The internet is confused by Emma Watson's 'levitating' dress

Watson likely didn't expect to become the center of the latest viral dress debate when she posted an Instagram photo of herself wearing a sky-blue Loewe number on Monday, but Internet commenters seemed just as baffled by the gravity-defying silhouette as they were with the white-and-gold (or black-and-blue) dress eight years ago.

Watson appears to be floating in the asymmetrical mini-dress, whose neckline appears to be both sharply pointed and loosely draped, without any visible support for it. (Watson is otherwise posing alongside her brother Alex, who is clutching a bottle of Renais gin, a liquor brand launched by their family recently.)

Watson, who played Hermione Granger in the blockbuster movies, was asked whether the garment was a product of Hogwarts magic rather than just fashion magic, because of the optical illusion. According to Watson, the dress said wingardium leviosa, a levitation spell used in the books and films. Among the less kind comments, the piece was compared to a broken umbrella or a fitted sheet that fell apart.

A sly construction makes the dress magical, however. The Spanish brand Loewe, led by Jonathan Anderson, has experimented with illusion dresses to great success in recent seasons, from radical silhouettes that shift with the eye to trompe-l'il imagery that can prompt double takes. This mini dress was part of Watson's Spring-Summer 2023 collection that explored structure and form, and included several gowns with similar necklines.

Since then, the collection’s dramatic pieces have been spotted on Zendaya, Emily Ratajkowski and Dakota Fanning — all of whom wore looks featuring suggestive anthurium blooms — while Gal Gadot wore a more subtle black pannier midi dress for a Tiffany & Co. event.

Beyoncé kicked off her “Renaissance” tour in a custom Loewe bodysuit, Karlie Kloss announced her pregnancy at the Met Gala red carpet in one of their looks and Jennifer Lawrence recently walked the Madrid red carpet in a plush Loewe gown. The Spanish label wasn't alone in stretching fashion boundaries this season - Viktor & Rolf's latest Haute Couture collection featured an eclectic array of upside-down and sideways ballgowns against which models seemed to blend. Elsa Hosk opted for a simpler number when she strutted Cannes' iconic red carpet, sporting a misaligned double-bodice dress.