Kerry Washington Wore Whitney Houston's Red Velvet Dress to a Film Festival

Scandal star Kerry Washington looked scandalously good on the red carpet on Sunday in a slinky red velvet gown with a special history. The look, pulled from the archives of fashion designer Marc Bouwer, was originally worn by musical icon Whitney Houston to perform at the 1996 BET Walk of Fame Awards gala. Washington donned the dress to attend the American Black Film Festival Honors, and was clearly excited about the outfit's pedigree. Ahead of the event, Washington shared a video of herself lip syncing the famous "Nothing, nothing, nothing" refrain from Houston's song "I Have Nothing" in response to the question, "What's cooler than wearing Whitney Houston's dress?"

"No lies told. Whitney Houston’s ACTUAL @marcbouwer dress she wore in 1996 😱. Sooooooo incredibly special. #ABFFAwards here I come!" she captioned the post.

Washington's stylist Law Roach thanked the designer for loaning out the dress on Instagram, to which Bouwer responded that Washington looked "MAJOR."

The borrowing of archival looks for the red carpet has become somewhat more common in recent years. Notably, fashion fans may remember when Kim Kardashian made waves—and ruffled conservators's feathers—when she donned Marilyn Monroe's famous "Happy Birthday, Mr. President" gown to wear to the 2022 Met Gala. While Kardashian's move drew ire for risking potential harm to a historical garment, Washington's selection is proving far less controversial. Nonetheless, for fans of Washington and Houston, there's no denying that the fashion mashup was definitely swoon-worthy.

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