Great Outfits in Fashion History: Anna Kournikova’s Y2K Denim-Print Dior Dress

There are perfectly good celebrity style moments, and then there are the looks that really stick with you, the ones you try desperately to recreate at home. In ‘Great Outfits in Fashion History,’ Fashionista editors are revisiting their all-time favorite lewks.

I didn’t grow up playing tennis, and if I’m honest, I still don’t find the sport particularly entertaining. But it’d be a lie to say I haven’t fallen down the #tenniscore rabbit hole like every other algorithm-driven fashion girlie. (The pleated skirts and knit polos caught my interest, but Zendaya’s “Challengers” press run is what had me sold. Law Roach, you did your big one with that.)

Because it’s in my genes to show anything but self-restraint, my tennis-inspired sartorial fascination continued all the way to exploring ’90s and early-2000s fashion archives. It’s what led me to a standout look by (then) tennis star and Russian model Anna Kournikova.

At a charity tennis tournament at Buckingham Palace in London in 2000, Kournikova sported a John Galliano-era Christian Dior trompe l’oeil blue denim-print dress from the Spring 2000 runway. The silk number features a halter neck and asymmetrical hemline. She also opted for designer accessories: light pink, open-toe Prada mules and a fur-adorned Fendi Baguette. (This would be a perfect archival press-tour fashion moment for Zendaya if a “Challengers” sequel ever gets approved.)

Shopping vintage Dior may be tough, but that didn’t stop us from curating a few spectator-worthy denim dresses below.

Alice + Olivia Palmer Denim Strapless Mini Dress, $350, available here

LaQuan Smith Strapless Ruched Denim Cocktail Minidress, $1,495 $673, available here

Frame Sleeveless Trucker Pocket Dress, $328, available here

Abercrombie & Fitch Denim Mini Dress, $80 $40, available here

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