March 22, 2023 • 39 mins
Our second icon: Jennifer Lopez! We are diving into all of the looks and fashion from this multi-hyphenate star! From the Versace dress all the way through Hustlers and the Super Bowl, this is how J-Lo has impacted style and haute couture.
Lilliana Vázquez and Joseph Carrillo are the hosts of Becoming an Icon with production support by Juan Carlos Arenado, Josie Meléndez, Daniela Sarquis, and Santiago Sierra of Sonoro Media in partnership with iHeart Radio's My Cultura Podcast network. If you want to support the podcast, please rate and review our show.
Follow Lilliana Vázquez on Instagram and Twitter @lillianavazquez
Follow Joseph Carrillo on Instagram @josephcarrillo
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Listeners, are you ready, because it is time to introduce
our next at coom. Let's do it in her thirty
plus your career. This powerhouse has done it all correction,
dominated all okay, okay, fair, I'm talking fashion, music, dance, film,
(00:22):
and the list goes on and on and where do
you even begin telling a story like hers on the
six the Southside Bronx. Over the next five episodes, we're
going to revisit Jennifer's journey from the Boogie Down Bronx
to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, with each episode
(00:45):
examining her very public and much talked about, multi hyphenated career.
So one week it'll be all about the musica, Yeah,
the next week her as a Thethespian. Good word choice there, Yeah. Sure.
Then we'll do a two part on benefit one point
oh and two point oh oh. Okay, hold up, hold up,
(01:08):
I don't know about a two partner just on Ben,
but listen, we will definitely dive into all of her
relationship drops. I love that. But let's kick it off
with something very close to our hearts. Pretty Mom, Jennifer Lopez,
the fashion icon from that infamous Versai stress to the
(01:29):
barely their looks on Hustlers. We're talking about it all.
I'm your host, Liliana Vasquez and I'm Joseph Carrillo and
this is Becoming an Icon a weekly podcast where we
give you the rundown on how today's most famous Latin
stars have shaped pop culture and given the world some
(01:50):
extress level. Sit back and get comfortable, because we are
going in the only way we know how with Buena
leave it up, some cheesemay and a lot of opinions
as we relive their greatest achievements on our journey to
find out what makes them so iconic. J Loo is
(02:19):
known for her style and beauty, and beyond being talented,
she simply dropped dead fucking gorgeous and knows how to
slay a runway. Did you see her reprise of the
green versaki dress two years back? Um Semi bar hell Corason. Okay, okay,
I promise we're going to get to that, but hold
(02:40):
on a second, fine listen. She was the epitome of
nineties and odds fashion and in twenty nineteen, La Rena
that Bronx was awarded one of the highest honors. In fact,
she young the CFDA Fashion Icon Award. Yeah. So, the
Council Fashion Designers of America is basically the who's who
(03:02):
a fashion in America. And every year at the cfda's
by the way, that's how people in the biz call them.
They highlight an honor emerging and existing American designers and
of course the most influential names in fashion. Past. The
FDA icons have included names like I don't know, Reri Zendea, Beyonce,
(03:23):
Lady Gaga, and of course Paroll Williams. And let me
just tell you, I was there that night and it
was so major. Jaylo arrived. She skipped the carpet. Okay, wait,
she didn't skip the carpet. She skipped the lowly reporters,
which I am one of. At the end of the carpet,
she did do the big interviews. But here's the thing,
even though she skipped a whole section of the carpet,
(03:45):
you couldn't miss her, Joseph, because do you remember what
she was wearing? Hold on, I do remember what she
was wearing, but I'm confused because sometimes I saw it
in orange, but other people were seeing it was red,
but I thought it was like a tangerine color. Okay,
so I'm gonna call it poppy, and listen, we can
fact check this with Ralph Laurence design team. It was
(04:06):
neither orange nor read depending on how you saw it,
whether you saw it in person or in photos or
in a video, it kind of read both. And so
I'm going to call it poppy. But it was this
out of this world stunning two piece, of course by
Ralph Lauren, who liked jayla was raised in the Bronx,
and she said of him, wait a minute, Wait a minute,
(04:27):
wait a minute, what Ralph Laurence from the Bronx. Yes,
you didn't know that. Okay, look, gare Ralph. We've got
to talk about this look. Because she even said people
asked her what was the inspiration for the look? How
did you and Ralph come together on this? And here's
what she said of Lauren, She said, I know he
understands a girl's love of crop tops, some sparkles and drama.
(04:51):
Because they're both from the boogie down Bronx. They get
each other. This particular style is their language when it
comes to fashion. And I just remember seeing her in
this and thinking she just showed up to the cfdas
in a crop top to claim her Icon Award, and
it was so Jlo of her because it almost evoked
the early nineties fly girl in her. It was a
(05:13):
little at leisurely. I feel she would wear that red
top with baggy cargoes and some tims. But she moved
with a ball gown to the cfdas of course and
showing off those abs. I mean, come on, you're right,
the abs had to take first stage. And what I
remember most about her that night is how humbled she felt.
And you know, there's artists that received these big awards
(05:35):
and they'll fake humble. Jennifer that night, really in the
room seemed almost nervous to me, And I think it's
because we've talked about this, you and I before in private.
You know, fashion is this very exclusive world, and for
a self made Latina like Jlo to receive this award
in a room full of the who's who a fashion
(05:55):
really meant something to her. And she's had such a
long evolution in such a long road to got here
that there was a really special award for her. And
I remember even backstage after she received the award, she
was giving no interviews. Her publicist came over to the
entire press corps and said no questions, no interviews, and
I was like, you know what, that's my chance to
ask a question because none of the other reporters were
(06:17):
going to ask a question. You are so snicky. Listen,
a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And
so I relied on one strategy that I've relied on
before when interviewing j lo Is. Instead of asking her
the question in English, I asked the question in Spanish.
And you stand out from a sea of reporters and
(06:39):
she literally was coming off the stage. Alex was holding
her by the hand. They were making a bee line
for the side door because they were going to their
after party, and I grabbed my access Hollywood Mike, I
grabbed my reporter and I said let's go, and we
jumped in and I asked her what does this award
mean to you and why does it feel so special?
And she started talking about it. She was I was
(07:01):
honestly one of the only questions that got answered, and
her publicist literally shot me darts and was like, never again.
But she gave a beautiful answer and it was our moment.
But I think the reason she spoke to me is
because I asked her the question in Spanish. So, by
the way, if you're out there and you're an aspiring
entertainment reporter and you speak the language of the star
you're trying to get ask them in Spanish. I love that. Tricks,
(07:23):
tips and tricks with Leana Basket. But you know what,
Jennifer's evolution has come so far, right, has definitely evolved.
So we are going to take that all the way
to the beginning. Where to the bronx. Jennifer Lynn Lopez
was born in nineteen sixty nine to David Lopez and
Guadaluperroris nineteen sixty nine. Damn, that makes her fifty three.
(07:49):
I know right, this is the reason she has her
own beauty brand. But also a hold up, I need
a channel my inner Walter Mercado here people, Okay, I
was calculating with the stars. When was she born? She
was born on July twenty four. She's sort of on
the cusp. Okay, okay, so I'm reading a lot of fire.
(08:10):
So she's a Leo son of Scorpio Moon and a
Leo rising. Let me tell you, mama was born to
be a star. Yes, she was. She was born to
be a star and growing up, Jennifer idolized fashion icons
of the eighties like Madonna, Cindy Lauper and of course
Janet Jackson. We all did, and in her CFDA speech
(08:33):
she actually mentioned that she used to cut up her
shirts to look like those eighties icons. Wait a minute,
I used to do that too, and the fishnet stockings,
and I still have those stockings. If there's any listeners
out there that are into that, Joseph, this is not
your personal dating site, but this is not where you're
going to find your man's Okay, fair, But if you're listening,
(08:53):
okay enough enough. Here's the thing though, if you think
back to this time, there was also something else happening
in the Bronx while she was growing up, and it
really led to that signature style you first saw when
she hit the scene. We're talking baggy jeans, crop tops,
and of course hoope earring. That's because hip hop was
(09:15):
born in the Bronx and when Jenny was growing up,
it was everywhere. That Bronx street style became her signature look,
both off and on the stage as a flygirl. A
fly girl, wait and Satia, you don't know what a flut?
