Jennifer Lopez doesn't always need an $80,000 Birkin bag on her arm or a leopard print coat over her shoulders to look extremely rich. A skintight gown dripping in crystals can also do the trick.
Accepting the Maverick Award for her role in Unstoppable, Jennifer Lopez attended the Dec. 5 IndieWire Awards at Citizen News in Los Angeles wearing a dress that shined like a vault of diamonds. The cut was fairly conservative compared to the naked dresses J.Lo usually favors—a mockneck and long-sleeves, with a skirt that grazed the floor—but a semi-sheer bodice and body-hugging silhouette delivered all the characteristic sultriness defining her red carpet style. Meanwhile, the all-over crystal mesh brought the KiraKira filter of the mid-aughts to mind—in every photo, it absolutely glitters.
With nearly-blinding sparkle coating her entire figure, Lopez didn't have to go overboard in the beauty and accessories departments. She added a pair of delicate drop earrings, framed by a glossy blowout and a touch of highlighter on her cheeks. A naked manicure by nail artist Tom Bachik graced her freshly filed fingertips (the better to show off against her first trophy of awards season). Photos of Lopez walking up to the podium for her acceptance speech showed that her stylists, Rob Zangardi and Mariel Haenn, chose a pair of sky-high gold platforms to complete the look.
Lopez earned her trophy for portraying July Robles, the mother of wrestler Anthony Robles. She gave an emotional speech as her dress shimmered under the stage lights.
"This award really does hold a special place in my heart because the word maverick, and I looked it up, I wanted to have the real definition, okay? It means an individualist, a non-conformist, a free spirit, an original, a trendsetter, an eccentric, an outsider, a rebel, a dissident, a disrupter," she said, per People. "I could go on, but I'm not going to. But seriously, what a beautiful thing to be recognized for, for charting your own course."
Those remarks also seem to sum up Lopez's approach to the red carpet as she promotes Unstoppable this year. She's ignored broader trends and leaned even more into her signatures, from mirrored revenge dresses to metallic gowns laced with cut-outs. That, to me, is the definition of a style maverick.
