Explore the in-depth Anatomy of a Fortuny Delphos here.

Barbra Streisand wore a pink Fortuny Delphos inspired gown and matching pleated chiffon cape by Irene Sharaff during act one of her A Happening In Central Park concert. Loved by fans across the globe, this larger-than-life outfit remains one of Streisand’s most iconic and memorable looks. Held on June 17, 1967, as part of the second season of the Rheingold Central Park Music Festival, the free concert was expected to draw 75,000 people, but nearly 150,000 fans showed up. 

By 1967, Streisand had already seen massive success from her first studio albums, hit TV specials, and her starring role in Funny Girl on Broadway, yet she was still in a chrysalis phase—poised to become a movie star for the first time. As she made her entrance in Central Park, raising her cape-like butterfly wings, Barbra made it loud and clear to the audience and world that her metamorphosis into mega-stardom was complete.

A Fortuny Reimagined

The story of this gown begins during the pre-production of the Funny Girl movie. Costume designer Irene Sharaff had acquired a vintage burgundy Fortuny Delphos gown and matching jacket for Barbra to wear in the film. Streisand instantly fell in love with these pieces, which remain part of her personal collection today. In her 2010 book, My Passion For Design, Streisand recalled, “I thought the Fortuny dress was gorgeous. Utterly simple-held together by a thin silk cord at the shoulders and very complex with that infinitesimal pleating. No one has ever figured out how he did those tiny pleats. It’s like Tiffany glass in a way. You can’t quite duplicate it, although many people have tried.” She went on, “I wore the original in the movie of Funny Girl, and then I had Irene copy it in pink for my 1967 concert in Central Park. I asked her to make a pleated chiffon cape to wear over it that could billow in the wind. There were 150,000 people there that night and no video screens back then. At least with the cape, they could see me, even if they were way in the back.” ¹

Irene Sharaff was renowned for the attention to historical detail in her costume designs and recreated the Fortuny Delphos to perfection. As a result, Streisand’s pink version was nearly an exact replica of her vintage burgundy Delphos, estimated to date to 1934. Key elements of the design include the distinctive handkerchief points at either hip and the unique arm openings, which extend from the neckline rather than the side seams—allowing the hem to dip gracefully on both sides when worn. Another signature detail of the Delphos is the silk rat-tail cording, finished with Murano glass beads. These beads are not only decorative but also serve to weigh down the pleated silk, ensuring a fluid and elegant drape.

Delphos gowns grew in popularity and eventually made their way from Italy to the United States, where they were sold from 1928 until Fortuny died in 1949. Today, his original gowns are extremely valued and collectible, selling for upwards of $10,000. His method of pleating (patented in 1909 under the name “Genre d’étoffe plissé) was a closely guarded secret involving applying heat to wet fabric. This technique has recently been unlocked by the House Of Fortuny, which has now resumed production of the iconic Delphos style ²

In her 2023 autobiography, My Name Is Barbra, Streisand further explained her admiration for Mariano Fortuny’s designs, noting, “They look like something one of those Greek maidens at the Acropolis might have worn. Each dress is basically a column of the most infinitesimally pleated silk, and it clings to the body in the most beautiful way, just suggesting the curves underneath.” ³

The Cape

Streisand envisioned a cape that would billow in the wind, and Irene Sharaff made it happen, designing a pleated chiffon overlay that added both movement and a theatrical flair to the gown. The cape was later put up for auction in 2004 during Julien’s My Name is Barbra event. An interesting detail noted in the auction catalog is that it was made from “two layers of pleated chiffon panels of varying shades of green and pink.” The green is so subtle it’s barely detectable in photographs, but Sharaff clearly understood that this small variation would add visual depth and richness to the piece. This cape sold for $3,400.00 and has yet to be displayed for any exhibition or public viewing. ⁴

The Rehearsal Look

Streisand’s A Happening In Central Park took place during a weekend break from the filming of Funny Girl. Though she had a solid idea of what she wanted to wear, changes were still being made up until the last minute. In her DVD introduction to A Happening In Central Park, she mentions that she rehearsed until 3:30 in the morning the day prior to the show. During rehearsals, Streisand wore her pink gown and cape, but styled her hair with a voluminous hairpiece and pink headband, both of which were replaced by her natural short hair on the night of the concert.

In a 1968 Redbook story, journalist Martha Weinman Lear recalled spending the night of the rehearsal with Barbra in her trailer and how Barbra was still questioning the act one look. “Close your eyes and she was totally immersed in the song; open them and she was totally preoccupied with the gown, playing with it, studying the effect in two television monitors.” Backstage, while reviewing rehearsal footage, Barbra asked her husband, Elliott Gould, for his thoughts on her hair and outfit—a moment Weinman Lear documented in detail. “What about the pink gown? she asks wearily. A sticky silence. A technician spoke hesitantly. His colleagues had taken a poll and six out of eight didn’t like it. Abruptly Streisand exploded. “You know what?” she said. “I’ll tell you what. You guys don’t understand fashion.” ⁵ Thankfully, Barbra trusted her instincts and refused to cave to outside opinions. Over fifty years later, photographs of her wearing this outfit remain among the most iconic of her career.

As a finishing touch, Streisand accessorized her outfit with a necklace that traveled with her cross-country from the set of Funny Girl. It can be seen in the film during the scene where Fanny proposes marriage to Nick, as well as in the following card game sequence. Streisand has worn the piece on numerous occasions since, including at the 1992 Academy Awards—making it a subtle yet meaningful thread through key moments in her career.

Even before she ever directed a film, Streisand already had a filmmaker’s eye. She instinctively understood how she would be perceived by an audience of that scale and what kind of dress it would take to visually command such an enormous space. By harnessing the power of Fortuny’s ethereal historic garment, Sharaff and Streisand managed to create a look that was simultaneously hip, modern, and timeless —an image that continues to live on as an iconic moment in music history.

References:

1. Streisand, Barbra. My Passion for Design: A Private Tour. Viking, Penguin Publishing Group, 2010. Page 218. ↩︎
2. https://www.fortuny.us/blog/stories-en_us/delphos-fortuny-the-story-of-a-dress-that-became-an-icon/?srsltid=AfmBOop_U6pyxrzstTpfk82JrMjQTTJhoSweqxGlILRbXFk2dVgAG0Ii ↩︎
3. Streisand, Barbra. My Name Is Barbra. Viking, Penguin Publishing Group, 2023. Page 227. ↩︎
4. https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/321298_barbra-streisand-central-park-happening-cape ↩︎
5. Weinman Lear, Martha. Her Name is Barbra. Redbook, January 1968. Republished at http://barbra-archives.com/bjs_library/60s/redbook_1968_streisand.html ↩︎