Are there people that are too young to remember fly girls. Okay,
(09:35):
you're making me feel like a yahita, So stop right
now for all you youngsters. We will deep dive into
the era of the fly girl in an upcoming episode.
But let's set the stage. Okay, Joseph, it was the
nineties and the fashions were well, they were one of
the kind. What do you remember about that mid nineties style? Okay,
(09:57):
stop it right there, because I'm going to tell you
what I do you remember is um Jingo jeans and
they I was kind of a raver but also not
um I remember. So I would wear my Jingo jeans
and remember those really big Tommy Hill figure logoed shirts. Yes,
I need photos of you in this outfit. Um, I
had the shirt and I had the jacket matching. Now,
(10:21):
did you wear sneakers with that or were you wearing tims?
I was wearing No. It was kind of like a
raver boot, like a Doc Martin. Oh my god, Doc Martin,
it was totally. It was totally Doc Martin. It tell
me what you were wearing. Oh god, Okay, So I
was wearing same. I was wearing baggy jeans, but mine
were not name brand because I shopped at ross In,
(10:43):
so they were non name brand baggy cargoes. I was
wearing baby teas with a tank top over it, layered
looks and then a choker. And then I definitely had
a lot of Tommy Hill figure that my mom would
buy me at garage sales. So I had like second
in hand, which now we call vintage Tommy Hill figure.
(11:03):
And I think about all of the brands, like we
talked about Fuboo, Fat Farm. Oh my god, Kangle hats.
I wanted a Kangle hat for Christmas one year. Never
got one. Were too expensive, thank you. I never got
one because they were too expensive. It's all I wanted
for Christmas and I never got it. And oh wait,
do you remember Sean John. Oh my god, Sean the
(11:23):
brand founded by Puff Daddy. Well, okay, Puffy, I guess
for sure, right, Pete Diddy just did he now Sean Combs.
And that's very formal. I feel like we're writing his Wikipedia.
But that man has way too many names. Okay, well
we'll just call him Diddy. So it was nineteen ninety
eight and didd he had founded Sean John. And then
(11:45):
a year later is when he started dating j Loo
Girl It was messy at times, so you know what,
you know what I was remembering. Do you remember the
club shooting? Are we gonna that's very controversial, but we
won't go there. But it was nineties New York and
(12:06):
things were a little rough around the edges in the
club scene, and allegedly, allegedly Jennifer and Puffy were at
a club things got out of hand. They had nothing
to do with it, but they did flee the scene.
It was all over page six the New York Post.
This relationship started off like this, so it kind of
set the tone. It was a lot of ups, a
(12:27):
lot of downs. And Jennifer even said of the relationship quote,
I was totally crying, crazy and going nuts. It really
took my whole life in a tailspin. And this is
what she said to Vibe magazine. So we know that
things were not smooth and easy in this relationship. But
one thing we do remember about them as a couple
(12:48):
is that when things were good, they were great, especially
the fashion because while she was with Diddy, don't you
feel j Loo was just becoming so much more conscious
of her look and her vibe and her style totally
she was in the spotlight and she was part of
you know, they were huge fashion icons. So I feel
like Diddy and j Loo were the original Kim and Kanye. Yeah,
(13:12):
he kind of changed her style. Oh my god, I
never thought of them that way. But right, you're so right,
because he kind of gave her entree into this new
designer world. Right. She was now in the spotlight. She
was getting photographed all the time. She was half of
a major power couple in Hollywood. And you're right. That's
(13:32):
when they started flying to Paris for fashion week. Hello
Kim and Kanye. They were like the original Paris Fashion
Week couple. And as she started to explore her style
in Paris and in Milan, she was diving head first
into these new looks and starting to take really bold
risks with Diddy by her side. Let me tell you, bitch,
she dropped those cargo pants and went for could tour? Well,
(13:55):
verse thought she could tour? To be more specific, it
was the year two thousand. Jennifer was in a major
Hollywood power couple, but she was also standing on her own.
She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her album
on the Six and Let's be honest, that was a
major nomination. For anyone, but especially for a girl from
(14:17):
the Bronx, and that meant that she needed a major
dress for the show. Unfortunately, at her first fitting for
the Awards show, she basically hated everything that was presented her. Girl,
I have been there, they show up with a rack
and You're like, seriously, you want me to wear this garbage?
So she did what any starlett would do and asked
her stylist to re pull options. The stylist came back
(14:40):
with three. By the way, anyone that has worked as
a stylist, you don't show up with three dresses. Who
shows up with three dresses? Seriously? Scary? That's scary. It's terrified.
So the stylist comes back with three dresses, and one
of those three dresses was the green Versacci dress. J
(15:03):
Loo loved it, pulled it off the rock and said,
this is the one. Well, the only problem was it
had been worn before one by a Spice girl, two
my girlfriend Andrew Bullock, she's not really my girlfriend, and
even Donna Tella herself. So I mean, let's be honest,
(15:24):
re wearing a dress is a major fashion no no.
But Jennifer said, I that not only am I gonna
wear it, but I'm gonna wear it and it's gonna
be so much better than any of those other bitches. Okay,
she didn't say the bitches part. I added that on.
She basically just told her stylus, I don't care. It's
happening in a week. We don't have another option. This
(15:46):
is the dress I'm wearing. Let's keep it moving. I
just love how decisive she is. Now, when I said
green Versacchi dress, your face just went, oh, Gagarella. I
couldn't take it. It was too much. Okay, So, in
case you guys have been living under a rock or
you're too damn young to remember this dress, let's set
(16:07):
the stage. So it was this beautiful sheer chiffon. Right,
it was this very tropical motif. It almost reminds me
of a Brazilian Amazon jungle tight print. It was like
a leaf in a bamboo. But I think the most
striking part of the dress was that it revealed both
the leg and the chest. And usually with these dresses
(16:28):
you get a deep v or a high cut slit. Right,
that's kind of standard. You get one or the other.
Most celebrities would never choose to wear both a deep
V and a high cut slip. But we're talking about
Jennifer Lopez. I was really really confused when I first
saw the dress by two things. One, it might sound
a little shady. I could not get over the phony
pony that she was wearing. It was too much for
(16:51):
me to handle. It was one of those claws with
hair you know what I mean, a claw with a
hair clip. It was, it was too much. One that
was that, I'll let you dive into that if you
And number two, I thought it was a bathing suit wrap.
I thought she was wearing a bathing suit under that
kind of But the reason you thought that is because
there was like, well, where's the rest of the dress,
(17:12):
And no one had worn anything like that. No, and
certainly not at a major award show when you're nominated.
At the time, that was a little scandalous. Now, we
have lived in the era post naked dress. People show
up in pasties and no one cares. But in two thousand,
the red carpet world was different, and for j Lo
to wear something that was so revealing at that place
(17:35):
in time felt very escandaloso. No, and the fact that
it was crazy, crazy expensive. It was worth fifteen thousand dollars.
Now it was a major price tag. It was also
a major designer, and it really took for Sacchi to
another level. It made Versacchi a household name because everyone
knew that that dress was Versaci. And one of the
(17:56):
questions that I remember thinking when I saw the dress
was I immediately go to the fashion practical execution of
the dress, which was how in the world did she
keep the dress on? And I guarantee you if you
had invested in double sided Scotch tape prior to that
night in two thousand, you are now a millionaire because
that double sided fashion tape is the only reason that
(18:19):
dress did not cause a major fashion malfunction at the Grammys.
It was scandal. It was literally like a Marilyn Monroe moment.
And if you asked Jennifer Lopez, she's talked about this
in interviews. She felt for Mariland, it was the white
dress that blew up over the subway grades, right, that
was such a big deal in that time, And for Jennifer,
she was one of the first to really show off
that much skin. So that was her Mariland moment. And
(18:43):
that dress had as big of an impact on pop
culture as Marilyn's dressed it because it's now been credited
for the creation of Google Images. That night, so many
people were searching for photos of Jennifer in the green
Rasacci dress at the very same moment in time that
the eyes that founded Google said, wait a second, we
have something here. The fact that Google Images became a
(19:06):
thing because of these talented af women is wild. It is.
