Singer Jennifer Hudson wears Reem Acra for B.E.T Awards performance
The 2020 B.E.T. Awards may have been virtual, but its style moments were very real. The celebrities who participated in the annual ceremony brought their fashion A-game to remind the world just how exciting and glamorous red carpet style can be.
FAST FACT
You don’t have to look further than US singer Jennifer Hudson, who channeled the late Aretha Franklin for a show-stopping performance of “Young, Gifted and Black.”
The star, who first sat behind a white piano before moving to a standing microphone, looked glamorous in an emerald green gown from Lebanese fashion designer Reem Acra. With its contrasting velvet and mesh texture and a colorful gem-encrusted high neckline, the kaftan-style dress won’t soon be forgotten. Paired with matching green eyeliner and diamond studs and with her caramel-colored dreadlocks piled into an elegant updo, the final look was nothing short of glamorous.
The performance also served as a sneak peek of what we can expect from Hudson’s portrayal of the Queen of Soul in the upcoming Liesl Tommy-directed “Respect” biopic, in which she will play the late Franklin. Following Hudson’s set at the B.E.T Awards, the official trailer for the biopic, which is set to premiere in December, was unveiled. The clip features quick flashes from the musical artist’s life and career, including scenes from Franklin’s meteoric rise to fame, her signing with a music manager and the legendary singer belting out the song “Respect” in a gold gown. Before Franklin died in August 2018 at the age of 76, she handpicked the “Dreamgirls” star to portray her in the film.
Meanwhile, it’s not the first time that the Oscar winner has chosen a design from Reem Acra for a special occasion.
Fans might remember the form-fitting black gown with crystal-embellished mesh overlay from the Lebanese designer’s Fall 2019 collection, which she wore to the world premiere for “Cats” in New York’s Lincoln Center back in December.
The 38-year-old singer’s love for Reem Acra designs go way back to 2012, when she performed at the Concert for the Rainforest Fund in New York City wearing a strapless rose gold gown with an embroidered bodice.