1 Dress, 3 Shoe Styles: How Kim K, Jennifer Hudson, and LeAnn Rimes Proved Footwear Makes or Breaks a Look

Celebrity style comparisons rarely offer a clearer lesson in the power of footwear than this Donna Karan dress. In late 2013, Jennifer Hudson, Kim Kardashian, and LeAnn Rimes all stepped out in the same draped gray design within weeks of one another, creating an unusually revealing case study in how shoes and styling choices can completely transform a single look.

LeAnn Rimes wore the dress to The Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai Gala in Beverly Hills on November 20, 2013. While the Donna Karan design remained the constant, her choice of snake-textured platform sandals set her apart from Jennifer Hudson’s minimalist Saint Laurent sandals and Kim Kardashian’s neutral suede Saint Laurent pumps.

More than a decade later, the trio’s appearances remain a useful reminder that footwear often determines whether a dress feels classic, contemporary, or trend-driven. The gown may have been identical, but each woman created a distinctly different fashion moment.

LeAnn Rimes Adds Edge to Donna Karan’s Draped Dress With Snake Platform Sandals

LeAnn Rimes at The Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai Annual Gala, showcasing a sleek ponytail and natural makeup

The body-skimming silhouette, plunging neckline, and twisted waist detailing reflected the designer’s signature approach to elegant, figure-flattering eveningwear.

LeAnn Rimes looked stunning in a figure-hugging Donna Karan dress at The Women’s Guild Cedars-Sinai Annual Gala on November 20, 2013 (Credit: WENN / C.M. Wiggins / FayesVision)

While the dress attracted attention on its own, the footwear helped complete the look. Rimes paired the gown with sky-high snake-textured platform sandals that added height and balanced the dress’s fluid draping with a more structured, statement-making finish.

LeAnn Rimes also showed off a cursive foot tattoo that she had debuted nearly two years earlier. Inked in January 2012, the delicate script on her right foot reads “The only one that matters” and was visible through her open-toe platform sandals.

LeAnn Rimes showcased a fresh pedicure in metallic snake-textured platform sandals, adding a bold, structured contrast to the fluid Donna Karan gown

When Rimes first revealed the tattoo in 2012, fans asked about its meaning on Twitter. She explained that the phrase reflected a sentiment often expressed by her husband, Eddie Cibrian, and also shared that the tattoo was one of several she had collected over the years.

At the time, Rimes also shared a photo from the tattoo session with Mark Mahoney, the legendary artist whose celebrity clientele has included Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears, Cher, and Johnny Depp.

The appearance also placed Rimes in an interesting celebrity style comparison. Jennifer Hudson and Kim Kardashian had already been photographed in the same Donna Karan design just weeks earlier, giving fashion fans a rare opportunity to see how three women styled the same dress with different accessories, footwear, and styling approaches.

Jennifer Hudson Keeps the Donna Karan Dress Classic With Black Saint Laurent Sandals

Jennifer Hudson at the Chicago 49th International Festival’s Black Perspectives Event, sporting voluminous waves and smoky eye makeup

Jennifer Hudson was the first to wear the Donna Karan design publicly, stepping out in it at the Black Perspectives event during the 49th Chicago International Film Festival on October 10, 2013.

She took the most classic approach of the three women, pinning the plunging neckline closed to create an elegant boatneck silhouette. Hudson finished the look with minimalist black Saint Laurent strappy sandals and her signature gold “J Hud” nameplate necklace, allowing the gown’s sculptural draping to remain the focal point.

Jennifer Hudson styled Donna Karan’s draped gray jersey dress with minimalist black Saint Laurent ankle-strap sandals

Kim Kardashian Streamlines Donna Karan’s Plunging Dress With Nude Saint Laurent Pumps

Kim Kardashian wore the same Donna Karan dress on October 12, 2013, one of her earliest high-profile fashion appearances after welcoming daughter North West.

Unlike Hudson, Kardashian embraced the gown’s dramatic plunging neckline and paired it with beige suede Saint Laurent Paris 105mm pointed-toe pumps. The soft neutral pumps complemented the fluid gray jersey fabric while creating a longer, uninterrupted leg line, a styling choice that kept the focus on the dress’s draped construction.

Kim Kardashian wore the Donna Karan dress on October 12, 2013, styling the plunging gray jersey design with beige suede Saint Laurent Paris 105mm pointed-toe pumps that streamlined the silhouette and emphasized the gown’s dramatic draping without competing for attention (Credit: WENN / C.M. Wiggins / FayesVision)

Who Wore the Donna Karan Dress Best: LeAnn Rimes, Jennifer Hudson, or Kim Kardashian?

What makes this Donna Karan design particularly interesting is how differently each woman styled it.

Jennifer Hudson paired it with delicate black Saint Laurent sandals for a polished red-carpet look, Kim Kardashian chose neutral suede Saint Laurent pumps to emphasize the gown’s sleek lines, and LeAnn Rimes grounded the fluid silhouette with statement-making snake-textured platform sandals.

The dress remained the same, but the footwear helped create three distinctly different interpretations.

Three celebrities, three styling philosophies: LeAnn Rimes paired the Donna Karan dress with towering snake-textured platform sandals, Kim Kardashian streamlined the silhouette with nude suede Saint Laurent pumps, and Jennifer Hudson opted for minimalist black Saint Laurent sandals—demonstrating how footwear alone can dramatically change the mood of the same draped gray jersey design

While Jennifer Hudson and Kim Kardashian opted for relatively streamlined Saint Laurent footwear, LeAnn Rimes took the dress in a different direction. Her towering, snake-textured platform sandals reflected the early-2010s platform trend that dominated celebrity red carpets.

The substantial sole, metallic python finish, and ankle-strap construction added visual weight beneath the floor-length jersey gown, creating a more dramatic contrast between the dress’s soft draping and the shoe’s structured silhouette.

Donna Karan New York Gray Twisted Plunge Dress, $1,695 — a masterclass in draping, featuring a plunging wrap neckline, gathered twist detail at the hip, and a body-skimming jersey silhouette that highlights the designer’s signature approach to effortless glamour

More Donna Karan Red Carpet Shoe Moments Worth Revisiting

Donna Karan’s designs have consistently graced red carpets, highlighting her influence in the fashion industry.

For instance, at the 2014 Screen Actors Guild Awards, Camila Alves captivated audiences in a draped silk strapless gown by Donna Karan Atelier, complemented by crystal-embellished Casadei Blade sandals.

Similarly, at the 66th Primetime Emmy Awards, Lizzy Caplan turned heads in a black-and-white silk-and-organza atelier gown by Donna Karan, showcasing the designer’s signature elegance. These moments underscore Donna Karan’s enduring legacy of creating timeless and sophisticated pieces that continue to resonate on the red carpet.