And you know, listen, the image search engine wasn't just
born that night at the Grammys, but j Loo was
definitely the catalyst. So I hope she got some major
stock options for that, because she is the reason that
that exists. Thank God. Can you imagine a world not
(19:26):
being able to see Timothy Shallomaine's backlist fits instantly like
I die. I don't want to live in that world ever.
But the Grammy stage wouldn't be the last time we
would see the dress. It also made two appearances on
Saturday Night Live, first in two thousand, when she wore
the original, and then she wore a two point o
version from The Versace Show two point zero. The reimagined
(19:50):
version was even better than the original. Bill don't you
remember the dress? I do? That's right? Okay, okay, now,
it's all coming back to me. During the spring twenty
Versacchi show, I remember the audience all of a sudden
heard this voice saying, Okay, Google, show me in Verschi
jungle dress, and like magic, dozens of images of the
(20:11):
original design from two thousand filled the room. Then they
heard that same voice say, okay, Google, show me the
real Versaci jungle dress, and bam, just like that, Jlo
herself appeared to strut her stuff down the runway. I
got a thing chills, and I remember seeing the show
(20:33):
and people standing up and Jlo and her thighs and
her body were just strutting this runway, and I literally,
I'm going to tell you and guess what she did.
She did still have a phony pony, but this one
was styled a lot better, So I feel better about
this look. Yeah, that's because this pony was styled by
(20:54):
none other than Chris Appleton, so he worked his magic
and the phony pony was less phony. Let's be honest.
But can I say this because I don't know if
everyone will agree with me, and I don't care. Frankly,
I hope you agree with me. In twenty nineteen, when
she wore this dress twenty years after she were the
(21:15):
first one. Not only did she look better, but the
dress looked better. Definitely, going back to what I was
saying about when I first thought, I felt like it
was kind of like a bathing suit rap. I feel
like this time it was definitely more tailored to her body.
It was kind of a little bit more thinched at
the hips, like the waist. It was just all rouged better.
(21:37):
So it kind of felt like it had more of
a purpose than like a rap. Right, I completely agree
with you. Donna Tella looked back at the dress and said, wait,
how can I make this even better? And that's what
they did. The dress felt more intentional. It had a
structured shoulder, it had three dimensional embroidery. It felt like
(21:57):
a could tour piece, whereas the original Versaci felt like
something you might buy in Miami at a gift shop
because you forgot your cover up at the pool. The
Versaci dress two point zero was incredible. It was iconic.
I caw nick and it's the dress that will never die.
(22:17):
But this fashion moment was just the beginning. It was
the first step in launching what would become a j
Low empire. We are talking clothing Fragrance beauty skincare shoes.
La Jennifer would have it all. I've always thought that
(22:38):
what really makes her so unique in this space is
that her look is always evolving. One minute, she's on
her way to the gym, giving you nineties street style,
and the next she's in this giant, over the top
John Bautista Valley at her movie premiere. She's one of
those rare stars that just knows how to always keep
us on our toes. You never know what's going to
(22:58):
happen next, and her style is truly transportive. Maybe that's
why she was so drawn to it from the beginning.
Fashion let her see another world far beyond her corner
of the Bronx. And we know that she grew up
not only inspired by fashion in New York, but she
was also inspired by the glitz and glamor of the
nineteen forties and fifties, specifically Hollywood musicals think Ava Gardner,
(23:24):
Rita Moreno, and also, of course, Marilyn Monroe. She was
so inspired by these women that in twenty eleven, she
designed all of the costumes on her worldwide Dance Again
tour to evoke these classic film stars. In her book,
true love. Jennifer wrote about her love for the styles
of that era. Yeah, she said, on the walls of
(23:45):
the dens in my house, I have black and white
photos of Hollywood stars from the thirties, forties, and fifties.
When you look at those photos, you can imagine yourself
right there with them and the scene out of a
classic movie. And I had. Fashion was an escape for Jennifer,
a dream of a life beyond her Mario. Jennifer's fashion
has been so inspirational for so many, especially you and I,
(24:07):
which is why I'm so excited because now we're going
to do something I like to call rapid recall. This
is when Joseph and I go back in time and
recall some of our favorite JLO fits. Okay, Joseph favorite
Jennifer red carpet look. Okay, my favorite Jennifer red carpet
look would be the yellow gian Battista Volli dress at
(24:30):
the Golden Globes because I felt like it was the
first time I had seen her fully covered and ella
ganza and true like Hollywood style. Yes, I remember this look.
I was at the Golden Globes this year, and I
remember looking down at the carpet. I was really far
away from where she was posing, and I thought, wait,
who's that is that Jennifer Lopez? And I remember looking
(24:51):
at my producer and being like, that's not very Jlo.
Of course, she still had her slit and she had
all of the glam, but that to was a major
moment for her because we had not seen her with
a high neck dress fully covered. And also that color
for her, that was one of the first times I
remember her wearing that color yellow, and since then, if
(25:14):
you see her, she incorporated that color a lot into
her routine and it's just a beautiful color on her.
But do you remember the hair and makeup from that night?
I do. I do remember the hair more so than
the makeup, and I know I'm a makeup artist, but
I just remember the hair just being so glamorous and
so Hollywood. I felt she was Hollywood there she was.
It was most striking to me about the makeup is
(25:35):
that we all know her glam look for being super tan,
super bronzey, and glowy, and that night she laid off
the bronzer, went with a much more natural tone to
her skin, and added a red lip. I don't think
I've ever seen j Lo do a red lip other
than that night. You are so right, hold on, hold on.
(25:55):
Speaking of red and drama, what was your favorite look? Oh, okay,
my favorite performance look. So I went to see Jlo
in Vegas for her, I had tour very special weekends
for me. The concerts one of the only things I remember.
And she wore this very cool flight suit. So it's
(26:20):
almost like a zip up jumpsuit Go Pilot wears. But
because it's j Loo and it was designed by Michael Costello,
it was luly embellished in sequence in rhinestones. It was
so impractical. Nobody could ever fly a plane in this outfit.
But it was very street style but still very could tour.
And I felt it was a really good blend of
where she came from and where she currently was in
(26:41):
her style. Totally. Speaking of deranged and couples, what was
your favorite couple look? Oh? God, And there's so many
to choose from, but like you, I'm going to take
it way way back to benefit one point. Oh tell
me if you remember j Lo in this beautiful striking
(27:05):
flowy green not green because Green's gonna say Kelly Green.
It was almost kind of a sea foam green. I
know exactly the one. It was c foam seafoam green,
one shoulder, Valentino, asymmetrical hemline, and her day, of course
was Ben. Now what happened that night was Ben got
(27:26):
so much shit because they're like, did Ben borrow her bronzer?
Because he showed up super tan, super stink too, baby
had some gel in his hair. But to me, that
was one of my favorite Jlo couples look because it
was so iconic. They were such at the peak of
their like Hollywood love affair. Pank broke up like a
week later, but at the time to us, we were like,
(27:48):
oh my god, they're a little beautiful together. Okay, one,
I think they broke up because Ben stole her bronzer
and you know how she is. Okay, I'm gonna change
it up really quick. What was your favorite Met Gala? Look? Okay,
I'm going to stop you right there, because if we're
going to talk Jennifer and Met Gala, it needs its
own special section. So guys, give us a minute while
(28:09):
we regroup, and we'll be right back. Henny, you know,
there is no episode about fact Shun that doesn't include
the Met Gala and thankfully I'm your cost because you
know that I can talk Met Gala all damn day.
(28:30):
Now we've said this before, but Joseph, what is the
one thing you love about the metcal I love about
the Met Gala is I felt I was in a
beauty pageant contest really quick. What I love about the
Met Gala is for me, it's the Oscars of the
East Coast. Really Yeah, no, I agree, it's the biggest
fashion event. I think it's bigger than the Oscars because truly,
(28:52):
when people go to the Met Gala, it is only
to expose their fashions. Yeah. No, I agree with you.
