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history as seen on the silver screen By Terry Oparka TROY — The spotlight is on Hollywood-style weddings at Somerset Collection this month. “Hollywood Brides Unveiled” features Academy Award-winning wedding costumes worn by the likes of Kate Winslet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Keira Knightley, Amy Irving, Meryl Streep, Colin Firth and Ralph Fiennes. The gowns were designed with help from authors Jane Austen’s and Isak Dinesen’s works, personal diaries, and portraits from times when ladies wore corsets and gloves, and men wore waistcoats and top hats. One dress in the collection — worn by Irving in “Yentl” — is actually from the late 1800s and will be retired to a museum when the exhibit closes at Somerset Collection later this month. Nancy Lawson, curator of the exhibit, culled the 23 costumes from London-based Costume Properties’ collection, designed and crafted for films set over a 400-year period, beginning in the 1550s. Academy Award nominee and Oscar-winning designer John Bright founded Costume Properties in 1965, and it specializes in period dress from 1700 to 1970. M’Arch McCarty, artistic director for Imagination Theatre Etc., which is coordinating the exhibit at Somerset Collection, explained that some of the beadwork and ribbons on the gowns were taken from historic dresses in disrepair. “Some of the trim and beadwork on the gowns is 100 years old,” he said. The wedding gowns were created and hand-crafted in shades of cream and ivory, so viewers can easily see how women’s silhouettes changed through the eras to narrow waists, then bustles, Lawson said. She hopes those who see the gowns and costumes will consider how different their lives would be in such restrictive clothing. “Seventeen yards of fabric were used in Victorian gowns,” she said. McCarty said the authenticity of the costumes and the actors’ range of motion in the clothing helps actors portray characters from historical eras. Lawson agreed. “The formality of period dressing, which can be constrictive due to its intricate cut or corsetry, forces the actor to move or stand differently, and soon they’re walking, figuratively, in their characters’ shoes,” she said. “It’s a history lesson,” McCarty said. In addition to the costumes, three Vera Wang gowns for sale at Macy’s appear to float in the fountain as part of the Somerset Collection Bridal Event, which will feature four live runway shows of bridal fashions and accessories available from Somerset retailers. The shows are free to the public on a first-come seating basis, and will be held in the Somerset Collection North Grand Court 7 p.m. March 12, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. March 13, and 2 p.m. March 14. “Hollywood Brides Unveiled” will be displayed in the Somerset Collection North Grand Court 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays through March 21. Somerset Collection is located at 2800 W. Big Beaver. You can reach Staff Writer Terry Oparka at toparka@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1054. |
