November 22, 2023Barbra Streisand wore a shimmering Arnold Scaasi, nude-illusion ensemble to the Academy Awards on April 14, 1969. To this day, this outfit remains one of the most controversial, recognizable, and iconic fashion statements in Oscars history.
The 41st Academy Awards in 1969 broke the mold for multiple reasons. One unprecedented change was that the show was set to be broadcast worldwide, in thirty-seven nations for the first time. This meant expanding the production to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center. It also meant that Streisand’s outfit would be seen live by masses of people which certainly contributed to the explosive amount of attention it received. There was no host for the awards show that evening, which had not happened since 1911. These were noteworthy changes, but the biggest shock of the ceremony came when Ingrid Bergman announced that Barbra Streisand and Katharine Hepburn had tied for the award of Best Actress in a Leading Role. The votes had been perfectly split with 3,030 for each actress. This marked the first exact tie in a principal category and the first time there had ever been a tie for the Leading Actress award.
Streisand found out she was nominated for her first Academy Award while in production for On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Though there has been some speculation as to whether or not her Oscars outfit was originally designed to be used in On a Clear Day, this is not the case. Arnold Scaasi decisively clears this rumor up in his book, Women I have Dressed and Undressed. He recalled, “We began to talk about how the star should look at the Academy Awards. I never knew whose idea it was, but I arrived to find Barbra in her dressing room on the set, wearing a voluminous black-taffeta hooded cape that not only hid her curvaceous young figure but also hid half her face. The wardrobe woman stood by, smiling encouragingly beside the producer of Clear Day, the amiable Howard Koch Sr. Grinning broadly like a cat that had just finished all the cream was Barbra’s long-time maid. “What do you think Scaasi?” Streisand asked, twirling around to show me how the cape moved. “Nice,” I said, “but I thought you were to be in white in the 1815 ballroom scene in the Brighton Pavilion “No, Arnold,” Koch said. “This is what we thought Barbra might wear to the Academy Awards.” I was visibly horrified. Never being very diplomatic early on, I got right to the point. “You must be kidding,” I said. “She looks like a character out of Gone With the Wind!” Barbra laughed, but everyone else looked stony-faced. “I think,” I continued, looking at Barbra, “it is very important since the world has only seen you in two films and in both all dressed up in fussy period costumes, that you appear at the awards looking like the contemporary young woman you are (she was barely twenty-five). We have to do something really modern…really of today….I think the cape thing is all wrong. Everyone but Barbra seemed disappointed. The cape vanished. I immediately started working on sketches that were in a contemporary vein.”
A closer look at the detailing in Barbra’s outfit
As Scaasi began to sketch ideas for what was to become the most famous design of his career, he took inspiration from a gown he had recently made for Polly Bergen’s nightclub act. This had featured black bobbinet tulle, with dime-sized clear sequins over a nude silk slip. Scaasi loved the shiny black-see-through effect and thought it would be perfect for Streisand. He decided to utilize a flesh-colored marquisette to line Barbra’s look. Since bell-bottom pants were incredibly popular at the time, he kept thinking about incorporating them into his design. He noted that “Barbra and I finally agreed on a sketch I had done, using the black net, clear sequined see-through fabric. The bell-bottom trousers were exaggerated and had many godets flaring out widely from the knee down, almost giving the appearance of a trumpet-shaped evening skirt when she stood still. The top was a straight overblouse of sheer embroidered fabric with two patch pockets covering her breasts. It was finished with the basic white collar and cuffs and a black satin bow at the neckline. There was nothing overtly sexual about the outfit. In fact, it was insouciant.” Streisand told W Magazine is 2016 “I wanted a white collar and cuffs, which it had, and I wore my hair under my chin, because I thought to myself, I’m going to win two Oscars in my lifetime, and I’ll be more conservative next time.”
Streisand’s decision to wear this outfit was extremely daring for 1969. She was about to become the first actress to ever wear pants to the Oscars, not to mention accept an award in them. But Streisand was no stranger to taking fashion risks. She was such a huge star at the time that her fashion choices were extremely influential and trend-setting. As the 1960s came to a close, women were breaking free of the many restraints they had been subjected to in previous decades and coming into their own. This outfit made a loud and clear statement that the dawn of women breaking free and taking control of their bodies had arrived. Streisand was ahead of the trend, and maybe even helped to get the ball rolling. Through the 1970s comfort, freedom and self-expression were driving forces in women’s fashion. This was, in part, a reaction to the newfound freedoms that they were experiencing, like access to Ivy League education, legal birth control, and the ability to open a bank account on their own.
Scaasi and Streisand head to the Oscars. Photo ©Steve Schapiro, via vanity Fair.
