The Oscar winner who recycled her dress 56 years later

NZ Herald

5 Mar, 2018 01:12 AM2 mins to read

Rita in 1962 and again in 2018. Photos / AP and Getty Images

Rewearing a dress you've already worn to an awards show would usually be seen as a big "no-no".

But if you first wore that dress when you won an Oscar in 1962, then rewore it again in 2018, it's iconic.

Eighty-six-year-old Rita Moreno did just that, dusting off the black and gold balloon skirt dress for this year's Oscars ceremony at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre.

The dress's neckline had been reworked, and Moreno added some fun detailing in the form of velvet headband and chunky gold necklace, but the dress's integrity remained intact.

The Iconic West Side Story actress, one of only 12 people in history to have won an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony, told Ryan Seacrest that when she first wore the dress she had no idea that it would look so good 56 years later.

"I would think it would tarnish!" she told the E! host, adding that she had no clue she was going to win when she first put on the gown.

"I had no idea I was going to win, I was sure it was going to be Judy Garland for Judgment at Nuremberg. I flew in from Manila in the Philippines just in case, which is where this gown was made."

While nearly 60 years may have passed, we think Moreno and the dress look just as incredible as they did on their first red-carpet debut.