Friday, November 18, 2011

'La Comtesse de Castiglione' a film by David Lodge


I made this opulent costume for the film 'La Comtesse de Castiglione', a piece of surrealist cinema inspired by the portraits of the real Comtesse by photographers Meyer Freres and Louis Pierson in 1855.

It is my interpretation of a gown that the real princess Virginia Oldoni, designed for herself in1856 for a liason with Napoleon III.
It took me 5 weeks to make, with 30 metres of silk taffeta, 350 pearls and 25 metres of  french lace.
I still have the dress, but these days it resembles a real antique, as it was almost lost when a fire ravaged through my studio in London, just a year after its creation. 
Most of my collection was ruined, but this one mercifully escaped with just a touch of smoke damage.
The film was an immediate success, winning best short film at the Cannes and Melbourne film festivals.

2 comments:

  1. Congratulations. Great costume, great film.

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  2. Wow! I have this on my short-list to make someday. Your version is amazing!

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