Before leaving for the Academy Awards ceremony Streisand and Scaasi attended a party thrown by Fran and Ray Stark (Fanny Brice’s daughter and son-in-law, who had produced Funny Girl.) Scaasi recalled that Barbra arrived last to the party, carrying her white kid gloves and holding a black satin clutch that matched her pumps. He thought she looked like a model. Fran Stark commented on the outfit, saying “Arnold, you are brilliant. She looks ravishing.” Stark would be the first of many to applaud this striking fashion statement. As Streisand arrived at the Academy Awards red carpet around 4 PM, she was greeted by hundreds of fans who cheered and gasped with excitement. Scaasi followed behind and remembered how emotional and overjoyed he felt as “a Jewish boy from Montreal, walking behind this extraordinary star.” The New York Times reported the next day that “The loudest outcries greeted the arrival of Miss Streisand as she arrived wearing a black see-through pantsuit and escorted by her husband, Elliot Gould.”
Streisand prepares for the Awards with the help of her long time hairstylist Frederick Glaser. Scaasi looks on, back left.
Though Streisand and Scaasi knew this outfit touted a nude illusion, they didn’t quite perceive just how nude the outfit would appear when met with intense flash-bulbs from the press cameras. This was especially apparent when Streisand made her way to the stage to accept her award and tripped a bit on her dramatic bell-bottoms. As she briefly lunged forward, Scaasi remembers that “hundreds of flashbulbs went off, recording her derriere on film.” Some who were present that night recall thinking that this look was already quite transparent, even without flash. Photographer Steve Schapiro noted that “From the back, the pants had a see-through effect, even though they were lined. Everyone thought they were seeing her ass, including me, and I was right next to her!”
Though Streisand’s win for her debut film role in Funny Girl made headlines the next day, her outfit truly stole the show. News sources and tabloids claimed that Streisand had been nude under her sheer outfit. It was truly scandalous at the time. Years later, Streisand and Scaasi maintained that they had no idea that the outfit would appear truly see-through. Scaasi claimed, “Though we had taken every aspect of the sequin outfit into consideration, we did not know the flashbulbs used by the press would wipe out the flat surface of the black net.” He added, “Next morning Barbra was on the phone to me laughing about the whole episode. The headlines helped make the star’s outfit the most famous Academy Award costume ever!” Scaasi probably never imagined that no matter what else he designed in his long career, he would forever be most famous for this singular outfit. Over forty years later he was still being asked about it and told the LA Times “Let’s face it, all the strategic parts were covered with lining underneath.”
Streisand’s iconic Oscar outfit remained in her possession until she decided to put it up for auction to benefit the Streisand Foundation. The winning bid was placed by Arnold Scaasi himself, who had set out to buy back many of his Streisand-worn looks for his archives. He recalled the pride he felt at having his most famous creation back in his hands, stating “For years I had asked to borrow the famous Academy Award see-through outfit to show at the many retrospectives that have been done on my career at museums across the country….I was always refused. A secretary told me often, “It’s in storage somewhere and can’t be found.” In October 2003 Streisand auctioned many of her personal items on eBay, the money going to the Streisand Foundation. Suddenly it was “found”, and after paying several thousand dollars I was able to buy it. Scented with Barbra’s personal fragrance, the controversial outfit finally came home to its creator.”
Scaasi’s designs for Streisand displayed at MFA in 2011
Around 2010, Scaasi gifted more than 100 of his couture designs, as well as his sketchbooks to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His 1969 Oscars ensemble, as well as several other famous Streisand looks were displayed in 2011 as part of MFA’s “Scaasi: American Couturier” exhibition. Upon his death in 2015, Streisand reminisced about her time with Scaasi, and their headline-making Oscars ensemble, stating, “I was very saddened to hear of Arnold Scaasi‘s passing. Arnold was a wonderful designer who knew how to combine fantasy and craftsmanship. He made many fabulous outfits for me over the years and unfortunately, only one of them stole the headlines. I had no idea when I wore it to receive the Academy Award that the outfit would become see-through under the lights! I was embarrassed but it sure was original at the time.”
Over fifty years later, the image of twenty-six-year-old Streisand accepting the Oscar in her sheer Scaasi ensemble remains so iconic that it is used in nearly every Academy Awards fashion retrospective. The look is frozen in time, oozing eternal glamour.
Sources:
Scaasi, Arnold. Women I Have Dressed (and Undressed!). Scribner Book, 2004.
Hirschberg, Lynn. “The Eternal Star Power of Barbra Streisand.” 17 November, 2016. W Magazine.com. https://www.wmagazine.com/story/barbra-streisand-interview-w-magazine-photographed-steven-meisel
The New York Times. “Hepburn and Streisand Share Top Oscars”. 15 April, 1969. P. 40. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1969/04/15/90092488.html?pageNumber=40
Khan, Jessica. “Photo Flash: Barbra Streisand Remembers Designer Arnold Scaasi and Her Iconic Oscars Outfit”. 4 August, 2015. Broadway World.com. https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Flash-Barbra-Streisand-Remembers-Designer-Arnold-Scaasi-and-Her-Iconic-Oscars-Outfit-20150804 [...]
