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Lot 50
1955-1980s - Douglas Darnell, The Diamond Dress

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Description & Notes

The Diamond Dress - a dazzling stage gown by Douglas Darnell, the fitted bodice and skirt encrusted with thousands of Swarovski aurora borealis crystals varying in size from the hem, the flowing train and hem elaborately trimmed with ostrich feathers in graduating tones of purple [added later]; and a corresponding sleeveless stage coat with flowing train by Douglas Darnell, circa 1970s, the ivory silk chiffon ground lavishly embellished with silver sequins and close bands of ostrich feathers in graduating tones of purple, lined in silver silk tissue; and a pair of corresponding stiletto heeled sandals customised by Darnell, the thin straps decorated with iridescent lilac sequins; accompanied by a corresponding album The Bewitching Miss Bassey, Philips, 1958

Weight of gown: approx. 6kg.

Referred to by Dame Shirley as The Diamond Dress this is one of the first stage gowns made for her by Douglas Darnell, and is the earliest in her collection. She recalls wearing it initially at the age of 18 in 1955. According to Darnell, it began life as a crystal-studded bodice attached to a white starburst skirt as seen on the cover of the 1958 Philips' album The Bewitching Miss Bassey. The bodice was later attached to a black velvet skirt and then in late 1959-60, to a full-length skirt made with corresponding Swarovski crystals to match the bodice. At this point it was reported that the dress was covered with 156,000 crystals, and weighed 28lbs. Although the skirt has been altered since then it seems that this reported weight may have been somewhat exaggerated as the gown currently weighs 6kg., i.e. 13.23lbs.

The ostrich feathers were added to the hem of the gown in the 1980s, and the 'Diamond Dress' in it's various guises has been worn by Dame Shirley throughout her fifty year career.

Going through her collection of gowns prior to this auction catalogue being produced, Dame Shirley discussed the 'Diamond Dress' with Douglas Darnell, Kate Stephenson and Carey Wallace:

DSB: Feel this dress ...it's so heavy...that was on my body
CW: It's amazing to think that you wore this dress in the '50s and you're still wearing it now...
DSB: I used to wear it [until quite recently] yes....holding up the dress for a photograph DSB lifts it up and down and comments ..that could be a good workout - you don't need to go to the gym...
Kate: You could bring out a video - 'Dame Shirley's Workout' [all laugh]
DSB: What a good idea -- holding up one gown and then the next [more laughter]...
DD: ..This one began life as a diamond bodice with a very big crinoline skirt
DSB: No ...it was a black skirt [good humoured bantering between DSB & DD commences]
DD: It was a white skirt with diamond starbursts all over it
DSB: No...Black velvet
DD: I said "Where are you going in that"? I took the bodice off and put on a black velvet skirt...Then we put the diamond skirt on. Shirley was opening a club in Milan. But then [when flying] you were very restricted for [luggage] weight, so we put this dress in a four pound chocolate box and you [DSB] held it and took it on the plane as a box of chocolates...now that's wicked! [all laugh] It is sooooo heavy...
CW:...Doug, how many crystals do you think there are on this dress?
DD: God knows. They are Swarovski crystals. Everybody has heard of Swarovski now...You [DSB] had them when they just had a little tiny shop in London...This [gown] is a work of art...because the stones start from nothing and then they just get larger as they go down all the way through, and each stone has tiny bead sewn on top....

Final Price

£35,000

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