When Sydney Sweeney re-wore Angelina Jolie‘s iconic 2004 Oscars dress last year, designer Marc Bouwer was incredibly worried the actress might ‘taint its legacy.’
Two decades earlier when Jolie arrived at the acclaimed awards show in the iconic ivory satin gown it was a massive turning point in her career – and a moment that has been hailed by some fashion experts as one of best red carpet moments in history.
So it comes as no shock that Bouwer, who had meticulously designed the gown and preserved it for 20 years, was hesitant to let anyone borrow it.
He explained during an exclusive chat with the Daily Mail that many stars had asked to wear it over the years but it never felt quite right.
But when he saw Sweeney in it for the first time, he felt he finally found the perfect person to pay homage to Jolie, despite his trepidations over how she could ‘destroy’ its pristine reputation.
‘I was concerned because that dress is so iconic and it had so much great press written about it, I didn’t want to destroy or taint that legacy of what we had created,’ he admitted to the Daily Mail.
‘I was nervous. But when I saw how beautiful she looked… She looked different [than Jolie] but she still had that old Hollywood glamorous vibe that I love so much.
‘It really took my breath away. I breathed a sigh of relief, like, “Yes, we did it, this is good.”‘
When Sydney Sweeney re-wore Angelina Jolie’s iconic 2004 Oscars dress last year, designer Marc Bouwer was incredibly worried the actress might ‘taint its legacy’
‘I was concerned because that dress is so iconic and it had so much great press written about it, I didn’t want to destroy or taint that legacy,’ Bouwer admitted to the Daily Mail
Sweeney wore the gown to the Vanity Fair Oscar’s After Party in March 2024, exactly 20 years from the day that Jolie donned it at the Oscars.
‘She’s one of the hottest actresses on the planet, it was right for her to wear it,’ he added of Sweeney. ‘She’s a powerhouse celebrity.
‘[I liked that] she wasn’t trying to emulate Angelina in her look. They each had their own vibe and own persona.’
Bouwer, who hails from South Africa, started his career off working for the designer Halston.
He ultimately parted ways with the designer after Whitney Houston noticed some of his dresses and hired him to make ensembles for her.
He went on to create some of Houston’s most iconic looks during the early years of her career.
But the true turning point in his career came when Jolie wore his ivory satin haltered gown to the Oscars.
‘One of the collections I did at that time was called the “red carpet collection” and it was all about dressing celebrities,’ he recalled.
Two decades earlier when Jolie arrived at the acclaimed awards show in the iconic ivory satin gown it was a massive turning point in her career
Sweeney wore the gown to the Vanity Fair Oscar’s After Party in March 2024, exactly 20 years from the day that Jolie donned it at the Oscars
‘Her and her stylist saw the clothes online and they asked if we could send two of the pieces down to her and we did.’
Jolie’s stylist then invited Bouwer to come to LA for a fitting, where he met with Jolie so she could try on the looks with him.
‘It was very, very exciting. It was one of the most memorable fittings of my life,’ he continued. ‘She was such a pleasure and a joy to work with.
‘There was a big lightning storm and thunder and [her son] Maddox was a baby at the time, she had him on her hip while fitting the dress, comforting him. It was a really wonderful, warm and pleasurable experience.’
He explained that a jewelry brand wanted Jolie to wear a ‘very expensive diamond necklace’ with the dress, but she wouldn’t agree without his input.
‘She said to me, “Marc what do you think about the necklace with the dress? If you don’t think it’s right I won’t wear it,”‘ he revealed.
‘I said, “I really do like it, it’s actually beautiful” and she ended up wearing it.’
Bouwer is not shy about how the dress transformed both his career and Jolie’s.
Bouwer, seen with one of his dresses in his New York studio, started his career off working for the designer Halston and created many of Whitney Houston’s looks
Bouwer is pictured in his studio with model Sabrina Perlleshi wearing one of his gowns
Bouwer is seen with model Sabrina Perlleshi wearing one of his gowns
‘It was a total image-changing look for her,’ he said of the Girl, Interrupted star wearing the gown.
‘She had been known as the wild child of Hollywood, carrying the blood vial around her neck, stuff like that.
‘And all of a sudden she was perceived as a humanitarian. She was this angelic, beautiful woman on this red carpet.
‘It totally shifted her whole image and I think that’s why it has become so iconic. Many editors have considered it one of the best Oscar dresses of all time. It was the perfect dress on the perfect person at the perfect moment.’