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November 4, 2023Barbra Streisand looked radiant as she stepped out on Sept. 12th, 2023 in an elegant and chic black outfit to speak at the inaugural UCLA Barbra Streisand Center lecture. The UCLA Streisand Center was created in 2021 to support research and programming in four focus areas: Truth in the Public Sphere, Impact of Climate Change, Dynamics of Intimacy & Power Between Women and Men, and Impact of Art on the Culture. This year’s lecture was on the theme of Truth in the Public Sphere and speakers discussed the impact that disinformation is having on social structures as well as its ongoing threat to democracy. In her speech (which is posted in full at BarbraStreisand.com), Streisand stated “we must be willing to robustly confront disinformation if our democracy is going to survive. The media has to do a much better job at this despite the backlash from those who believe in alternate realities. Disinformation has spread in our society like black mold. And what grows in the dark is incompatible with the light of truth.”
The first thing that I noticed when looking at Streisand’s outfit for this event was that she was wearing a necklace with a pendant that is historically symbolic of truth. Hanging from a rosary-style beaded chain was a stunning jeweled Maltese cross. This distinct symbol features eight points with two point pairs that form on the equilateral arms of the cross. Maltese crosses were adopted by the Order of the Knights of the Hospital of Saint. John (Knights Hospitaller) in 1126. The eight points each denote an obligation or aspiration of the knights, which included “to live in truth, have faith, repent one’s sins, give proof of humility, love justice, be merciful, be sincere and wholehearted and endure persecution.” the Knights Hospitallers were recognized in 1888 by Queen Victoria for devotion to charity.
Everything about the design of Streisand’s Maltese cross leads me to think it is an antique mid-19th-century piece. Being jeweled indicates that it would have belonged to a woman. These are very rare since they were primarily handed down through families and have mostly stayed within them. Alongside this necklace was a simple black choker and a gold Art Nouveau pendant that is one of Streisand’s favorites to wear. I get asked a lot about this necklace and have no ID as of yet. It does look extremely similar to many antique René Lalique necklaces so that is my best guess right now. Streisand’s video leaving her house also showed her carrying a vintage classic nylon Prada bag which she was previously photographed with in April, 2021. [...]
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October 26, 2023Barbra Streisand wore this one-of-a-kind Fabergé diamond necklace to the 1997 Academy Awards. This unique piece can also be seen in a photo of her with former United Nations Ambassador Madeline Albright and former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau.
After quite a bit of research, I found that this necklace is a Fabergé that she purchased in 1994 from London-based Fabergé experts, Wartski. The 150-year-old London-based antique dealer is best known for its “royal warrant of appointment” and they are one of a handful of jewelers that supply goods & services to the royal family. Streisand’s necklace is packed with an assortment of diamonds in round and teardrop shapes. Most striking are the beautiful diamond flora decorations that encircle the piece. Set within each oval are what appear to be three-leaf clovers with diamonds representing their leaves. It is glamorous, extremely detailed, and historic, so I can see why Barbra was drawn to it.
Barbra Streisand 1997 Academy Awards Febergé diamond necklace
The founder of Fabergé (Gustav Fabergé) opened his first store in a basement shop in 1842. A fun fact is that he added the accent to the last E in his name to appeal to Russian nobilities’ obvious Francophilia. Eventually, his store was left to his son Carl who worked to repair & restore objects in the Hermitage Museum. Though Carl was a trained goldsmith, he did not make Fabergé pieces himself. He worked with numerous artists and craftspeople to bring his visions to life.
Carl was eventually invited to exhibit some Fabergé historic replicas at the Pan-Russian Exhibition in Moscow and while there, Tsar Alexander III declared that he could not distinguish Fabergé’s work from the originals. As a result, he ordered that work by the House of Fabergé be displayed in the Hermitage Museum as examples of superb contemporary Russian craftsmanship.
In 1885, Tsar Alexander III commissioned the House of Fabergé to make an Easter egg as a gift for his wife, Empress Maria Feodorovna. The tradition of the Tsar giving his Empress a surprise Easter egg by Carl Fabergé continued annually and the eggs became more elaborate every year. Of the fifty eggs, forty-three are known to have survived.
Given that it was a Russian industry, the House of Fabergé ended up being nationalized by the Bolsheviks in 1918. The economic policy became known as “war communism”. The new government confiscated all Fabergé stock as well as the contents of their stores. Having been a friend of the Emperor, Carl had to escape Russia and fled to Riga, Germany, and then Switzerland where he died in 1920. After the war, Carl’s sons Alexander and Eugene moved to France after escaping prison in Russia. They opened a shop in Paris called Fabergé & Cie that remained in operation from 1924-2001. Though the company has switched hands many times, Fabergé continues to make luxury jewelry and gifts that honor its founder’s aesthetic.
During their height of popularity, the House of Fabergé not only made Imperial eggs, but also a full range of jewelry, carvings, and ornamental objects. I was not able to track down the year that Streisand’s unique necklace was created, but when comparing original design sketches that exist for pre-1917 Fabergé jewelry, I can see similarities that lead me to believe this is not a post-1924 piece.
