Barbra Streisand wore this stunning Thea Porter kaftan as Esther Hoffman in A Star Is Born (1976). As many Streisand fans know, the film’s wardrobe was famously credited as “Ms. Streisand’s clothes… from her closet,” reflecting how much of Esther’s style came directly from Barbra’s own collection.
Thea Porter was known for embracing the rock-and-roll lifestyle, which made her design aesthetic a perfect fit for A Star Is Born. In 1967, she designed the outfits worn by Pink Floyd on the cover of The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, and the Beatles once sold her designs in their Apple Boutique in London. By the 1970s, Thea Porter’s clothing was among the most sought-after fashion in the world.
No two garments Porter created were ever alike, as she frequently sourced antique textiles from the Middle East to incorporate into her designs. Barbra’s kaftan is a perfect example of how Porter seamlessly blended an array of patterns into a harmonious look. The kaftan worn in the film was crafted from silk plain-weave chiffon and beautifully showcases Thea Porter’s iconic bohemian style. Gold sequins and silver metallic embroidery cover the piece, catching the light beautifully on screen and giving Streisand an ethereal, almost otherworldly quality. It was last sold at auction in 2014 for $2,000.
Barbra Streisand was a fan of Thea Porter’s work and one of her many celebrity clients. While renovating her Malibu home, Streisand contacted Porter (often called the “godmother of bohemian chic”) and described the design and color palette of each room. She then commissioned a different outfit to complement each of them. Some of these can be seen in photos in August 1974’s “House Beautiful” Magazine.
Porter’s flowing, bohemian kaftan felt completely authentic to the character of Esther Hoffman, and really helped define her glamorous and free-spirited 1970s style in the film.
