It was the year 2000 – we’d survived the Y2K bug, had an oversupply of tinned goods in case we didn’t and we’re celebrating the dawn of a new Millennium with an onslaught of experimental outfits because why the frock not?
Case in point, Jennifer Lopez’s incredible jungle print Versace gown that she wore to the 2000 Grammy Awards on the arm of her then boyfriend, Puff Daddy.
The singer smouldered in the sheer green frock, which featured a dangerously plunging front that highlighted her ample cleavage and rock hard abs.
JLo didn’t just make a statement, her eye-catching garment essentially spawned the creation of Google Images! As Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt explained: “When Google was launched, people were amazed that they were able to find out about almost anything by typing just a few words into a computer. So our co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin – like all other successful inventors – kept iterating.”
“They started with images. This first became apparent after the 2000 Grammy Awards, where Jennifer Lopez wore a green dress that, well, caught the world’s attention. At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen. But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: JLo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born,” Eric said.
That is a pretty cool claim to fame, even for someone as accomplished as Miss Lopez! But it turns out Jenny from the Block wasn’t the first starlet to wear the risque garment.
A whole month before the Grammys, former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell wore the exact same dress to the NRJ Music Awards held in Cannes!
While there’s no denying the Raining Men hitmaker looked delightful, she certainly didn’t break the internet. Poor Ginger, that’s really gotta hurt! But at least she’ll always have one up on JLo with her iconic Union Jack dress which she wore to the 1997 Brit Awards.
You win some, you lose some! Click through the gallery to check out the fashion face off
(L-R) Geri Halliwell steps out at the NRJ Music Awards held in Cannes in January 2000. A month later, Jennifer Lopez rocks the exact same Versace number at the Grammy Awards and essentially breaks the internet.
Ginger opted to style her frock with luscious blonde extensions, which were bang on trend during the early Noughties, fresh make-up and lashings of fake tan – again, right on the money for 2000
“It didn’t seem that out there to me. It was a good-looking dress. I had no idea it was going to be such a big deal,” JLo, pictured with her then boyfriend Puff Daddy, later reflected to People of her headline-grabbing outfit.
“At the time, it was the most popular search query we had ever seen. But we had no surefire way of getting users exactly what they wanted: JLo wearing that dress. Google Image Search was born,” Google Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt explained.
While Geri didn’t win that particular sartorial show-down, she’ll always have her iconic Union Jack dress that she wore to the 1997 Brit Awards.