Sources:
G. Munn. Wartski: The First Hundred and Fifty Years. 2015.
https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/seven-things-you-might-not-know-about-fabergé
https://alphahistory.com/russianrevolution/bolshevik-decree-nationalising-industry-1918/
https://theenchantedmanor.com/tag/the-children-of-peter-carl-faberge/
https://www.faberge.com [...]
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January 10, 2023“You don’t go about being in fashion in Jean Muir, you go about being in Jean Muir, which is kind of beyond fashion, you know.”
-Muir’s muse and model Joann Lumly
Barbra Streisand wore this dusty-rose-colored skirt and blouse set by Jean Muir to the Golden Globe Awards on January 29th, 1977. This was a huge night for her 1976 film A Star is Born which was nominated for five Golden Globes and won them all. Streisand was personally awarded Globes for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Musical or Comedy, and Best Original Song (Evergreen).
Color variations are due to lighting differences.
Streisand’s choice of outfit was on point for 1977 when relaxed and flowing clothing was very in style. This ensemble stands out for its fluidity and has some really beautiful details that are much more obvious in close-up shots. I personally love how the ruffle around the jewel neckline is broken up by several decorative pin tucks at each shoulder (a Muir trademark). The tiny gathers at the neckline help to imitate a pleated texture and create a nice waterfall effect within the jersey fabric. The blouse also features belle sleeves and fabulous rounded shoulder pads that give it structure. If the necklace Streisand chose to wear with this outfit seems familiar to you, that’s because it is the same one that she wore in Funny Girl and during her A Happening in Central Park Concert. She wore the necklace once again to the Academy Awards in 1992.
In one photo, we get to see the jacket Barbra paired with this look, which was a striking grey, white, and black Reiss & Fabrizio fox fur coat. She wore this coat numerous times in the 1970s so it must have been one of her favorites. Streisand completed her look with a simple updo accentuating her curls and petit round earrings. This outfit sold at the 2009 “Her Name Is Barbra” Julien’s auction for $1,500.00.
Jean Muir (1928-1995) was a British fashion designer. She claimed that she was able to knit, sew, and embroider by the age of six. At seventeen years old she took a job at Liberty & Co where she worked her way up from the stockroom to selling over the counter. Eventually, she was given the opportunity to sketch for their ready-to-wear department, which led to her becoming lead designer for Jaeger in 1956. Muir launched her own label “Jane & Jane” in 1964 to much success.
Ten years later she sold the company and founded Jean Muir Ltd. Muir’s designs are best known for their focus on form and fluidity. They are understated, elegant, and effortless. She rarely used decoration on her garments aside from some pin tucking, functional buttons, or parallel topstitching. Streisand’s Golden Globe outfit is a wonderful example of Muir’s aesthetic. After Muir’s death, her company remained open through 2007 before closing permanently. Today her iconic designs are showcased in museums worldwide. [...]
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October 18, 2022It is no easy task to try and re-create something as iconic as Barbra Streisand’s 1962 Bon Soir recording sessions. Director Matt Amato and his team not only pulled it off, they had even the biggest Streisand fans doing a double-take. While no video footage exists from these performances, Amato brought the shows to life using artist Kristin Cassidy as a Streisand stand-in. Cassidy eerily embodied Barbra’s physicality and features right down to the hands and iconic nails. By mixing new footage of actors and musicians with archival photos, this video (described as a cinematic trip back in time) brought the Bon Soir in 1962 to life.
A Bon Soir invitation recreated for the video
Making sure that Kristin Cassidy’s silhouette and outfit perfectly matched that of Streisand’s was obviously a top priority for Amato who worked with designer Olivia Jondle to perfect the herringbone look. Jondle owns a small batch clothing company called The Rusty Bolt where she specializes in making one-of-a-kind pieces from vintage textiles. I was flattered to find out that as part of her research, she referenced my 2020 story on this outfit. To create this replica with the most authenticity possible, Jondle explained that she used vintage wool. The end result is a testament to how much attention to detail was put into creating it. Every little original quirk and gather that the outfit had was duplicated to perfection, making it difficult to tell the two apart.
Jondle’s incredibly accurate replica. Photo ©Olivia Jondle
Streisand’s Bon Soir original outfit was self-designed. It featured a fitted button-up herringbone vest that brings to mind a men’s waistcoat. There are princess seams running up each side that add a bit of personality. The matching skirt is gathered at the elastic waistband and falls straight. The long-sleeved, white chiffon blouse features an eye-catching Peter Pan collar that is accented with a long Pussybow at the neck. These elements added a youthful and modern vibe to the look.
The sheer sleeves have a slight puff at the shoulders and there is a slit at each cuff with a button closure. The only piece of jewelry worn with this outfit was an eye-catching oval-shaped ring with a dark center stone. This ring was represented in the video with a piece that Kristin Cassidy found at the STL Rocks shop in St. Louis, MO featuring a tiger’s eye stone.