Aside from the Grammys, it's when these celebrities feel they
can take risks with fashion, and it is a make
or break night for a lot of these people. People
will show up in something and you'll end up googling
them and being like, who the hell is this person.
It's also just such a magical night in New York City.
(29:15):
If you've ever been in New York on the first
Monday in May, there is just this feeling of just
I don't know, it's this unique sense of the city
that the whole city is sparkling. It's bursting at the seams.
It just there's so much excitement in the air, even
if you're not going to the met gallet, it feels
like an event that the entire city shares in. And
having been lucky enough to attend and cover it for
(29:36):
so many years, honestly, it's one of the biggest highlights
of my entire career, it really is. And the cool
thing is that it's singers, it's NFL people, it's like athletes,
it's all sort you know, at the Oscars they're only actors,
and this one it is a variety of people, even influencers.
Oh absolutely, And if you guys didn't listen to our
(29:57):
Bad Bunny Metcala episode, we know who you are walking
around like you're too busy to listen to each and
every episode of becoming an Icon. I'm out here working
for you, Joseph bean Eyes, but we will gladly give
you a little met Galla primer. So every year there's
(30:18):
this fabulous costume gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City, and it's effectively a benefit for
the Costume Institute. And there's only one way m My
Homegirl Anna when toure why do you keep saying she's
your homegirl. I'm manifesting. I mean, let me, Like Joseph said,
this is the biggest event on the East Coast. It
(30:40):
is like the super Bowl of fashion, and it's the
who's who of everything I guess right, the hottest names
in sports, fashion, music, movies. This is La creme de
la Creme. And the photos of the Met Gala red carpet,
Ya Hall, they set the world in Fuego, So naturally,
j Lo is a mainstay at the event. She's basically
(31:02):
the Tom Brady of Met galas who the Tom Brady,
the quarterback? I don't know him. Giselle's husband ex husband,
Oh my god, yes, yes, the guy who came out
in the ug campaign exactly, because that is how Tom
Brady is known around in the world. But Joseph, do
(31:24):
you know how many times Jennifer has been to the
met Gala? Tell me Jennifer Lopez has been to the
met Gala thirteen times. Thirteen times? Okay, damn. Her and
Anna are really close and because of that, I'm totally
effing Gaels. I feel Anna gives her a heads up
and it's like, Jelo, this is the theme you're getting
(31:45):
early access to the event because it sounds like Joseph,
I hate to break it to you, they might be homegirls,
not you. Okay, So, out of these thirteen looks that
she has given us over the course of her career,
let's talk about our collective top three. I'm so excited. Okay, um.
I want to start with probably my favorite makeup look
(32:07):
of her, and it was do you remember the verse
she always never thought she isn't she that verse thought
she naked dress? It was just kind of the it
was a Chinese in the looking glass. Do you remember
that one? It kind of looked like it was like
a dragon. Oh yeah, Okay. I loved this dress because
we were in the naked dress heyday, and if anybody
(32:30):
was going to show up and show these bitches how
you wear a naked dress, it was Jennifer Lopez. She
shoved everyone to the side and was like, excuse me,
excuse me, And then there she rolls in with her
strategically placed dragon to light up that red red carpet.
Oh my god. And she even had red eyeshadow. Her
makeup was super clean, her eyeshadow was red and kind
(32:52):
of flared out almost to her temples and her hair.
It was flown out but back. Yeah, there was a
simplicit too elegance to the hair that paired really beautifully
because the dress was so elaborate. The theme of this
met gala was China through the looking Glass, so everything
was really over the top and opulent, and it was
(33:13):
really beautiful in that. She's never looked better, except maybe
in twenty seventeen when she went a completely different direction
and showed up with Alex in this fully covered up,
pale tiffany blue caped Valentino. Do you remember this one?
(33:33):
I do? I do you know why I remember it?
That pony, that phony pony, But this one was done night.
It was it was it was just really big hair.
But I do remember it because I was just kind
of like, look at her being covered up. It was
kind of sheer, right, didn't have little straps in it
with a little sheer on the top. Yes, it was
like a sutten slip dress underneath, and then it had
(33:55):
a high neck where the cape attached and the front
was covered and by the way, there was no slit insight,
which is different for her. And it's interesting that you
and I both really respond to when she's more covered up.
It's such a sharp departure from how we're used to
seeing her that it almost feels like a fashion palette cleanser.
(34:16):
To see Jennifer more covered up than normal. Oh my god,
it's like a little bittle ginger with our sushi. That's
exactly what the Valentino was. And I'm just going to
say this. At the met galas celebrities and actors and
sports stars are paired with certain designers, so Anna has
paired Jennifer with Versaci countless times, but my favorite pairing
(34:39):
has to be Jennifer with Valentino. And I would love
to see Jennifer paired with Valentino in the current era.
So here's hoping from Matt Gala twenty twenty three, fingers cross,
Fingers crossed. But speaking of being partnered, this first Zacci
Crystal look in twenty nineteen Diamond, Hey, okay, this has
(34:59):
to take the cake because it was the campiest, most
over the top look that night. I was there once again,
and I am telling you she showed up with Alex
and people were like, no one's looking at you in
your black tuxedo. We are looking at Jennifer because the
dress extended to her hair. Not only was she dripping
(35:21):
in this low, deep V high slit cut Versaci Diamante dress,
but then they took the same embellishment from the dress
and put it on her head like a wig. It
was a Diamante wig. Oh my god, you know, so
when I first thought, I was just kind of like,
wait a minute, is this a hat with fringe or
(35:42):
is this replacement of her hair? It was one of
those things. And the reason we both love this look
is because outside of this red carpet, and the theme
for the met gala that year was notes on camp
and camp, you guys just means over the top. Anything
goes outside of this red carpet. I would have completely
(36:04):
shit on this look. I would have been like, I
hate it, I don't like it. Why isn't so much?
But knowing that the theme was camped, she showed up
ready to play. And let's remind everyone, this is during
the Hustler's era, so there was a nod to her
stripper character in Hustlers with this, because if anyone's going
(36:24):
to do a dripping Diamante's head to toe, it's like
a stylish dripper literally head to toe. I wonder if
she would like swish some of the crystals off her shoulders,
you know, she's always so used to her hair. She
would and her body was just unbelievable in this dress.
And I remember thinking, in any other situation, I would
not have been a fan of this look, but on
(36:45):
this red carpet, under this theme, in her hustler's era,
with Alex as her Instagram boyfriend on the carpet, it
just worked. And I will say she was so sweet
and so generous that night on the carpet. You know,
as reporters, we stand there and literally scream these celebrities' names,
begging for them to come over to us and talk
to us. And Jennifer, one of the biggest stars on
(37:07):
the planet on the carpet with her boyfriend. Everybody wanted
to talk to them. She was so gracious with her time.
Came right over to me and yes, y'all, I did
use my trick, and I shouted to her in Spanish.
I was about to ask you, of course you did.
I'm going to do that to everybody now, even if
they don't speak Spanish, it doesn't matter, just do it.
(37:27):
Twenty nineteen was just her year. This met look the
CFDA Icon Award, and it was all during her Huddler's era. Yes,
that's when she was nominated for a Golden Globe, her
first since Selena, and there was even talk of her
getting an Academy Award nomination for her work. She was
at the top of her career and at the peak
(37:48):
of her fashion game as she was approaching the Big
five Oho, she was bolder than ever, taking even more
significant risks and redefining what it meant to be a
woman in your fifties. Thirty years into her career and
she is still out here serving bitch exactly. We could
have started with her music, or her acting, or her
(38:11):
love life. We'll get to that, I promise, But you know,
it was important to Joseph and I as people in
the fashion industry, to start with her place in fashion, because,
to be honest, it's a place that very few Latinos
have ever been accepted. I feel j Loo has paved
the way for our Latinida to be accepted in those
elite circles and for our kultura to present front and
(38:33):
center on some of the world's biggest stages. Yet color,
feathers and a whole lot of blame. On the next
episode of Becoming an Icon, Get your speakers ready because
it's about to get loud. Where can it take you
on a ride from the sixth all the way to
(38:55):
the Miami super Bowl, And of course we'll be making
some stops along the way to revisit some of Jennifer's
most memorable moments during her incredible music career that spans
two freaking decades. Becoming an Icon is presented by Sonoro
and Ihearts Michael Kuda podcast Network. Listen to Becoming an
(39:19):
Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you
get your podcast
Listeners, are you ready, because it is time to introduce
our next at coom. Let's do it in her thirty
plus your career. This powerhouse has done it all correction,
dominated all okay, okay, fair, I'm talking fashion, music, dance, film,
(00:22):
and the list goes on and on and where do
you even begin telling a story like hers on the
six the Southside Bronx. Over the next five episodes, we're
going to revisit Jennifer's journey from the Boogie Down Bronx
to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, with each episode
(00:45):
examining her very public and much talked about, multi hyphenated career.
