The iconic green Versace dress that Jennifer Lopez wore at the 2000 Grammy Awards is one of the most talked-about dresses in fashion history. The plunging neckline and sheer fabric made headlines, and it quickly became one of the most memorable fashion moments of all time. But who actually owns the dress?
JLo’s ownership claim
According to sources, Jennifer Lopez actually owns the dress herself. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, she confirmed that she still has the original dress in her possession.
“I have that at home,” she said. “The other day, my housekeeper put it on a mannequin in my spa, where I get my hair and makeup done.”
However, owning the dress doesn’t necessarily mean that JLo has full rights to it.
Versace’s ownership claim
The designer behind the dress, Donatella Versace, has stated that she actually owns the rights to the dress. In a 2019 interview with The Wall Street Journal Magazine, she said that she considers the dress to be a part of Versace’s archives.
“We have a wall in our archives dedicated to the iconic dresses,” Versace said. “The jungle print is Versace’s most famous print, so we have a section dedicated to it.”
While this might seem like a conflicting statement with JLo’s ownership claim, it’s important to note that owning a physical object doesn’t necessarily give someone ownership over its intellectual property rights.
- Intellectual property rights
- Intellectual property rights are legal rights that protect creations of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs, symbols, and names.
- In this case, owning the physical dress doesn’t necessarily give JLo ownership over its intellectual property rights.
- These rights are usually owned by the creator or designer of the work, in this case, Donatella Versace.
Why does it matter?
You might be wondering why there’s such a fuss over who owns the dress. But intellectual property rights are important for several reasons.
Financial benefits
The owner of the intellectual property rights can benefit financially from their creation. For example, if someone wanted to use the jungle print in a commercial context, they would need to get permission and pay royalties to Versace.
Cultural significance
The green Versace dress is not just a fashion item, it has become a cultural icon. It has been referenced and recreated countless times in popular culture, from music videos to Halloween costumes. The ownership of the dress is therefore significant in terms of its cultural impact and legacy.
The Verdict
While Jennifer Lopez may own the physical dress, it’s likely that Donatella Versace owns the intellectual property rights. However, both women have expressed their love and admiration for the dress and its impact on fashion history.
At the end of the day, whether JLo or Versace own the dress doesn’t really matter. What matters is that it continues to inspire and captivate people all over the world.