In her 2010 book, My Passion For Design, Streisand recalled that at her debut Bon Soir show she wore a pair of antique shoes that she loved, but by the end of the evening the interior leather was completely burned out from the heat of her body. Vintage shoes from around the 1920s were worn by Cassidy to make this costume even more authentic to Streisand’s early 1960s style.
Photo courtesy of Matt Amato
Streisand completed her Bon Soir look with her signature side-swiped bangs and a hairpiece to help create her dramatic and voluminous beehive. Considering this video was shot from behind, Cassidy’s updo needed to be as accurate to Streisand’s as possible. Amato estimates that it took hair stylist Gwen Meyer around eight hours to nail this look. To achieve that famous Streisand hair volume, a foam bun was used under a hairpiece. This is precisely how Streisand used to do her own hair back in the day. There was always a slightly messy element to Streisand’s hair in the early 1960s since she did it herself. I loved that Meyer was able to capture this aspect perfectly by making sure some hair was out of place.
Of course, no Streisand stand-in would be complete without the fabulous long nails that Barbra is so famous for. Stylist Jacob David spent hours perfecting Cassidy’s nails and the end result was so gorgeous that I’m sure even Barbra approves. Amato noted that the whole creative team loved learning about Streisand at the start of her career and added “They admired her style and confidence and everyone felt good working on it! They all wanted it to be perfect. I am blessed!” Seeing 20-year-old Streisand brought to life in such a realistic way in this video was a magical experience. Streisand’s herringbone ensemble represents the unrestricted innocence and fearlessness that enveloped the early years of her career and will eternally symbolize the transition of an ambitious Brooklyn girl into superstardom.
Images from the Cry Me A River official video
About the original look
Streisand’s 1962 Bon Soir outfit featured a fearless clash of masculine and feminine that was rarely seen at the time. Similar women’s vests and suits really wouldn’t become popular until Yves Saint Laurent designed Le Smoking in 1966. As usual, Streisand was entirely unique in her style choices and ahead of her time. In one recording she can be heard joking with the audience that she is “wearing her boyfriend’s suit.” While we know this was a tongue-in-cheek comment, some stories have floated around that the herringbone fabric used to make it may actually have come from one of her boyfriend’s suits. This vest and skirt combo has been worn by Streisand in many variations throughout her career and has become emblematic of her signature style. Oddly, the one that caused the most controversy (dubbed a “Peekaboo Power Suit” by Anne Taylor Fleming in a scathing Op-Ed) was worn over thirty years later for Bill Clinton’s Inaugural Gala. When looking back at Barbra’s Bon Soir suit, it is easy to see the very early sparks of her developing fashion aesthetic.
Streisand in 1962 from the official Cry Me A River video
Kristin Cassidy as Barbra Streisand
Special thanks to Matt Amato and Olivia Jondle for sharing their photos and process with me!
Read more depth about this outfit and the history of herringbone here. [...]
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July 17, 2022I have always loved the album cover of My Name Is Barbra, Two...The beautiful photo used as key art came from a fashion shoot promoting the TV special “My Name is Barbra”, and appeared in the April 24, 1965 edition of TV Guide (issue #630). Alongside the images was a story titled “Barbra’s Fabulous Fashions”.
TV Guide, April 24th, 1965
Fans will recognize this beautiful hat and dress from the Bergdorf Goodman medley in the show. These were designed by iconic American designers Halston and Bill Blass. In the special the hat and dress are worn separately, but I love the combo from the photo shoot with the soft chiffon draped over the black leather dress.
This Bill Blass black leather dress was softened by a chiffon overlay. It was worn paired with other Halston hats in the T.V. special. (left).
Early on in Halston’s career, he was the head milliner at the Bergdorf Goodman hat salon. Streisand’s gorgeous basket weave, high-crown hat is quintessentially Halston and is a wonderful representation of his millinery aesthetic. In several photos from fittings, we see Streisand and Halston together having a great time as she chose her looks for the show. He is pictured tossing the chiffon in the air to demonstrate just how fabulous this hat looks in motion. The dramatic floor-length chiffon flowing from the selected hat looked exquisite onscreen.
Barbra and Halston share a laugh during a fitting
Regarding the production of “My Name is Barbra”, Streisand recalled “I remember the experience of making this show as one of the most joyful of my career.
Halston would go on to become one of the most iconic designers in American fashion. Once hats went out of fashion he began making clothing. Just like his hats, his clothes were a huge hit. They were worn by celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor, Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger. He made a huge splash by using ultra-suede fabric in his designs, and brought the caftan back to popularity. Halston’s designs are synonymous with the 1970’s. By 1973 his brand was valued at $30 million.