So one week it'll be all about the musica, Yeah,
the next week her as a Thethespian. Good word choice there, Yeah. Sure.
Then we'll do a two part on benefit one point
oh and two point oh oh. Okay, hold up, hold up,
(01:08):
I don't know about a two partner just on Ben,
but listen, we will definitely dive into all of her
relationship drops. I love that. But let's kick it off
with something very close to our hearts. Pretty Mom, Jennifer Lopez,
the fashion icon from that infamous Versai stress to the
(01:29):
barely their looks on Hustlers. We're talking about it all.
I'm your host, Liliana Vasquez and I'm Joseph Carrillo and
this is Becoming an Icon a weekly podcast where we
give you the rundown on how today's most famous Latin
stars have shaped pop culture and given the world some
(01:50):
extress level. Sit back and get comfortable, because we are
going in the only way we know how with Buena
leave it up, some cheesemay and a lot of opinions
as we relive their greatest achievements on our journey to
find out what makes them so iconic. J Loo is
(02:19):
known for her style and beauty, and beyond being talented,
she simply dropped dead fucking gorgeous and knows how to
slay a runway. Did you see her reprise of the
green versaki dress two years back? Um Semi bar hell Corason. Okay, okay,
I promise we're going to get to that, but hold
(02:40):
on a second, fine listen. She was the epitome of
nineties and odds fashion and in twenty nineteen, La Rena
that Bronx was awarded one of the highest honors. In fact,
she young the CFDA Fashion Icon Award. Yeah. So, the
Council Fashion Designers of America is basically the who's who
(03:02):
a fashion in America. And every year at the cfda's
by the way, that's how people in the biz call them.
They highlight an honor emerging and existing American designers and
of course the most influential names in fashion. Past. The
FDA icons have included names like I don't know, Reri Zendea, Beyonce,
(03:23):
Lady Gaga, and of course Paroll Williams. And let me
just tell you, I was there that night and it
was so major. Jaylo arrived. She skipped the carpet. Okay, wait,
she didn't skip the carpet. She skipped the lowly reporters,
which I am one of. At the end of the carpet,
she did do the big interviews. But here's the thing,
even though she skipped a whole section of the carpet,
(03:45):
you couldn't miss her, Joseph, because do you remember what
she was wearing? Hold on, I do remember what she
was wearing, but I'm confused because sometimes I saw it
in orange, but other people were seeing it was red,
but I thought it was like a tangerine color. Okay,
so I'm gonna call it poppy, and listen, we can
fact check this with Ralph Laurence design team. It was
(04:06):
neither orange nor read depending on how you saw it,
whether you saw it in person or in photos or
in a video, it kind of read both. And so
I'm going to call it poppy. But it was this
out of this world stunning two piece, of course by
Ralph Lauren, who liked jayla was raised in the Bronx,
and she said of him, wait a minute, Wait a minute,
(04:27):
wait a minute, what Ralph Laurence from the Bronx. Yes,
you didn't know that. Okay, look, gare Ralph. We've got
to talk about this look. Because she even said people
asked her what was the inspiration for the look? How
did you and Ralph come together on this? And here's
what she said of Lauren, She said, I know he
understands a girl's love of crop tops, some sparkles and drama.
(04:51):
Because they're both from the boogie down Bronx. They get
each other. This particular style is their language when it
comes to fashion. And I just remember seeing her in
this and thinking she just showed up to the cfdas
in a crop top to claim her Icon Award, and
it was so Jlo of her because it almost evoked
the early nineties fly girl in her. It was a
(05:13):
little at leisurely. I feel she would wear that red
top with baggy cargoes and some tims. But she moved
with a ball gown to the cfdas of course and
showing off those abs. I mean, come on, you're right,
the abs had to take first stage. And what I
remember most about her that night is how humbled she felt.
And you know, there's artists that received these big awards
(05:35):
and they'll fake humble. Jennifer that night, really in the
room seemed almost nervous to me, And I think it's
because we've talked about this, you and I before in private.
You know, fashion is this very exclusive world, and for
a self made Latina like Jlo to receive this award
in a room full of the who's who a fashion
(05:55):
really meant something to her. And she's had such a
long evolution in such a long road to got here
that there was a really special award for her. And
I remember even backstage after she received the award, she
was giving no interviews. Her publicist came over to the
entire press corps and said no questions, no interviews, and
I was like, you know what, that's my chance to
ask a question because none of the other reporters were
(06:17):
going to ask a question. You are so snicky. Listen,
a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. And
so I relied on one strategy that I've relied on
before when interviewing j lo Is. Instead of asking her
the question in English, I asked the question in Spanish.
And you stand out from a sea of reporters and
(06:39):
she literally was coming off the stage. Alex was holding
her by the hand. They were making a bee line
for the side door because they were going to their
after party, and I grabbed my access Hollywood Mike, I
grabbed my reporter and I said let's go, and we
jumped in and I asked her what does this award
mean to you and why does it feel so special?
And she started talking about it. She was I was
(07:01):
honestly one of the only questions that got answered, and
her publicist literally shot me darts and was like, never again.
But she gave a beautiful answer and it was our moment.
But I think the reason she spoke to me is
because I asked her the question in Spanish. So, by
the way, if you're out there and you're an aspiring
entertainment reporter and you speak the language of the star
you're trying to get ask them in Spanish. I love that. Tricks,
(07:23):
tips and tricks with Leana Basket. But you know what,
Jennifer's evolution has come so far, right, has definitely evolved.
So we are going to take that all the way
to the beginning. Where to the bronx. Jennifer Lynn Lopez
was born in nineteen sixty nine to David Lopez and
Guadaluperroris nineteen sixty nine. Damn, that makes her fifty three.
(07:49):
I know right, this is the reason she has her
own beauty brand. But also a hold up, I need
a channel my inner Walter Mercado here people, Okay, I
was calculating with the stars. When was she born? She
was born on July twenty four. She's sort of on
the cusp. Okay, okay, so I'm reading a lot of fire.
(08:10):
So she's a Leo son of Scorpio Moon and a
Leo rising. Let me tell you, mama was born to
be a star. Yes, she was. She was born to
be a star and growing up, Jennifer idolized fashion icons
of the eighties like Madonna, Cindy Lauper and of course
Janet Jackson. We all did, and in her CFDA speech
(08:33):
she actually mentioned that she used to cut up her
shirts to look like those eighties icons. Wait a minute,
I used to do that too, and the fishnet stockings,
and I still have those stockings. If there's any listeners
out there that are into that, Joseph, this is not
your personal dating site, but this is not where you're
going to find your man's Okay, fair, But if you're listening,
(08:53):
okay enough enough. Here's the thing though, if you think
back to this time, there was also something else happening
in the Bronx while she was growing up, and it
really led to that signature style you first saw when
she hit the scene. We're talking baggy jeans, crop tops,
and of course hoope earring. That's because hip hop was
(09:15):
born in the Bronx and when Jenny was growing up,
it was everywhere. That Bronx street style became her signature look,
both off and on the stage as a flygirl. A
fly girl, wait and Satia, you don't know what a flut?
Are there people that are too young to remember fly girls. Okay,
(09:35):
you're making me feel like a yahita, So stop right
now for all you youngsters. We will deep dive into
the era of the fly girl in an upcoming episode.
