NEW YORK - Right alongside the latest fashions from France and Italy, an elaborate gown from Australia is front and centre in the windows of luxury retailer Bergdorf Goodman this week after appearing on the cover of Vogue.
Make that "Australia": The epic film starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman that will be in theatres this fall. The plot is driven by a massive cattle drive across the Outback.
A firebird organza gown is among the period costumes for the movie, set just after the Pearl Harbor bombing during the Second World War. In the movie, the gown is red; at Bergdorf's and on the July cover of Vogue, it's a green version, also created by costume designer Catherine Martin,
Four recreations of the governor's ball dress will available for sale for US$9,850, marking the first time Martin has offered her designs at retail.
"Film has such a growing impact on fashion and style inspiration," says Linda Fargo, Bergdorf senior vice-president. "But it's not often that one can literally buy what you see a style icon like Nicole Kidman wearing in a movie."
Actually there will be at least one other opportunity for "Australia"-style luxury fashion. Salvatore Ferragamo, which worked with Martin and Kidman to develop a full accessories wardrobe for the film, will add a version of the strappy velvet shoe Kidman's character wears with the gown to its holiday collection.
The company decided against offering the exact same shoe because tastes were different in the 1940s, with women preferring shorter, chunkier heels than the modern black-tie stiletto.
Salvatore Ferragamo began his career working in costume design, and his brand has partnered on films including "The Seven Year Itch," "The Devil Wears Prada" and the upcoming "Confessions of a Shopaholic."
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