How Kerry Washington channelled Whitney Houston: the Scandal star turned heads on the red carpet by rewearing an iconic red Marc Bouwer dress that the ‘I Have Nothing’ hitmaker first donned in 1996

Mar 9 , 2023

For the recent American Black Film Festival Honors, actress Kerry Washington donned an iconic dress previously worn by Whitney Houston. Photos: @luxurylaw/Instagram, AFP

Kim Kardashian, Zendaya and more celebrities have reworn vintage fashion on the red carpet – most recently, Kerry Washington donned Whitney Houston’s gown for the American Black Film Festival Honors

Stylist Law Roach posted side-by-side photos of the two stars on his Instagram; he also styled Zendaya in archival couture from Versace and Prada

Who can forget the moment when Kim Kardashian donned Marilyn Monroe’s famous “Happy Birthday” dress for the Met Gala in 2022?

She’s not the only celebrity who dipped into designer archives for the red carpet though – and the latest is Kerry Washington, perhaps best known as Olivia Pope in Scandal.

The actor wore a vintage Marc Bouwer dress first worn by Whitney Houston in 1996 on Sunday, when she accepted an award for excellence at the American Black Film Festival Honors.

So what do we know about the iconic dress – and how did Washington style it compared to Houston?

Kerry Washington’s historical red dress look

US actress Kerry Washington arrives for the fifth American Black Film Festival Honors at the 1 Hotel in West Hollywood, California, on March 5. Photo: AFP

The red dress Washington wore to the American Black Film Festival Honors on Sunday played a role in Black fashion history.

The ruched, velvet piece was originally worn by Whitney Houston when she performed at the BET Walk of Fame in 1996. It was designed by Marc Bouwer, who frequently dressed the singer for events and designed her 1992 wedding dress, according to InStyle.

Houston even wore a similar design in black for the 1996 Carousel of Hope Ball.

Singer Whitney Houston attends the 1996 Carousel of Hope Ball to benefit the Barbara Davis Center for Childhood Diabetes in 1996 at Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Photo: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images