But let's set the stage. Okay, Joseph, it was the
nineties and the fashions were well, they were one of
the kind. What do you remember about that mid nineties style? Okay,
(09:57):
stop it right there, because I'm going to tell you
what I do you remember is um Jingo jeans and
they I was kind of a raver but also not
um I remember. So I would wear my Jingo jeans
and remember those really big Tommy Hill figure logoed shirts. Yes,
I need photos of you in this outfit. Um, I
had the shirt and I had the jacket matching. Now,
(10:21):
did you wear sneakers with that or were you wearing tims?
I was wearing No. It was kind of like a
raver boot, like a Doc Martin. Oh my god, Doc Martin,
it was totally. It was totally Doc Martin. It tell
me what you were wearing. Oh god, Okay, So I
was wearing same. I was wearing baggy jeans, but mine
were not name brand because I shopped at ross In,
(10:43):
so they were non name brand baggy cargoes. I was
wearing baby teas with a tank top over it, layered
looks and then a choker. And then I definitely had
a lot of Tommy Hill figure that my mom would
buy me at garage sales. So I had like second
in hand, which now we call vintage Tommy Hill figure.
(11:03):
And I think about all of the brands, like we
talked about Fuboo, Fat Farm. Oh my god, Kangle hats.
I wanted a Kangle hat for Christmas one year. Never
got one. Were too expensive, thank you. I never got
one because they were too expensive. It's all I wanted
for Christmas and I never got it. And oh wait,
do you remember Sean John. Oh my god, Sean the
(11:23):
brand founded by Puff Daddy. Well, okay, Puffy, I guess
for sure, right, Pete Diddy just did he now Sean Combs.
And that's very formal. I feel like we're writing his Wikipedia.
But that man has way too many names. Okay, well
we'll just call him Diddy. So it was nineteen ninety
eight and didd he had founded Sean John. And then
(11:45):
a year later is when he started dating j Loo
Girl It was messy at times, so you know what,
you know what I was remembering. Do you remember the
club shooting? Are we gonna that's very controversial, but we
won't go there. But it was nineties New York and
(12:06):
things were a little rough around the edges in the
club scene, and allegedly, allegedly Jennifer and Puffy were at
a club things got out of hand. They had nothing
to do with it, but they did flee the scene.
It was all over page six the New York Post.
This relationship started off like this, so it kind of
set the tone. It was a lot of ups, a
(12:27):
lot of downs. And Jennifer even said of the relationship quote,
I was totally crying, crazy and going nuts. It really
took my whole life in a tailspin. And this is
what she said to Vibe magazine. So we know that
things were not smooth and easy in this relationship. But
one thing we do remember about them as a couple
(12:48):
is that when things were good, they were great, especially
the fashion because while she was with Diddy, don't you
feel j Loo was just becoming so much more conscious
of her look and her vibe and her style totally
she was in the spotlight and she was part of
you know, they were huge fashion icons. So I feel
like Diddy and j Loo were the original Kim and Kanye. Yeah,
(13:12):
he kind of changed her style. Oh my god, I
never thought of them that way. But right, you're so right,
because he kind of gave her entree into this new
designer world. Right. She was now in the spotlight. She
was getting photographed all the time. She was half of
a major power couple in Hollywood. And you're right. That's
(13:32):
when they started flying to Paris for fashion week. Hello
Kim and Kanye. They were like the original Paris Fashion
Week couple. And as she started to explore her style
in Paris and in Milan, she was diving head first
into these new looks and starting to take really bold
risks with Diddy by her side. Let me tell you, bitch,
she dropped those cargo pants and went for could tour? Well,
(13:55):
verse thought she could tour? To be more specific, it
was the year two thousand. Jennifer was in a major
Hollywood power couple, but she was also standing on her own.
She was nominated for a Grammy Award for her album
on the Six and Let's be honest, that was a
major nomination. For anyone, but especially for a girl from
(14:17):
the Bronx, and that meant that she needed a major
dress for the show. Unfortunately, at her first fitting for
the Awards show, she basically hated everything that was presented her. Girl,
I have been there, they show up with a rack
and You're like, seriously, you want me to wear this garbage?
So she did what any starlett would do and asked
her stylist to re pull options. The stylist came back
(14:40):
with three. By the way, anyone that has worked as
a stylist, you don't show up with three dresses. Who
shows up with three dresses? Seriously? Scary? That's scary. It's terrified.
So the stylist comes back with three dresses, and one
of those three dresses was the green Versacci dress. J
(15:03):
Loo loved it, pulled it off the rock and said,
this is the one. Well, the only problem was it
had been worn before one by a Spice girl, two
my girlfriend Andrew Bullock, she's not really my girlfriend, and
even Donna Tella herself. So I mean, let's be honest,
(15:24):
re wearing a dress is a major fashion no no.
But Jennifer said, I that not only am I gonna
wear it, but I'm gonna wear it and it's gonna
be so much better than any of those other bitches. Okay,
she didn't say the bitches part. I added that on.
She basically just told her stylus, I don't care. It's
happening in a week. We don't have another option. This
(15:46):
is the dress I'm wearing. Let's keep it moving. I
just love how decisive she is. Now, when I said
green Versacchi dress, your face just went, oh, Gagarella. I
couldn't take it. It was too much. Okay, So, in
case you guys have been living under a rock or
you're too damn young to remember this dress, let's set
(16:07):
the stage. So it was this beautiful sheer chiffon. Right,
it was this very tropical motif. It almost reminds me
of a Brazilian Amazon jungle tight print. It was like
a leaf in a bamboo. But I think the most
striking part of the dress was that it revealed both
the leg and the chest. And usually with these dresses
(16:28):
you get a deep v or a high cut slit. Right,
that's kind of standard. You get one or the other.
Most celebrities would never choose to wear both a deep
V and a high cut slip. But we're talking about
Jennifer Lopez. I was really really confused when I first
saw the dress by two things. One, it might sound
a little shady. I could not get over the phony
pony that she was wearing. It was too much for
(16:51):
me to handle. It was one of those claws with
hair you know what I mean, a claw with a
hair clip. It was, it was too much. One that
was that, I'll let you dive into that if you
And number two, I thought it was a bathing suit wrap.
I thought she was wearing a bathing suit under that
kind of But the reason you thought that is because
there was like, well, where's the rest of the dress,
(17:12):
And no one had worn anything like that. No, and
certainly not at a major award show when you're nominated.
At the time, that was a little scandalous. Now, we
have lived in the era post naked dress. People show
up in pasties and no one cares. But in two thousand,
the red carpet world was different, and for j Lo
to wear something that was so revealing at that place
(17:35):
in time felt very escandaloso. No, and the fact that
it was crazy, crazy expensive. It was worth fifteen thousand dollars.
Now it was a major price tag. It was also
a major designer, and it really took for Sacchi to
another level. It made Versacchi a household name because everyone
knew that that dress was Versaci. And one of the
(17:56):
questions that I remember thinking when I saw the dress
was I immediately go to the fashion practical execution of
the dress, which was how in the world did she
keep the dress on? And I guarantee you if you
had invested in double sided Scotch tape prior to that
night in two thousand, you are now a millionaire because
that double sided fashion tape is the only reason that
(18:19):
dress did not cause a major fashion malfunction at the Grammys.
It was scandal. It was literally like a Marilyn Monroe moment.
And if you asked Jennifer Lopez, she's talked about this
in interviews. She felt for Mariland, it was the white
dress that blew up over the subway grades, right, that
was such a big deal in that time, And for Jennifer,
she was one of the first to really show off
that much skin. So that was her Mariland moment. And
(18:43):
that dress had as big of an impact on pop
culture as Marilyn's dressed it because it's now been credited
for the creation of Google Images. That night, so many
people were searching for photos of Jennifer in the green
Rasacci dress at the very same moment in time that
the eyes that founded Google said, wait a second, we
have something here. The fact that Google Images became a
(19:06):
thing because of these talented af women is wild. It is.
And you know, listen, the image search engine wasn't just
born that night at the Grammys, but j Loo was
definitely the catalyst. So I hope she got some major
stock options for that, because she is the reason that
that exists. Thank God. Can you imagine a world not
(19:26):
being able to see Timothy Shallomaine's backlist fits instantly like
I die. I don't want to live in that world ever.
