Last Sunday, “Crazy Rich Asians” star Constance Wu turned heads on the Oscars red carpet, looking like an absolute queen in her custom-made Versace tulle gown. While this choice of dress may look as if it was inspired by Belle’s classic yellow ball gown from “Beauty and the Beast,” the actress revealed the real inspiration behind the stunning gown in an Instagram post.
“I chose this color because it made me happy and also was inspired by @jonmchu ‘s moving letter to @coldplay about our movie’s closing song cover of ‘Yellow’ in @crazyrichasians,” she wrote.
Those who have seen the film will remember the iconic final scenes where a Mandarin cover of Coldplay’s song, “Yellow” is played. This choice of music was deeply personal for “Crazy Rich Asians” director, Jon M. Chu and his heartfelt letter to the band is what drove Wu to wear the stunning frock.
Chu’s original letter was a request to use the song “Yellow” in his film, which was of course granted by the band. According to the director, he has always “had a complicated relationship with the color yellow.”
“From being called the word in a derogatory way throughout grade school, to watching movies where they called cowardly people yellow, it’s always had a negative connotation in my life. [Until] I heard your song,” Chu wrote to Coldplay.
“For the first time in my life, it described the color in the most beautiful, magical ways I had ever heard: the color of the stars, her skin, the love. It was an incredible image of attraction and aspiration that it made me rethink my own self image.”
According to Chu, the popular Coldplay song helped him to embrace his racial identity and reclaim the term “yellow” which has held negative connotations for most of his life.
“It immediately became an anthem for me and my friends and gave us a new sense of pride we never felt before. We could reclaim the color for ourselves and it has stuck with me for the majority of my life,” he wrote.
And there you have it — Constance Wu’s Oscars dress is so much more than just a gorgeous gown, to many Asians it’s a heartwarming message to embrace our roots and the color of our skin.
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