Black and white Valentino dress of Julia Roberts
Encyclopedia
The black and white Valentino dress of Julia Roberts refers to the black and white Valentino dress worn by Julia Roberts
at the 73rd Academy Awards
on March 25, 2001, during which she won the Academy Award for her performance in Erin Brockovich
. Widely praised by fashion critics, a poll by Debenhams
, published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the third most iconic red carpet dress of all time. The dress is designed in the "vintage" style", intended to evoke the style of classic Hollywood; Valentino had designed for prominent fashion icons such as Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor
.
and Viera had worked for fashion house Jasper Conran
. This led to Viera contacting Mason to offer the dress. Roberts had previously tried on dresses sent by most of the other top designers but was not particularly impressed by any of them. Convinced they had the right dress for her, in the very week of the Oscars, Viera arranged for Roberts to come to a fitting at Valentino Beverly Hills. Viera remarked that Roberts looked "absolutely stunning" and Roberts was reported to have said "I just thought it was a pretty dress". The black column gown with white piping had been slightly too small for Roberts but a tailor made some last-minute adjustments.
The dress proved very popular with teenage girls and many copies were sold and worn as prom dresses throughout the United States. Other dresses were designed very similarly in the black and white style later in 2001, such as Thierry Mugler
's design, valued at $600.
Julia Roberts
Julia Fiona Roberts is an American actress. She became a Hollywood star after headlining the romantic comedy Pretty Woman , which grossed $464 million worldwide...
at the 73rd Academy Awards
73rd Academy Awards
The 73rd Academy Awards honored the best films of 2000 and was held on March 25, 2001. It was the last Academy Awards to take place at the Los Angeles Shrine Auditorium...
on March 25, 2001, during which she won the Academy Award for her performance in Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich
Erin Brockovich-Ellis is an American legal clerk and environmental activist who, despite the lack of a formal law school education, or any legal education, was instrumental in constructing a case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company of California in 1993...
. Widely praised by fashion critics, a poll by Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
, published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the third most iconic red carpet dress of all time. The dress is designed in the "vintage" style", intended to evoke the style of classic Hollywood; Valentino had designed for prominent fashion icons such as Jackie Kennedy and Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
.
Background
Roberts was dressed by Debbie Mason. This was known to Valentino who realized he had "struck gold" because his employee Cristina Viera had been an acquaintance of Mason in England in the 1980s when Mason has been an editor for British ElleElle (magazine)
Elle is a worldwide magazine of French origin that focuses on women's fashion, beauty, health, and entertainment. Elle is also the world's largest fashion magazine. It was founded by Pierre Lazareff and his wife Hélène Gordon in 1945. The title, in French, means "she".-History:Elle was founded in...
and Viera had worked for fashion house Jasper Conran
Jasper Conran
Jasper Alexander Thirlby Conran OBE is an English fashion designer. He is the son of the designer Sir Terence Conran and the author Shirley Conran.-Education:He was educated at Port Regis School and Bryanston School in the 1970s...
. This led to Viera contacting Mason to offer the dress. Roberts had previously tried on dresses sent by most of the other top designers but was not particularly impressed by any of them. Convinced they had the right dress for her, in the very week of the Oscars, Viera arranged for Roberts to come to a fitting at Valentino Beverly Hills. Viera remarked that Roberts looked "absolutely stunning" and Roberts was reported to have said "I just thought it was a pretty dress". The black column gown with white piping had been slightly too small for Roberts but a tailor made some last-minute adjustments.
Reception
Valentino himself has cited the moment Roberts collect her Oscar for Best Actress wearing his gown as the high point of his 45-year career; "I have dressed so many people but I have to be sincere. The person that made me feel so very, very happy was Julia Roberts. When she got the Academy Award for Erin Brockovich I watched it on television and really I was so excited that she appeared in my dress." The dress was originally made for the 1992 Valentino couture collections, now in the company archives.The dress proved very popular with teenage girls and many copies were sold and worn as prom dresses throughout the United States. Other dresses were designed very similarly in the black and white style later in 2001, such as Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler
Thierry Mugler is a French fashion designer and creator of several perfumes.-Childhood:Mugler was born in Strasbourg, France on 21 December 1948. His passion led him to focus more on drawing than on school and at the age of 9, he began to study classical dance...
's design, valued at $600.