DYK Jennifer Lopez's Iconic Grammys 2000 Versace Dress Led To Google Images' Invention?

The 66th annual Grammy Awards came to an end on February 5, with numerous celebrities winning big. However, the event is not only known for its prestigious awards but also for being one of the most significant platforms to showcase fashion trends. Several such fashion moments have been witnessed during these events over all these years, however, only a few among these stand out. We are talking about the 42nd Grammy Awards ceremony in 2000 when Jennifer Lopez arrived dressed in Donatella Versace’s renowned sheer green dress. She did more than just make a fashion statement; she also changed the way Google search worked decades ago.

Jennifer Lopez and Sean Love Combs, better known as Diddy, created a pop culture phenomenon in 2000 when they attended the 42nd Grammy Awards. The singer walked the red carpet wearing a translucent Versace dress embroidered with palm leaves, emerald and blue.

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The palm-print Versace gown worn by JLo featured a neckline that extended past her navel, full sleeves that were sheer, sparkling green gem embellishments on the shoulders and front, a split along the front that exposed her entire leg, a sheer skirt and a long trail that swept the floor.

“The dress was provocative enough, I guess, to make people really interested. When it blew open, everybody was like, ‘What’s going to happen next?’ Nothing. It’s all taped down,” Jennifer Lopez had said in an interview with Vogue Magazine.

The dress became Google’s most popular search at the time, prompting the creation of Google Image Search in 2001. Before Google Image Search, any search result would only contain text and website links. The infamous Versace gown exposed a flaw in the search engine’s product, prompting the introduction of a new feature.

According to Google engineers, the dress resulted in a massive increase in search volume, which had previously been limited to presenting a list of URLs and text. Google later confirmed in a blog post that this outfit was responsible for the creation of Google Images. It should be noted that Google was founded in 1998, but Google Images was not introduced to the website until July 2001.

“But back in 2000, search results were still just a list of blue links. When the Search team realized they weren’t able to directly surface the results that people wanted a picture of Jennifer in the dress-they were inspired to create Google Images,” the company had said.

Following its popularity, Versace also created a new version of the iconic dress for its Spring-Summer 2020 runway show at Milan Fashion Week to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Grammy moment, which Jennifer Lopez wore to close the show.