What Makes a Star?
The Hepburn K dress is part of a small collection of one of a kind designs, inspired by my favourite subject of Stardom.
Always inspired by Old Hollywood I am fascinated by the stars with all that character and what made them. I imagined Katherine Hepburn wearing this dress and that bow making it herself even more witty and striking.
I've been watching a lot of Bob Fosse themed films lately - Cabaret, Chicago, All That Jazz and the brilliant Fosse / Verdon.
Its not just the right gown for a person but how it works with an attitude, a style of acting, a breeziness, magic, sparkle, wit and movement. With Fosse its not being afraid to be ugly, an in-turned ankle and a coolness that he brings to the screen or dance that makes it more interesting.
Letting the human with all our hopes and fears and cracks show through just behind the glamour and the sparkle that real stars are able to do. Like Liza Minelli's ability to show desperation and terror in just her eyes at the end of cabaret whilst being utterly fabulous singing 'Cabaret' to Nazis in the audience. Something Judy Garland was incredible at doing too.
You can't just take a pretty person and make them a star (well you can, but not a brilliant star) they need to be interesting, so interesting in their whole physicality that you can't take your eyes of them.
I'm not sure how a dress conveys this idea but in working with Scarlett (a star in the making) I asked her to drop her guard, let go of the pin up she is comfortable with and make herself fill the space as someone cooler and less pretty. She did this beautifully for me.
This dress itself is created in a classic yellow gold sequin. Hand draped onto a structed mesh base gathering at the neck and trimmed with an oversized bow tie. The delicate gold sequins, like a liquid gold envelopes the body, cinching at the waist with a matching hand crafted belt and skimming the hips towards a flared puddle train.
This dress is a one of a kind piece, more details on purchasing here.
