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Lot 49
Lot 49
1960s - Douglas Darnell, The White Harem Dress |
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The White Harem Dress - a stunning cut-out stage
gown by Douglas Darnell of white velvet spotted devoré scattered with Swarovski
aurora borealis crystals and large mirror sequins, the bra top, narrow straps
and central cross bands decorated with rows of tiny clear beads and a row of
aurora borealis crystals, the bias cut skirt with flowing train.
Dame Shirley and Douglas Darnell have fond memories of this cut-out gown and its
partner in black [Lot 10]:
DD: This was one of mine..
DSB: ...these were the first cut-outs...which everybody's doing
now...it's a harem dress...a belly dancer dress
DD: This was worn at the Prince of Wales [Theatre]...and I was
late as usual...the traffic was unbelievable...and I got out in the
middle of Regent Street and ran with this dress over my arm
CW: So this was the first time that Dame Shirley was to wear the dress? DSB:
Yes!...There he was running through the streets of London with
the dress over his arm
DD:...We got there...and got through [to the dressing room] and
she couldn't get in [to the dress]...so I put my hands up inside [the gown] and
clawed her bottom down into it..by which time she looked as though she'd been
got at by a tiger [all laugh]
DSB:...the panic my God!
DD: ...the nail marks down the cheeks of her bum [lots of laughter]
DSB: I think that's a book in itself...the stories of how to get into these
gowns!
CW: When you're waiting there for the dress to arrive in the dressing room
moments before you go on...do you ever think...am I going to have anything to
wear?
DSB: He always makes me panic...he turns up 15 minutes before I'm going on..
DD: It's all cut on the bias..it will go on...[when she's on stage] this [dress]
will reflect like the balls you get in ballrooms...I fitted you for this in
Stockholm...I mean where else would you go to do a fitting!
£4,500
Images displayed with kind permission of Christies Images Ltd. © 2002
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