Swan dress of Björk
Encyclopedia
The swan dress of Björk or the Björk swan dress refers to the famous white "swan" dress worn by the Iceland
ic artist Björk
at the 2001 Academy Awards
on March 25, 2001. A poll by Debenhams
, published in the Daily Telegraph, voted it the ninth most iconic red-carpet
dress of all time.
, the dress was designed like a swan and at the ceremony Björk mimicked laying an egg on the red carpet. It was described by Emanuel Levy
as "A giant swan dress, a full-body stocking that was covered with a giant swan whose neck wrapped around her with its head and beak resting on her breasts". She had two copies of the dress produced, given that it couldn't be taken to the dry cleaners
. She later used that dress on the cover of her 2001 record album Vespertine
and wore variations of it many times on the Vespertine Tour.
called the dress "probably one of the dumbest things I've ever seen". Joan Rivers
remarked "Later I saw her in the ladies room spreading papers on the floor… This girl should be put into an asylum." However, the dress was praised by some for its originality; The New York Observer verdict was "total overall j'adore" and Melissa Etheridge
was also reported to have praised the dress.
In response to the media hype, Björk said "It's just a dress". She said, "I don't really know why I'm obsessed with swans but as I said, everything about my new album is about winter and they're a white, sort of winter bird. Obviously very romantic, being monogamous. It's one of those things that maybe I'm too much in the middle of to describe. When you're obsessed with something, you can explain it five years later, but in the moment, you don't know exactly why. Right now, swans seem to sort of stand for a lot of things." One astrologer said that the dress had symbolic value.
at the 2001 Emmy Awards
. Kevin James wore a version of it at the 2002 People's Choice Awards
. In 2007, the gown was proposed to take part in the year's Oscar fashion show, highlighting the signature gowns from the red carpets of the Oscars from previous years. However, according to Oscar producer Laura Ziskin
, Björk's team refused to let the dress take part.
The dress was parodied in the 2004 comedy film White Chicks
and the 2005 comedy film My Big Fat Independent Movie
, as well as an episode of Fairly Odd Parents and an episode of Hannah Montana
, where the title character is seen wearing it to a gala event.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
ic artist Björk
Björk
Björk Guðmundsdóttir , known as Björk , is an Icelandic singer-songwriter. Her eclectic musical style has achieved popular acknowledgement and popularity within many musical genres, such as rock, jazz, electronic dance music, classical and folk...
at the 2001 Academy Awards
2001 Academy Awards
2001 Academy Awards may refer to:* 73rd Academy Awards, the Academy Awards ceremony that took place in 2001 and honored the best in film for 2000* 74th Academy Awards, the 2002 ceremony honoring the best in film for 2001...
on March 25, 2001. 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 ninth most iconic red-carpet
Red carpet
A red carpet is traditionally used to mark the route taken by heads of state on ceremonial and formal occasions, and has in recent decades been extended to use by VIPs and celebrities at formal events.- History :...
dress of all time.
Design
Designed by Macedonian designer Marjan PejoskiMarjan Pejoski
Marjan Pejoski is a Macedonian fashion designer who lives and works in Great Britain. He is mainly known for designing Björk's iconic swan dress, which the singer wore many times : on the Vespertine album cover, for the Vespertine Tour, for the 2000 Cannes Festival and for the 2001 Academy...
, the dress was designed like a swan and at the ceremony Björk mimicked laying an egg on the red carpet. It was described by Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy
Emanuel Levy is an American film critic and professor.-Life:Emanuel Levy began his studies at Tel Aviv University, where he received B.A. in sociology, anthropology and political science. He did graduate work in sociology, film, and culture studies at Columbia University, where he earned a Ph.D...
as "A giant swan dress, a full-body stocking that was covered with a giant swan whose neck wrapped around her with its head and beak resting on her breasts". She had two copies of the dress produced, given that it couldn't be taken to the dry cleaners
Dry cleaning
Dry cleaning is any cleaning process for clothing and textiles using a chemical solvent other than water. The solvent used is typically tetrachloroethylene , abbreviated "perc" in the industry and "dry-cleaning fluid" by the public...
