Constance Wu made a statement in a yellow Versace gown at the 91st Academy Awards.
The "Crazy Rich Asians" star actually picked her custom luxe off-the-shoulder gown for a special reason.
(MORE: Oscars 2019: 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' 'Green Book' lead the way with multiple awards)In an Instagram post, Wu revealed the inspiration for the gown she wore on Sunday was director Jon M. Chu's letter to Coldpay about using their 2000 hit "Yellow" in "Crazy Rich Asians."
"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 captioned her post.
Chu wrote an emotional message to the band in 2017 to ask permission for the hit in the final scene of the 2018 breakout drama.
The term "yellow" has been used in a derogatory manner towards people of Asian descent, so there was some concern about using it in the film, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
However, Chu told the outlet: "We’re going to own that term. If we’re going to be called yellow, we’re going to make it beautiful."
(MORE: Oscars 2019: The 'Crazy Rich Asians' cast stuns on the red carpet)The band ended up agreeing and artist Katherine Ho performed a Mandarin cover of the song in the film's final scene.
In Wu's post, she attached a condensed version of his letter.
"Jon wrote: 'My whole life I've 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,'" she captioned her post.
View this post on Instagram?? @jonmchu’s letter to @coldplay (slightly condensed) & the inspo for my Oscar dress last night. Jon wrote: “My whole life I've 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
"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," the letter continued.
"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," Chu added.
(MORE: Oscars 2019: Celebrities arrive on the red carpet for Hollywood's biggest night)Chu said that it would be an "honor" to use the song within his film.
"The last scene of the movie shows this realization ... It's an empowering, emotional march and needs an anthem that lives up to and beyond her inner triumph, which is where Yellow comes in," he wrote. "It would be such an honor to use your song that gave me so much strength throughout the years, to underscore this final part of our film."
"[This movie] will give a whole generation of Asian-Americans, and others, the same sense of pride I got when I heard your song," he added. "I want all of them to have an anthem that makes them feel as beautiful as your words and melody made me feel when I needed it most."
His touching words not only had a large cultural impact, but also led to the use of a beautiful cover in the dramatic scene and a stunning red carpet moment for Wu.
