Last night, a friend of mine tweeted a link to a post called "Christina Hendricks Shunned By Designers" - pretty sensationalist, no? Sure, I'd be upset if I was a size 14, walking the red carpet at major award shows to represent the hit television show I was currently staring in and I was unable to wear designer gowns like Cameron Diaz. But guess what? I'm not Cameron Diaz and neither is Christina Hendricks.
The harsh truth is that the fashion industry isn't size 14 friendly - and it has nothing to do with larger sizes. It's simple economics. Each season, designers send gorgeous gowns down the runway on eerily thin models as a representative of the collection they would like to sell in stores in six months. Those gowns (either a size 0 or 2) are the only sample of that dress until the dress is ordered by buyers and put into production. There isn't the same dress in multiple sizes hanging in a showroom - most likely the dress was being finished as the model was being dressed for the show. Hems, adding details, and finishing touches can all be added backstage by a member of the designer's team.
Should designers create one of a kind, custom gown for mega celebrities like Christina Hendricks? In my opinion, yes, but I'm not scrutinizing the bottom line. In addition to the added labor, fabric costs, and custom fitting time required, the custom dress runs the risk of not even making it to the red carpet. I've spoken with numerous publicists who have shared the horrors of red carpet dressing. Sure, the celebrity might come in for a fitting with their stylist and find "the" dress - but when preparing for the red carpet, the makeup artist, the hairstylist, the manager, the boyfriend, and potentially others can all influence the decision. It would be a shame to spend thousands of dollars creating a custom dress and then it doesn't even make the red carpet, wouldn't it?
Challenges aside, Christina Hendricks always looks beautiful on the red carpet. Her dresses celebrate her gorgeous pale skin, vibrant red hair, and enviable curves. Perhaps the real message here is that you don't need a Marchesa gown to look like a million dollar version of yourself.
How do you feel about the topic? Do you feel designers should take the risk of creating a custom gown for the reward of Christina (and others) wearing it on the red carpet?