. She later used that dress on the cover of her 2001 record album Vespertine
Vespertine
Vespertine, is the fifth studio album by the Icelandic recording artist Björk, released on 27 August 2001. On this album, Björk creates a quiet, introverted world of microbeats and personal lyrics...
and wore variations of it many times on the Vespertine Tour.
Reception
The dress was talked about in the fashion and entertainment world for weeks after the event. It was widely criticized and seen as outrageous and outlandish and an outfit that "became the year's fashion faux pas". Some viewed it as bizarre enough to be more than just a publicity stunt, something confirmed by Björk. Jay Carr of the Boston Globe wrote, "Bjork's wraparound swan frock . . . made her look like a refugee from the more dog-eared precincts of provincial ballet", while Steven CojocaruSteven Cojocaru
Steven Cojocaru , known by the nickname "Cojo", is a Canadian fashion critic. He was born in Montreal, Quebec to a family of immigrants from Romania...
called the dress "probably one of the dumbest things I've ever seen". Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers
Joan Rivers is an American comedian, television personality and actress. She is known for her brash manner; her loud, raspy voice with a heavy New York accent; and her numerous cosmetic surgeries...
remarked "Later I saw her in the ladies room spreading papers on the floor… This girl should be put into an asylum." However, the dress was praised by some for its originality; The New York Observer verdict was "total overall j'adore" and Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Etheridge
Melissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.Etheridge is known for her mixture of confessional lyrics, pop-based folk-rock, and raspy, smoky vocals...
was also reported to have praised the dress.
In response to the media hype, Björk said "It's just a dress". She said, "I don't really know why I'm obsessed with swans but as I said, everything about my new album is about winter and they're a white, sort of winter bird. Obviously very romantic, being monogamous. It's one of those things that maybe I'm too much in the middle of to describe. When you're obsessed with something, you can explain it five years later, but in the moment, you don't know exactly why. Right now, swans seem to sort of stand for a lot of things." One astrologer said that the dress had symbolic value.
In popular media
The dress was later emulated by Ellen DeGeneresEllen DeGeneres
Ellen Lee DeGeneres is an American stand-up comedienne, television host and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol for one year, having joined the show in its ninth season....
at the 2001 Emmy Awards
2001 Emmy Awards
2001 Emmy Awards may refer to:* 53rd Primetime Emmy Awards, the 2001 Emmy Awards ceremony that honored primetime programming during 2000–2001* 28th Daytime Emmy Awards, the 2001 Emmy Awards ceremony honoring daytime programming during 2000–2001...
. Kevin James wore a version of it at the 2002 People's Choice Awards
29th People's Choice Awards
The 29th People's Choice Awards, honoring the best in popular culture for 2002, were held on January 12, 2003 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California. They were hosted by Tony Danza, and broadcast on CBS.-Awards:-External links:*...
. In 2007, the gown was proposed to take part in the year's Oscar fashion show, highlighting the signature gowns from the red carpets of the Oscars from previous years. However, according to Oscar producer Laura Ziskin
Laura Ziskin
Laura Ellen Ziskin was an American film producer. In 1990, Ziskin was the sole executive producer of the hit comedy Pretty Woman...
, Björk's team refused to let the dress take part.
The dress was parodied in the 2004 comedy film White Chicks
White Chicks
White Chicks is a 2004 American film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans and written and produced by Keenen Wayans, Shawn Wayans and Marlon Wayans. The film was produced by Columbia Pictures and Revolution Studios...
and the 2005 comedy film My Big Fat Independent Movie
My Big Fat Independent Movie
My Big Fat Independent Movie is a 2005 independent film produced and written by film journalist Chris Gore spoofing well-known independent films, such as My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Memento, Swingers, Pulp Fiction, Magnolia, Amelie, Reservoir Dogs, Pi, The Good Girl, Run Lola Run, and El Mariachi...
, as well as an episode of Fairly Odd Parents and an episode of Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana
Hannah Montana is an American television series, which debuted on March 24, 2006 on the Disney Channel. The series focuses on a girl who lives a double life as an average teenage school girl named Miley Stewart by day and a famous pop singer named Hannah Montana by night, concealing her real...
, where the title character is seen wearing it to a gala event.