Halston shirt dress, tan Ultrasuede, 1972, USA, 82.193.4, Gift of Mrs. Sidney Merians © MFIT
Seven years before he Halston passed away, his company was acquired by Esmark Inc. Halston tried to buy it back but could not. Though they put him on salary, he was not allowed to design for them and was furious. Eventually the Halston brand went on without the man who created it, using his reputation and name without his input or support.
Streisand’s fashion journey has included so many iconic designers. Seeing her and Halston cross paths at a time in their careers when they were both starting out and electrified with drive and talent is magical. Halston’s high-crown hat might have ended up otherwise merely been plucked off of a Bergdorf Goodman shelf and worn by a socialite. Thanks to this collaboration, it is cemented in history as a visual representation of Streisand’s early career. [...]
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June 3, 2022British and American royalty collided when Barbra Streisand met Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Film Performance of “Funny Lady” on March 17, 1975. Streisand called on Ray Aghayan (1928-2011) to co-design this beautiful lavender cape. Aghayan had been designing looks for Barbra all the way back to her Judy Garland Show performance in 1963. He and his life partner and Bob Mackie had recently completed designing all of the costumes for Funny Lady, so Barbra likely knew she was in great hands.
Images ©Julien’s Auctions
According to Julien’s Auctions, this floor-length, Medieval-style cape was made from crushed velour. It features a Scottish Widows hood and delicate pleating at the shoulders. A T-shaped panel of fabric at the back features Art Nouveau style floral embroidery featuring glass bugle beads & Swarovski crystals. This motif runs vertically to the bottom of the cape and is repeated along the outside and inside of the hood and front. The hood fastens with a hidden hook and eye closure.
Streisand paired her regal cape with a streamlined lavender turban and a matching empire waist gown with a deep-V neckline and long bell sleeves and white gloves. She also carried an antique floral needlepoint purse that ended up being quite similar to the one Queen Elizabeth II was carrying. This look was overall very much in the style of what Streisand wore during the Funny Lady film with a clear touch of royal inspiration.
Upon meeting the Her Majesty, Streisand followed royal protocols before asking asking “Your Majesty, why is it that women have to wear white gloves to meet you and men don’t?” The Queen seemed unbothered by the question and replied, “I’ll have to think about that one. I suppose it’s tradition.” Watch the video here. The royal tradition of attending Royal Film Performances dates back to 1946 when King George VI attended the premiere of “A Matter Of Life And Death.” Back then the event was known as the Royal Command Performance. Elizabeth II attended her first Royal Film Performance just before her Coronation in 1952. She attended over 30 premiers before passing the duty down to other senior royals. The proceeds from these showings enable the Film & Television Charity to offer financial support to people from the film industry who are experiencing hardships. Today, Royal Film Performances are mostly attended by Prince Charles and Prince William.
Cloaks and capes are one of the earliest garments worn by humans. In ancient times, blankets and beddings were used to create them. They reached the height of their popularity during the Renaissance period when royalty and the wealthy began to wear them. Stunning, ornate cloaks made from velvets, silks & satins indicated status in and out of the royal court. Eventually, coats came into fashion, overtaking the popularity of cloaks. Streisand’s cape was auctioned in 2004, but is back in her possession today. She keeps it proudly displayed at her Malibu home alongside a photo from this momentous occasion.
Photo ©Barbra Streisand, My Passion For Design
Sources:
https://filmtvcharity.org.uk/news-event/royal-film-performance/
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/321228_barbra-streisand-london-premiere-cape [...]
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May 5, 2022Barbra Streisand wore this silk-velvet cold shoulder dress by Donna Karan during her photoshoot with Steven Meisel that appeared in Vogue’s August, 1993 issue.
Image via Vogue Archives. Read this issue at https://archive.vogue.com/article/1993/8/the-unguarded-barbra
In this feature, titled “The Unguarded Barbra”, a headline touted “No woman in Hollywood has more talent or power than Barbra Streisand. She has conquered the stage, won an Oscar, and become a critically acclaimed film director. As she demonstrates again with her new album, she is also the biggest-selling female recording artist in the world. And she’s a Friend of Bill. Yet no star is as controversial or, as Julia Reed learns, as vulnerable to criticism.”
Image from Vogue, https://archive.vogue.com/article/1993/8/the-unguarded-barbra
Streisand wore several Donna Karan outfits in the photos selected for this feature. My favorite is this sexy and lush dress. Two photos of Streisand in this look appeared in the Vogue spread. The first was a casual photo in the index section where she is looking in the mirror while iconic hairstylist Garren helps touch up her hair.
©Steven Meisel Via Pintrest
In the second photo, Streisand is seen striking a dramatic Martha Graham worthy pose that brings to mind some of her early 1960’s Vogue photos. Fans will recognize the choker with gold embellishments from a photo used as key art for Streisand’s 1993 “The Concert” promotional items.
Photo ©Steven Meisel, via Pintrest.
This dress debuted as part of Donna Karan’s Fall 1993 collection as style #2797. The collection featured numerous triangle sleeved, cold-shoulder, and off-the-shoulder dresses, several of which Streisand ended up wearing.
