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Lot 12
Lot 12
1950s-1980s - Douglas Darnell |
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A dramatic stage gown by Douglas Darnell, the
black velvet fitted bodice and bias cut skirt with low-cut back, the thin
shoulder straps studded with Swarovski aurora borealis crystals, the dress
embellished at the left hip with a stunning three-dimensional stylised orchid of
Swarovski aurora borealis crystals of varying sizes, each petal with pendant
crystals, the flowing train and lower skirt lined in silver silk tissue.
Weight: approx. 2kg.
This gown is one of Dame Shirley's favourites, and has been worn by her on
numerous occasions over the years. Consequently, Darnell has had to remodel the
gown several times, and in its present incarnation it differs in appearance from
the earlier photographs illustrated.
One of the photographs pictured shows Dame Shirley wearing an early version of
this gown on stage in 1957 whilst performing her first hit
The Banana Boat Song.
The other shows Dame Shirley wearing the gown on stage at Harrogate during her
U.K. Tour, April-May, 1988. It is also illustrated on the covers of the 1975
Philips album Spotlight On, and the 1960s Columbia Records album Shirley Bassey
Favourites.
Dame Shirley has great affection for this gown and has particularly poignant
memories of wearing it on stage as revealed in conversation with Douglas
Darnell:
DSB: This [gown] I wore when my daughter died... [1985] ...I went to Carnegie
Hall and I walked on stage in that...and the audience stood up [applauding] for
5 minutes...
DD: I told you they would...I said just wear black, and that's it - apart from
the chandelier on the hip!
DSB: When I wore that gown I felt I had to go the doctor and have it lanced!
[laughs] ...something was growing on my hip [more laughter] ...It is stunning
DD: This dress originally had a straight skirt. I put a new skirt on it ...and
changed the bodice
Darnell also told us that he altered and enlarged the elaborate orchid
embellishment keeping the original version at its core.
Photographs courtesy of London Features, Columbia Records and Dave Spencer.
£4,500
Images displayed with kind permission of Christies Images Ltd. © 2002
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