Spike Lee pays tribute to Prince with Oscars outfit

Image: 91st Annual Academy Awards - Red Carpet
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Director Spike Lee attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) Copyright Kevork Djansezian Getty Images
By Scott Stump with TODAY Lifestyle
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The director's purple suit, special necklace and specially-made Nikes at the Academy Awards paid tribute to a music legend.

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Spike Lee's outfit at Sunday night's Academy Awards paid tribute to the purple reign of a music legend gone too soon.

The director of the Oscar-nominated "BlacKkKlansman"arrived on the red carpet in a purple suit made by Ozwald Boateng that featured a matching hat and glasses in an homage to Prince, who died at 57 in 2016.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Director Spike Lee attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 24: Director Spike Lee attends the 91st Annual Academy Awards at Hollywood and Highland on February 24, 2019 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)Kevork Djansezian

Lee, 61, also wore a chunky necklace made of diamond, gold and opal, featuring the famous symbol that Prince used in place of his name for a portion of his career.

"I Know In My Hearts Of (Hearts) My Brother Prince Is Watching Tonight, Singin' 'IT'S GONNA BE A BEAUTIFUL NIGHT,''' Lee wrote on Instagram.

Making the outfit complete was a pair of specially-made gold Nikes for the occasion. The man who once played the fictional Mars Blackmon in Nike commercials with Michael Jordan had the special pair of Jordans designed by Tinker Hatfield and commissioned by Jordan himself, according to The New York Times.

Lee\'s outfit also included a pair of specially-made Air Jordans commissioned by the basketball legend himself.
Lee\'s outfit also included a pair of specially-made Air Jordans commissioned by the basketball legend himself. Kevork Djansezian

"I don't care what nobody's wearing. I win the Oscar on the red carpet,'' he told The New York Times ahead of the ceremony. "Men, women, I don't care if they're wearing 15-inch heels. They can't be messing with the Jordans I'm going to be wearing. I'm going to be as clean as the board of health. I'm going to be sharp as a razor."

The director also sported the famous "Love" and "Hate" rings worn by a character in his 1989 classic "Do The Right Thing."

Wearing gold also couldn't hurt Lee's chances of bringing home an Oscar, if history is any indication.

Lee\'s friendship with Prince dated back to the 1980s and the two worked together on multiple projects.
Lee\'s friendship with Prince dated back to the 1980s and the two worked together on multiple projects. Mario Anzuoni

Lee was hoping to have a night at the Oscars like Prince did in 1985, when the music legend took home an Academy Award for best original song score for "Purple Rain."

The two first became friends in the 1980s and worked together on various projects, which included Lee directing the video for Prince's "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" video. Lee also used Prince's version of the spiritual song "Mary Don't You Weep" in "BlacKkKlansman."

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