But the Grammy stage wouldn't be the last time we
would see the dress. It also made two appearances on
Saturday Night Live, first in two thousand, when she wore
the original, and then she wore a two point o
version from The Versace Show two point zero. The reimagined
(19:50):
version was even better than the original. Bill don't you
remember the dress? I do? That's right? Okay, okay, now,
it's all coming back to me. During the spring twenty
Versacchi show, I remember the audience all of a sudden
heard this voice saying, Okay, Google, show me in Verschi
jungle dress, and like magic, dozens of images of the
(20:11):
original design from two thousand filled the room. Then they
heard that same voice say, okay, Google, show me the
real Versaci jungle dress, and bam, just like that, Jlo
herself appeared to strut her stuff down the runway. I
got a thing chills, and I remember seeing the show
(20:33):
and people standing up and Jlo and her thighs and
her body were just strutting this runway, and I literally,
I'm going to tell you and guess what she did.
She did still have a phony pony, but this one
was styled a lot better, So I feel better about
this look. Yeah, that's because this pony was styled by
(20:54):
none other than Chris Appleton, so he worked his magic
and the phony pony was less phony. Let's be honest.
But can I say this because I don't know if
everyone will agree with me, and I don't care. Frankly,
I hope you agree with me. In twenty nineteen, when
she wore this dress twenty years after she were the
(21:15):
first one. Not only did she look better, but the
dress looked better. Definitely, going back to what I was
saying about when I first thought, I felt like it
was kind of like a bathing suit rap. I feel
like this time it was definitely more tailored to her body.
It was kind of a little bit more thinched at
the hips, like the waist. It was just all rouged better.
(21:37):
So it kind of felt like it had more of
a purpose than like a rap. Right, I completely agree
with you. Donna Tella looked back at the dress and said, wait,
how can I make this even better? And that's what
they did. The dress felt more intentional. It had a
structured shoulder, it had three dimensional embroidery. It felt like
(21:57):
a could tour piece, whereas the original Versaci felt like
something you might buy in Miami at a gift shop
because you forgot your cover up at the pool. The
Versaci dress two point zero was incredible. It was iconic.
I caw nick and it's the dress that will never die.
(22:17):
But this fashion moment was just the beginning. It was
the first step in launching what would become a j
Low empire. We are talking clothing Fragrance beauty skincare shoes.
La Jennifer would have it all. I've always thought that
(22:38):
what really makes her so unique in this space is
that her look is always evolving. One minute, she's on
her way to the gym, giving you nineties street style,
and the next she's in this giant, over the top
John Bautista Valley at her movie premiere. She's one of
those rare stars that just knows how to always keep
us on our toes. You never know what's going to
(22:58):
happen next, and her style is truly transportive. Maybe that's
why she was so drawn to it from the beginning.
Fashion let her see another world far beyond her corner
of the Bronx. And we know that she grew up
not only inspired by fashion in New York, but she
was also inspired by the glitz and glamor of the
nineteen forties and fifties, specifically Hollywood musicals think Ava Gardner,
(23:24):
Rita Moreno, and also, of course, Marilyn Monroe. She was
so inspired by these women that in twenty eleven, she
designed all of the costumes on her worldwide Dance Again
tour to evoke these classic film stars. In her book,
true love. Jennifer wrote about her love for the styles
of that era. Yeah, she said, on the walls of
(23:45):
the dens in my house, I have black and white
photos of Hollywood stars from the thirties, forties, and fifties.
When you look at those photos, you can imagine yourself
right there with them and the scene out of a
classic movie. And I had. Fashion was an escape for Jennifer,
a dream of a life beyond her Mario. Jennifer's fashion
has been so inspirational for so many, especially you and I,
(24:07):
which is why I'm so excited because now we're going
to do something I like to call rapid recall. This
is when Joseph and I go back in time and
recall some of our favorite JLO fits. Okay, Joseph favorite
Jennifer red carpet look. Okay, my favorite Jennifer red carpet
look would be the yellow gian Battista Volli dress at
(24:30):
the Golden Globes because I felt like it was the
first time I had seen her fully covered and ella
ganza and true like Hollywood style. Yes, I remember this look.
I was at the Golden Globes this year, and I
remember looking down at the carpet. I was really far
away from where she was posing, and I thought, wait,
who's that is that Jennifer Lopez? And I remember looking
(24:51):
at my producer and being like, that's not very Jlo.
Of course, she still had her slit and she had
all of the glam, but that to was a major
moment for her because we had not seen her with
a high neck dress fully covered. And also that color
for her, that was one of the first times I
remember her wearing that color yellow, and since then, if
(25:14):
you see her, she incorporated that color a lot into
her routine and it's just a beautiful color on her.
But do you remember the hair and makeup from that night?
I do. I do remember the hair more so than
the makeup, and I know I'm a makeup artist, but
I just remember the hair just being so glamorous and
so Hollywood. I felt she was Hollywood there she was.
It was most striking to me about the makeup is
(25:35):
that we all know her glam look for being super tan,
super bronzey, and glowy, and that night she laid off
the bronzer, went with a much more natural tone to
her skin, and added a red lip. I don't think
I've ever seen j Lo do a red lip other
than that night. You are so right, hold on, hold on.
(25:55):
Speaking of red and drama, what was your favorite look? Oh, okay,
my favorite performance look. So I went to see Jlo
in Vegas for her, I had tour very special weekends
for me. The concerts one of the only things I remember.
And she wore this very cool flight suit. So it's
(26:20):
almost like a zip up jumpsuit Go Pilot wears. But
because it's j Loo and it was designed by Michael Costello,
it was luly embellished in sequence in rhinestones. It was
so impractical. Nobody could ever fly a plane in this outfit.
But it was very street style but still very could tour.
And I felt it was a really good blend of
where she came from and where she currently was in
(26:41):
her style. Totally. Speaking of deranged and couples, what was
your favorite couple look? Oh? God, And there's so many
to choose from, but like you, I'm going to take
it way way back to benefit one point. Oh tell
me if you remember j Lo in this beautiful striking
(27:05):
flowy green not green because Green's gonna say Kelly Green.
It was almost kind of a sea foam green. I
know exactly the one. It was c foam seafoam green,
one shoulder, Valentino, asymmetrical hemline, and her day, of course
was Ben. Now what happened that night was Ben got
(27:26):
so much shit because they're like, did Ben borrow her bronzer?
Because he showed up super tan, super stink too, baby
had some gel in his hair. But to me, that
was one of my favorite Jlo couples look because it
was so iconic. They were such at the peak of
their like Hollywood love affair. Pank broke up like a
week later, but at the time to us, we were like,
(27:48):
oh my god, they're a little beautiful together. Okay, one,
I think they broke up because Ben stole her bronzer
and you know how she is. Okay, I'm gonna change
it up really quick. What was your favorite Met Gala? Look? Okay,
I'm going to stop you right there, because if we're
going to talk Jennifer and Met Gala, it needs its
own special section. So guys, give us a minute while
(28:09):
we regroup, and we'll be right back. Henny, you know,
there is no episode about fact Shun that doesn't include
the Met Gala and thankfully I'm your cost because you
know that I can talk Met Gala all damn day.
(28:30):
Now we've said this before, but Joseph, what is the
one thing you love about the metcal I love about
the Met Gala is I felt I was in a
beauty pageant contest really quick. What I love about the
Met Gala is for me, it's the Oscars of the
East Coast. Really Yeah, no, I agree, it's the biggest
fashion event. I think it's bigger than the Oscars because truly,
(28:52):
when people go to the Met Gala, it is only
to expose their fashions. Yeah. No, I agree with you.
Aside from the Grammys, it's when these celebrities feel they
can take risks with fashion, and it is a make
or break night for a lot of these people. People
will show up in something and you'll end up googling
them and being like, who the hell is this person.
It's also just such a magical night in New York City.
(29:15):
If you've ever been in New York on the first
Monday in May, there is just this feeling of just
I don't know, it's this unique sense of the city
that the whole city is sparkling. It's bursting at the seams.
