Emily Ratajkowski explains why she stands by ‘most controversial dress’ she’s ever worn: ‘I look great’

The model said the plunging gown ‘caused this whole thing’

Emily Ratajkowski has opened up about the “most controversial” dress she’s ever worn and said she stands by her decision to wear the gown.

The 31-year-old model reflected on the 2016 fashion choice during an episode ofHarper’s Bazaar’s “Fashion Flashback” YouTube series.

In the video published on Friday, Ratajkowski recalled the backlash that she faced after wearing the Julien Macdonald dress to the Harper’s Bazaar’s Icons party in September 2016. She noted that one critic referred to the gown, which featured a plunging neckline and side cut-outs, as “extremely vulgar”.

“This is probably the most controversial dress I’ve ever worn. This caused such a … I had no idea what scene this would cause,” the model said as a photo taken of her in the dress appeared on the screen. “Somebody called it, like, ‘extremely vulgar,’ and it became this huge controversy on the internet.”

Ratajkowski then recalled some of the additional backlash she faced over the fashion choice, revealing that some of her agents were “mad” at her over the dress because they thought it was “too sexy”.

She said she hadn’t realised the dress was “so sexy” because it had a sheer panel, which she acknowledged wasn’t visible in photos.

“I was in my 20s, and I hadn’t registered that it was so sexy because there is a panel in the middle, but it looks like there isn’t,” she said. “It caused this whole thing.”

Ratajkowski also recalled how the “drama” over the dress escalated after she claimed that the person who called the gown “vulgar” was “sexist”.

Ultimately, the model said she still likes the dress in question and “stands by it”.

“I still like that dress, I still think I look great,” she said, before noting that she was “basically called out for wanting attention”.

She added: “Which I think is interesting because you go to red carpets for attention, basically. Essentially, it’s part of your job as a celebrity. I personally still stand behind it, so yeah, I like that look.”