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Red dress of Julia Roberts
Designer Marilyn Vance
Year1990
TypeOff-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 accompanies her love interest to a night at the opera. Thirty years after the film's release, Vogue Paris called the off-the-shoulder evening gown as “iconic”, and said that it helped make the romantic comedy "legendary". [1]

Background and design

Pretty Woman (1990) is a film depicting a sex worker who discovers high society while embarking on romance with a millionaire. [1] The ensemble is worn during a "transformative" scene in the film, in which Roberts' character, Vivian Ward, accompanies her love interest to a night at the opera. [1] [2]

The production studio had instructed Vance to make the gown black to prevent clashing with Roberts' red hair. [1] But Vance pursued her concept, designing three dresses of various shades and putting Roberts through multiple screen tests to persuade director Garry Marshall. [1] [3] Marshall was heavily involved with the fashion of the film and collaborated with Vance on the final look's design. [2]

The dress is a scarlet red sculptural column evening gown with a low back, off-the-shoulder detail, a plunging sweetheart neckline, and a drape tied around the hips. [1] [4] The ensemble was accessorized with a complementary ruby diamond necklace and white opera gloves. [4] [3] [5] [6] It exhibited ruffled detailing and voluminous sleeves, in line with 1990s fashion trends. [7] [8]

In Pretty Woman, Roberts portrays Vivian Ward, a Hollywood Boulevard prostitute who entertains older businessman Edward Lewis ( Richard Gere) and subsequently falls in love with him. [1] [4] Vance used her style portray to character's evolution in the film as her fashion becomes more polished and minimalist, inspired by Edward. [1] The dress was designed to be "diametrically opposite" to her revealing outfits at the beginning of the film. [1] The gown is worn during a "pivotal transformation" sequence which presents [Vivian] as a "real lady" before to an evening at the opera. [1] [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, with 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

Harper's Bazaar and Grazia Daily have called the gown as the most famous costume piece in the film. [4] [5] 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. [1] Vance was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design in 1990 for her work on Pretty Woman. [1]

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." [1] 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 Edward fell in love with [Vivian] that night, we did too." [3] 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

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Reyand, Florain (August 14, 2020). "The secrets behind Julia Roberts' red dress in Pretty Woman". Vogue Paris.
  2. ^ a b Vance, Marilyn (July 21, 2016). "'Pretty Woman' Costume Designer Remembers Garry Marshall: "A Star Generator" Who Wasn't Fancy but Real". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c Goldstone, Penny (November 14, 2019). "This legendary fashion moment from Pretty Woman almost never was". Marie Claire UK. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Pieri, Kerry (May 24, 2018). "The Red 'Pretty Woman' Dress Can Now Be Yours For $388". Harper's Bazaar. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Rosseinsky, Katie (January 6, 2018). "Cult Brand Reformation Has Recreated The Iconic 'Pretty Woman' Red Dress". Grazia Daily. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Komar, Marlen (May 29, 2018). "A Brand Is Selling A Dress That Looks Exactly Like The Red 'Pretty Woman' Dress". Bustle. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Vivian Ward". Parade. February 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  8. ^ a b Halperin, Moze (August 24, 2018). "'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 (March 23, 2020). "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. Archived from the original on October 28, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "Director Reveals: Iconic Jewelry Box Scene From 'Pretty Woman' Was a Practical Joke Intended for the Film's Gag Reel". Patch. April 28, 2012. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  13. ^ Cox, Johanna (March 23, 2010). "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 (February 2019). "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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