It just there's so much excitement in the air, even
if you're not going to the met gallet, it feels
like an event that the entire city shares in. And
having been lucky enough to attend and cover it for
(29:36):
so many years, honestly, it's one of the biggest highlights
of my entire career, it really is. And the cool
thing is that it's singers, it's NFL people, it's like athletes,
it's all sort you know, at the Oscars they're only actors,
and this one it is a variety of people, even influencers.
Oh absolutely, And if you guys didn't listen to our
(29:57):
Bad Bunny Metcala episode, we know who you are walking
around like you're too busy to listen to each and
every episode of becoming an Icon. I'm out here working
for you, Joseph bean Eyes, but we will gladly give
you a little met Galla primer. So every year there's
(30:18):
this fabulous costume gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
in New York City, and it's effectively a benefit for
the Costume Institute. And there's only one way m My
Homegirl Anna when toure why do you keep saying she's
your homegirl. I'm manifesting. I mean, let me, Like Joseph said,
this is the biggest event on the East Coast. It
(30:40):
is like the super Bowl of fashion, and it's the
who's who of everything I guess right, the hottest names
in sports, fashion, music, movies. This is La creme de
la Creme. And the photos of the Met Gala red carpet,
Ya Hall, they set the world in Fuego, So naturally,
j Lo is a mainstay at the event. She's basically
(31:02):
the Tom Brady of Met galas who the Tom Brady,
the quarterback? I don't know him. Giselle's husband ex husband,
Oh my god, yes, yes, the guy who came out
in the ug campaign exactly, because that is how Tom
Brady is known around in the world. But Joseph, do
(31:24):
you know how many times Jennifer has been to the
met Gala? Tell me Jennifer Lopez has been to the
met Gala thirteen times. Thirteen times? Okay, damn. Her and
Anna are really close and because of that, I'm totally
effing Gaels. I feel Anna gives her a heads up
and it's like, Jelo, this is the theme you're getting
(31:45):
early access to the event because it sounds like Joseph,
I hate to break it to you, they might be homegirls,
not you. Okay, So, out of these thirteen looks that
she has given us over the course of her career,
let's talk about our collective top three. I'm so excited. Okay, um.
I want to start with probably my favorite makeup look
(32:07):
of her, and it was do you remember the verse
she always never thought she isn't she that verse thought
she naked dress? It was just kind of the it
was a Chinese in the looking glass. Do you remember
that one? It kind of looked like it was like
a dragon. Oh yeah, Okay. I loved this dress because
we were in the naked dress heyday, and if anybody
(32:30):
was going to show up and show these bitches how
you wear a naked dress, it was Jennifer Lopez. She
shoved everyone to the side and was like, excuse me,
excuse me, And then there she rolls in with her
strategically placed dragon to light up that red red carpet.
Oh my god. And she even had red eyeshadow. Her
makeup was super clean, her eyeshadow was red and kind
(32:52):
of flared out almost to her temples and her hair.
It was flown out but back. Yeah, there was a
simplicit too elegance to the hair that paired really beautifully
because the dress was so elaborate. The theme of this
met gala was China through the looking Glass, so everything
was really over the top and opulent, and it was
(33:13):
really beautiful in that. She's never looked better, except maybe
in twenty seventeen when she went a completely different direction
and showed up with Alex in this fully covered up,
pale tiffany blue caped Valentino. Do you remember this one?
(33:33):
I do? I do you know why I remember it?
That pony, that phony pony, But this one was done night.
It was it was it was just really big hair.
But I do remember it because I was just kind
of like, look at her being covered up. It was
kind of sheer, right, didn't have little straps in it
with a little sheer on the top. Yes, it was
like a sutten slip dress underneath, and then it had
(33:55):
a high neck where the cape attached and the front
was covered and by the way, there was no slit insight,
which is different for her. And it's interesting that you
and I both really respond to when she's more covered up.
It's such a sharp departure from how we're used to
seeing her that it almost feels like a fashion palette cleanser.
(34:16):
To see Jennifer more covered up than normal. Oh my god,
it's like a little bittle ginger with our sushi. That's
exactly what the Valentino was. And I'm just going to
say this. At the met galas celebrities and actors and
sports stars are paired with certain designers, so Anna has
paired Jennifer with Versaci countless times, but my favorite pairing
(34:39):
has to be Jennifer with Valentino. And I would love
to see Jennifer paired with Valentino in the current era.
So here's hoping from Matt Gala twenty twenty three, fingers cross,
Fingers crossed. But speaking of being partnered, this first Zacci
Crystal look in twenty nineteen Diamond, Hey, okay, this has
(34:59):
to take the cake because it was the campiest, most
over the top look that night. I was there once again,
and I am telling you she showed up with Alex
and people were like, no one's looking at you in
your black tuxedo. We are looking at Jennifer because the
dress extended to her hair. Not only was she dripping
(35:21):
in this low, deep V high slit cut Versaci Diamante dress,
but then they took the same embellishment from the dress
and put it on her head like a wig. It
was a Diamante wig. Oh my god, you know, so
when I first thought, I was just kind of like,
wait a minute, is this a hat with fringe or
(35:42):
is this replacement of her hair? It was one of
those things. And the reason we both love this look
is because outside of this red carpet, and the theme
for the met gala that year was notes on camp
and camp, you guys just means over the top. Anything
goes outside of this red carpet. I would have completely
(36:04):
shit on this look. I would have been like, I
hate it, I don't like it. Why isn't so much?
But knowing that the theme was camped, she showed up
ready to play. And let's remind everyone, this is during
the Hustler's era, so there was a nod to her
stripper character in Hustlers with this, because if anyone's going
(36:24):
to do a dripping Diamante's head to toe, it's like
a stylish dripper literally head to toe. I wonder if
she would like swish some of the crystals off her shoulders,
you know, she's always so used to her hair. She
would and her body was just unbelievable in this dress.
And I remember thinking, in any other situation, I would
not have been a fan of this look, but on
(36:45):
this red carpet, under this theme, in her hustler's era,
with Alex as her Instagram boyfriend on the carpet, it
just worked. And I will say she was so sweet
and so generous that night on the carpet. You know,
as reporters, we stand there and literally scream these celebrities' names,
begging for them to come over to us and talk
to us. And Jennifer, one of the biggest stars on
(37:07):
the planet on the carpet with her boyfriend. Everybody wanted
to talk to them. She was so gracious with her time.
Came right over to me and yes, y'all, I did
use my trick, and I shouted to her in Spanish.
I was about to ask you, of course you did.
I'm going to do that to everybody now, even if
they don't speak Spanish, it doesn't matter, just do it.
(37:27):
Twenty nineteen was just her year. This met look the
CFDA Icon Award, and it was all during her Huddler's era. Yes,
that's when she was nominated for a Golden Globe, her
first since Selena, and there was even talk of her
getting an Academy Award nomination for her work. She was
at the top of her career and at the peak
(37:48):
of her fashion game as she was approaching the Big
five Oho, she was bolder than ever, taking even more
significant risks and redefining what it meant to be a
woman in your fifties. Thirty years into her career and
she is still out here serving bitch exactly. We could
have started with her music, or her acting, or her
(38:11):
love life. We'll get to that, I promise, But you know,
it was important to Joseph and I as people in
the fashion industry, to start with her place in fashion, because,
to be honest, it's a place that very few Latinos
have ever been accepted. I feel j Loo has paved
the way for our Latinida to be accepted in those
elite circles and for our kultura to present front and
(38:33):
center on some of the world's biggest stages. Yet color,
feathers and a whole lot of blame. On the next
episode of Becoming an Icon, Get your speakers ready because
it's about to get loud. Where can it take you
on a ride from the sixth all the way to
(38:55):
the Miami super Bowl, And of course we'll be making
some stops along the way to revisit some of Jennifer's
most memorable moments during her incredible music career that spans
two freaking decades. Becoming an Icon is presented by Sonoro
and Ihearts Michael Kuda podcast Network. Listen to Becoming an
(39:19):
Icon on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you
get your podcast
Hosts And Creators
Lilliana Vazquez
Joseph Carrillo
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