One of the most striking details about this dress that we don’t get to see in Streisand’s Vogue photos is the dramatic deeply cut open back. This element, along with the elegant updo and spaghetti straps give me major “Barbra Streisand… and Other Musical Instruments” vibes.
Regarding her Fall 1993 collection, Donna Karan described “The velvets are all silk-velvet. They’re hand-painted for the fabrication, for the movement, for the simplicity. It’s a new type of glamour for evening.” She added that the collection “Is about women. Women who have style, women who have a point of view. Women who are sexy, women who are free. Women who don’t want to worry about what they’re wearing. There’s a new freedom of dressing. Totally luxurious, totally easy, totally feminine, and totally sexy.”
Donna Karen Fall 1993 Collection
Vogue noted that at the time, this dress could be purchased for $995.00. In 2009, this dress was put up for auction as part of Julien’s “The Collection of Barbra Streisand” auction, where it sold for $687.50.
Photo via Julien’s Auctions
Sources:
https://www.julienslive.com/lot-details/index/catalog/40/lot/13625/signup/
https://archive.vogue.com/article/1993/8/the-unguarded-barbra [...]
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April 28, 2022On March 12, 1988, Barbra Streisand attended the 30th Annual National Association of Recording Artists Merchandisers Convention, (AKA NARM), wearing Emanuel Ungaro. On this evening, NARM awarded Streisand with the Presidential Award for Outstanding Executive Achievement.
Billboard reported that in 2013 NARM restructured and was renamed the Music Business Association (Music Biz). Their website states that they are “the only membership organization that unites players from the content, commerce, and creative segments of the industry into a collective voice to promote overall growth throughout the music business.” As one of the most powerful women in the music industry since the 1960’s, it is easy to see why Streisand was honored by the Association.
Streisand’s outfit for this event was designed by Emanuel Ungaro, who was one of the designers that she wore on multiple occasions during the 1980’s. His aesthetic fit in seamlessly with her personal style. This look is emblematic of the power dressing that became popular with women in the second half of the 1970’s and through the 1980’s. The power dressing trend saw women dawning double and single-breasted suits with oversized shoulder pads and short heels in order to feel like they were less objectified in the workplace, and on equal playing ground with the opposite sex. Power suits helped women to feel both feminine and powerful in professional situations typically dominated by men.
1980’s power suit patterns
Streisand’s two-piece pinstriped power suit featured a silk single-breasted jacket and fitted skirt, and a black silk cameo with lace detailing. The jacket has a wide, notched lapel and shoulder pads to give it structure. The sleeves are slightly puffed and close with four square-shaped buttons at the cuff. This romantic and feminine sleeve detailing was one of the signatures that Ungaro was known for. Decorating the front of the jacket are five square buttons, a removable black floral brooch, and a silver and pearl chain that was draped from the right lapel to the breast pocket. There are two large symmetrical patch pockets at the hip. The back of the jacket is vented and decorated with two square buttons.
This outfit, minus the floral brooch, was sold in the “Her Name is Barbra” Julien’s auction in 2004 for $400.00. Streisand mixed and matched this same black cameo and brooch with her other Ungaro outfits and they made a seamless transition. She was also photographed on a separate occasion wearing this same suit, accessorized with a black choker and beret.
Photos from Julien’s Auctions, 2004.
Photo from https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/327558_barbra-streisand-emanuel-ungaro-couture-suit
Streisand in Ungaro in 1984
Emanual Ungaro (1933-2019) was a French fashion designer who founded his fashion house in Paris in 1965. He was born to Italian immigrants who had fled to France from Provence of Brindisi to escape the fascist dictatorship in Italy. His father, who was a tailor, taught Emanual sewing skills at a very young age. By the time he was in his 20s, Ungaro was training under the great Cristobal Balenciaga, who he felt taught him “rigor and perfectionism” to apply to his own work.
During the 1960’s Ungaro was designing futuristic Space Age looks that were popular at the time, before transitioning to his iconic and fearless use of flamboyant prints and mismatched patterns that reflected the vibrant era of the 1970’s.
An Ungaro 1976 design
In the 1980’s we see Ungaro begin to design women’s wear with a broad shoulder silhouette and very soft, feminine touches. These looks became extremely popular and cemented Ungaro as a household name. Ungaro’s fashion empire was acquired by Ferragamo in 1996. After this point, he continued to design collections, but fully withdrew from the fashion world in 2004, stating that haute couture “no longer corresponded to the expectations of women today.”
Ungaro 1980’s designs. Image via British Vogue
In 2005 Ungaro sold his label for $84 million. The brand has since been known for its revolving door of creative directors, including a short stint by Lindsay Lohan in 2010. Ungaro called her collection “a disaster” and was furious at the time, saying that the fashion house he had built was “in the process of losing its soul.” Today, Marco Colagrossi remains creative director at the brand, which sells home decor, women’s and menswear as well as fragrances.
