JHud’s Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda Show Dress Wasn’t Easy to Wear
Fashion January 26, 2023
Jennifer Hudson knows how to strike a pose, but she knows it takes a lot more work to be a runway model.
Inspired by supermodel Winnie Harlow appearing on “The Jennifer Hudson Show,” JHud shared a memory with her audience of what it was like being a model for the day while performing in Italy for the Dolce & Gabbana 2021 Alta Moda Show.
“Not too long ago I was in Venice, Italy, and I had to wear this beautiful gown that was made for me,” recalled JHud. “And I got to be a part of a fashion show.
“This was such an interesting adventure,” she continued. “I always sit and think about the models on the runway. Well, that day I got a sense of what it felt like to be on the runway.”
Jennifer was initially just going to perform Puccini’s “Nessun dorma” while wearing a stunning gold ball gown. The gown was so enormous, she had to rehearse walking in the dress, which included a 20-pound train!
“We didn’t factor in I had to walk two, three blocks in heels with a train about 20 lbs.… That part alone, I never knew I needed a workout to put on a gown until that day,” she joked.
After walking several blocks, then up a flight of stairs, she was totally out of breath. Plus, the dress was so big, she couldn’t get close to the mic!
Jennifer recalled, “I went to sing, and as I stepped up, the train of the dress knocked over the microphone!”
Check out more fashionable moments on “The Jennifer Hudson Show”!
The performance eventually went on without a hitch. The song, “Nessun dorma,” is from Puccini’s opera “Turandot.” Aretha Franklin, whom Jennifer portrayed in the film “Respect,” sang the same song at the 1998 Grammy Awards. Jennifer recently shared on the show that she went back to her high school music teacher to help her learn the song.
After the performance concluded, the show wasn’t done. “They said, ‘Jennifer, you need to be a little bit more a part of the fashion show,’ so then they wanted me to walk away with the song,” she said. They had her walk down the runway, modeling her amazing D&G gown.
“It looked beautiful, it was a fashion show — that’s the important part,” said Jennifer of the experience. “That’s a memory I will never forget!”
“The Jennifer Hudson Show” airs weekdays. Here’s when to watch in your area.
