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Home / Who Made Julia Roberts Red Dress in Pretty Woman

Who Made Julia Roberts Red Dress in Pretty Woman

Dress featured in the 1990 film Pretty Woman

Red dress of Julia Roberts
Red dress of Julia Roberts.png
Designer Marilyn Vance
Year 1990
Type Off-the-shoulder evening gown

Julia Roberts wore a red dress in the 1990 romantic comedy film Pretty Woman. The ensemble was created by costume designer Marilyn Vance, and is worn during a "transformative" scene in the film where Roberts' character, Vivian Ward, accompanies her love interest to a night at the opera. The off-the-shoulder evening gown has been referred to as one of the most iconic dresses in film history.[1]

Background and design [edit]

Pretty Woman (1990) is a film depicting a sex worker who discovers high society after entering a romance with a millionare.[2] Originally, the production studio instructed Vance, who designed the gown, to make the color black, owing to a possible clash with Roberts' red hair color.[2] However, she retained her original idea of a red gown, with Roberts enduring multiple screen tests and Vance designing three creations before landing on the right shade to persuade director Gary Marshall of the idea.[2] [1] [3] Marshall was heavily involved with the fashion of the film and collaborated with Vance on the final look's design.[3]

The dress is a scarlet red sculptural column evening gown with a low back, off-the-shoulder detail, a plunging sweetheart neckline, and a draped tied around the hips.[2] [4] The ensemble was accessorized with a complimentary ruby diamond necklace and white opera gloves.[4] [1] [5] [6] It exhibited ruffled detailing and voluminous sleeves, in line with 90's fashion trends.[7] [8]

In Pretty Woman, Roberts portrays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood Boulevard prostitute who works with older businessman Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) and subsequently falls in love with him.[2] [4] Vance utilized her style portray to character's evolution in the film as her fashion becomes more polished and minimalist, inspired by Edward.[2] The dress was designed to be "diametrically opposite" to her revealing outfits at the beginning of the film.[2] The gown is worn during a "pivotal transformation" sequence which presents [Vivian] as a "real lady" prior to an evening at the opera.[2] [9] The scene where Roberts wears the gown has been referred to as cinematically significant and an "all-time movie moment", featuring improvisation intended by Gere for the film's gag reel. In the film, Edward surprises Vivian by snapping a necklace case on her fingers, where Roberts letting out a "yelping" and "iconic" laugh.[10] [11] [12] Marshall later referred to it as "the trademark for the movie".[12]

Reception and legacy [edit]

Harper's Bazaar and Grazia Daily have referred to the gown as the most famous costume piece in the film.[4] [5] 30 years after the film's release, Vogue Paris referred to the gown as iconic, and stated that it contributed to making the romantic comedy "legendary".[2] Johanna Cox of Elle described the piece as "one of the most famous red dresses in film history".[13] The gown was reproduced for the musical adaption of Pretty Woman, with a "more relaxed and less corset-like" design.[8] Los Angeles brand Reformation released a version of the gown in 2014, called 'the Bali dress'.[5] [4] Marie Claire framed the gown as one of the most unforgettable pieces in cinema.[14] Entertainment Weekly included it in a list describing "20 of pop culture's most show-stopping red dresses", while Parade featured the frock as one of the most iconic red dresses in film.[15] [16] It was exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum in 2014.[2] Vance was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design in 1990 for her work on Pretty Woman.[2]

Floriane Reynaud of Vogue Paris wrote that the dress was "eye-catching, incredibly sexy without losing an ounce of elegance… all of the attention is now focused on Vivian, who we now view from a different perspective: one of admiration instead of disdain."[2] Writing for Harper's Bazaar, Kerry Pieri expressed that the gown echoed the spirit of Valentino.[4] People declared that the dress "she wears when she goes from duckling to swan [..] has a wow factor that goes unmatched".[17] Marie Claire described the dress as "gorgeously draped" and stated that when "when Edward fell in love with [Vivian] that night, we did too."[1] In an analysis on red in film fashion, Refinery29 wrote that Vivian "connotes new — and commanding — elegance in her red ballgown and opera gloves."[18] Entertainment Weekly's Mary Sollosi dubbed the piece as Vivian's "true Cinderella moment."[15]

See also [edit]

  • Green dress of Keira Knightley
  • White dress of Marilyn Monroe
  • Pink dress of Marilyn Monroe
  • Black Givenchy dress of Audrey Hepburn

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Goldstone, Penny. "This legendary fashion moment from Pretty Woman almost never was". Marie Claire UK . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Reyand, Florain. "The secrets behind Julia Roberts' red dress in Pretty Woman". Vogue Paris.
  3. ^ a b Vance, Marilyn. "'Pretty Woman' Costume Designer Remembers Garry Marshall: "A Star Generator" Who Wasn't Fancy but Real". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Pieri, Kerry. "The Red 'Pretty Woman' Dress Can Now Be Yours For $388". Harper's Bazaar . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Rosseinsky, Katie. "Cult Brand Reformation Has Recreated The Iconic 'Pretty Woman' Red Dress". Grazia Daily . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Komar, Marlen. "A Brand Is Selling A Dress That Looks Exactly Like The Red 'Pretty Woman' Dress". Bustle . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Vivian Ward". Parade . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Halperin, Moze. "'Pretty Woman: The Musical' Makes a Sad Statement About Gender, Class and Fashion". Observer . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  9. ^ "As Julia Roberts turns 50, look back at her most stylish moments over the years". The Telegraph . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  10. ^ Tobias, Scott. "Pretty Woman at 30: conservatism, materialism and glowing star power". The Guardian . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  11. ^ Atad, Corey. "10 Things You (Probably) Didn't Know About 'Pretty Woman'". ET Canada.
  12. ^ a b "Director Reveals: Iconic Jewelry Box Scene From 'Pretty Woman' Was a Practical Joke Intended for the Film's Gag Reel". Patch . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  13. ^ Cox, Johanna. "Happy Birthday, Pretty Woman". Elle . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  14. ^ "20 Greatest Movie Dresses of All Time". Marie Claire . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Sollosi, Mary. "20 of pop culture's most show-stopping red dresses". Entertainment Weekly . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  16. ^ Solana, Salado. "National Wear Red Day: 17 of the Most Iconic Red Dresses in Film & TV". Parade . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  17. ^ Wurzburger, Andrea. "All of Julia Roberts' Outfits from Pretty Woman, Ranked". People . Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  18. ^ Jana, Rosalind. "From Rebecca To Moulin Rouge: The Femme Fatale Power Of A Red Dress". Refinery29 . Retrieved October 28, 2021.

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_dress_of_Julia_Roberts#:~:text=Julia%20Roberts%20wore%20a%20red,a%20night%20at%20the%20opera.