In a 2019 remembrance article by Vogue, Nicole Phelps noted that “Color, print, polka-dots, and frills came together in rule-breaking ways in Ungaro’s designs and his sexy, drapey clothes “exploded the French bourgeoisie,” as a successor to his label succinctly puts it. Decades later, his oeuvre symbolizes go-go ’80s joie de vivre. It’s a sensibility that has been coming around again recently.”
It doesn’t surprise me at all that Streisand’s 1980’s fashion journey collided with this iconic designer. Ungaro and Streisand shared the passion for the little details that make an outfit special, which was so emblematic of his work.
Photos from Julien’s Auctions, 2004.
Sources:
https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/narm-renames-itself-the-music-business-association-expands-5748103/
https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/327558_barbra-streisand-emanuel-ungaro-couture-suit
https://www.vogue.com/article/emanuel-ungaro-remembered-by-his-protege-and-successors?state=%7B%22redirectURL%22:%22https://www.vogue.com/article/emanuel-ungaro-remembered-by-his-protege-and-successors%22%7D
www.ungaro.com/maison
https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-features/article-1122383/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50886433
https://fashionunited.com/news/fashion/a-look-at-the-multi-layered-designs-of-late-emanuel-ungaro/2019122431433 [...]
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March 18, 2022Barbra Streisand wore a Middle Eastern belly dancer-inspired ensemble in her fifth television special Barbra Streisand…and Other Musical Instruments (1973). This special was Barbra’s first in five years due to how busy she had been making films. It was shot over the course of ten days at Elstree Studios in London. Though some fans find this to be one of the weakest specials, I absolutely love it for its quirkiness, experimentation, fun musical re-arrangements, and risk-taking.
The segment that Streisand wore this costume in features a fourteen-minute journey across several continents using the song “I Got Rhythm” as its framework. Throughout, Streisand transitions from culture to culture as seamlessly as she became various paintings in her 1966 special Color Me Barbra. Watching these scenes feels like going on the It’s A Small World boat ride but with Barbra instead of animatronics, which, of course, is far better. Some of the instruments used Barbra Streisand… and Other Musical Instruments had never been heard before in the United States. International musicians who were experts at these were flown in from all over the world to appear in this special. The costume supervisor for this production was Robert Pollexfen, however, the majority of the outfits seen onscreen were from Streisand’s personal collection and designed by her.
The costumes for the majority of this segment are all centered around a variation of a simple maxi dress with multiple spaghetti straps. The burgundy belly dancer look appears very briefly, at fourteen minutes into the special just after the Japanese segment. In this scene, Streisand belly dances her way into the frame wearing dazzling burgundy and gold. She sings “People” with the lyrics changed to “People, people who got rhythm, are the luckiest people in the world”, while accompanied by musicians playing a Turkish Qunan, Doumbek, tambourine, G clarinet, and bağlama.
An international maxi dress journey
Streisand’s costume featured a burgundy maxi dress with a scoop neckline. Two spaghetti straps fasten over the shoulder and there is a heavily gathered low waistband. When looking closer at the back of this dress, I noticed that the open back has additional spaghetti straps which tie across horizontally.
back detail
A beautiful, ornately embroidered hijab covered in gold and floral motifs and gold sequins is no doubt the most eye-catching piece of this costume. This is secured on her head with a black Egal. The edges of the hijab fabric were attached to bracelets secure it to Streisand’s arms while she danced. This look was accented with a traditional belly dancer coin belt.
Streisand also wore zills (finger cymbals) on her hands, which are used frequently in belly dancing. Before the invention of elastic, these were tied onto fingers with leather strips.
Additional accessories included numerous beaded and wire bracelets, ornate rings, gold upper-armbands, and gold sandals with a block heel. This dress and coin belt were sold in a Julien’s auction in 2004 for $525.00.
**This dress is displayed incorrectly on the dress form in this auction photo**
Belly dance is an expressionist type of dance that originated in Egypt and that emphasizes complex movements of the torso. Though the majority of typical belly dance costumes are two pieces showing the torso, Barbra wore a more modest version which is similar to a Beledi dress that is worn in the Beledi form of Egyptian belly dancing that it is named for.
Beledi dresses
Belly dancers have been represented in imagery wearing coin belts as early as the nineteenth century, though they likely date back even further. The legend of how these began depicts that in the Middle East where belly dancing originated, young marriageable women would dance for coins that were thrown at them. They would then sew them into their hip scarves, saving them as dowry. Once a woman had earned enough she could enter into marriage and give up dancing. Some accounts detail that women sewed the coins into their clothes not only for safekeeping but also to let men know how much money they had. As men followed the caravans they could hear the jingling of the coins from afar, signaling that a marriageable woman was in that caravan. Eventually, coin belts evolved to be made out of round lightweight metal pieces instead of real coins, but have continued to be an important part of modern belly dance costumes.
A modern day belly dance coin belt accessory [...]
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