Dress of the Year:Layout 1 24/03/2014 11:37 Page 7
11985 985 Bruce Oldfie Bruce Oldfield ld an and d Scott Scott Crolla Cro r lla
Eve Evening ening dress dress in black silk an and nd gold lamé by Bruce Bruc ce Oldfield, shoes by Charles Charles Jordan, jewellery by Marla M Buck Shirrt, crushed velvet trousers and ikat mules by Shirt, Scott Sco ott Crolla Chosen Cho osen by Suzy Menkes at Th The he Times The e glamorous, sophisticated, sophisticated d, aspirational aspirational 1980s were wer re personified by Bruce Oldfield’s Oldfield’s evening wear, worn wor rn by stars of stage and screen sc creen and by Diana, Princess Prin ncess of Wales. Often described desc cribed as ‘the world’s most mos st famous Barnardo’s boy’, boy’, his career career could not have hav ve had more more humble begin beginnings, nnings, but he has rremained em mained at the top p of his game g ga ame for almost 30 years, years,, selling selli ing a very particular brand brand of luxury from his Beauchamp Bea auchamp Place boutique. In 1985 19 985 the Bruce Oldfield signature sign nature was the sculpted, body-hugging bod dy-hugging sheath dress, dress, often with elements of metallic met tallic lamé. Tailored Tailored into th the he figur figure, e, a gentle S-shaped S-sh haped seam across the front, frront, with gathered gathered fabric to the th he upper side, recalls recalls the Hollywood glamour of a bygone byg gone age. The look is as polished polished and perfect as the promotional photograph photograph of the designer with his creation, cr ea ation, shot for Suzy Menkes Menke es at The Times. In 1986 he, along with other fashion houses h such as Mondi and d Louis Féraud, Féraud, provided clothing c for the hit dr drama ama Howards’ How wards’ Way, the BBC’s atte attempt empt to emulate the style styl e and success of America’s America a’s Dallas and Dynasty. Oldfield’s Oldfi field’s particular kind of smart sm mart tailored tailored suits, dr draped aped cocktail coc ktail dresses dresses and stateme statement ent evening gowns were were perfectly perf fectly suited for this, whether whetther it be a society wedding wed dding or a high-powered high-powered business b meeting.
Bruce Oldfi Oldfield’s eld’s hallmark of glamorous, sc sculpted culpted silhouettes s teamed with luxurious use of fabrics f made him one o of the gr eat British success s stories great 1980s. of the 1980s s.
Sco Scott S ott tt Crolla C ll applied li d a similar i il glamour l to t menswear with h his glittering brocade patchwork pa atchwork shirt and sumptuous sum mptuous ruby velvet trousers, trouse ers, the likes of which had d not been seen in London n since the late 1960s. The e inspiration inspiration in this case ca ame from the luxurious came broc cades and velvets of the Middle East, East, and in brocades par tnership with Georgina Godley Go odley he established a partnership bou utique just off Savile Row, the original home of boutique the ‘Piccadilly Peacocks’ almost almost 20 years years earlier. ‘It’s an image of an Englishma an with all his traditional traditional Englishman arro ogance and confidence who w arrogance doesn’t give a damn abo out dressing dressing as long as he e assembles all the right about elem ments. It was meant to be a total assault in taste,’ elements. he commented c w with Suzy Menkes for in an interview The e Times, March 1985.