown – it was the exact same dress the Gimme More singer wore over two decades ago.
In a red carpet interview with People magazine, the actor explained: “It is Britney’s actual dress. It should be in the Smithsonian or the Met. But it’s on me. I feel so lucky!”
Taking to her Instagram stories, Lively then directly paid tribute to Spears with a picture of her in the gown.
“The ultimate queen who made us all want to sparkle and write and share our stories,” she wrote. “Britney, us millennials all have a story of a moment or of years that you made us want to shine and inspire awe, with strength, and joy and immensely hard work.”
Referencing the upcoming biopic of Spears, which is now reportedly in the works, Lively continued: “Thank you for your example and your contribution to women telling their stories. So excited about your biopic and all you have to come.”
Alongside her work as an actor, Lively has also recently launched her very own haircare range. Named Blake Brown Beauty, the line does not contain any conditioner, as Lively does not use any herself (instead opting for nourishing hair masks).
“I was always interested in hair,” she told Bazaar ahead of the launch. “I mean, I had more opportunities come to me in the haircare space, thankfully, than in any other space. Like more than my real job of acting.”