One enchanted evening

The timeless elegance of this 1950s ruby red gown always makes me think of Grace Kelly being serenaded by Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby. I can’t help but think she may have inspired American designer Joseph Whitehead when he created this lush silk taffeta ball gown.

Enchanted ONE

EVENING

IN HER INSPIRING NEW BOOK, BLUE MOUNTAINS FASHION ICON CHARLOTTE SMITH DELIVERS A WARDROBE FULL OF MEMORIES, WITH BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS BY GRANT COWAN BRINGING EACH MEMORY TO LIFE. IT’S ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU WANT TO GO VINTAGE ALL THE WAY ON YOUR BIG DAY!

Widely acknowledged as the most stylish resident in the Blue Mountains, Charlotte Smith is the curator of the Darnell Collection – an outstanding collection of over 8000 garments and accessories that began with the vintage clothes she inherited from her American Quaker godmother, Doris Darnell.

Charlotte takes her role of custodian seriously and has ensured that almost every major 20th Century fashion designer is represented in the Darnell Collection. Many of these designers are featured in One Enchanted Evening, which focuses on the magical ability of clothes to instantly transform the wearer and is filled with snippets of social history and Charlotte’s own tales.

There are few more breathtaking views in the world than the one from the Hydro Majestic Hotel terrace, which overlooks the Jamison Valley in Australia’s Blue Mountains. As I’m lucky to have this glorious vista on my doorstep, it features regularly in my personal and professional life. The sight of the shimmering mountains covered in hazy blue eucalypts never fails to inspire me. It brings to life the images 19th century landscape painter, Eugene von Guérard, captured in his dramatic landscapes of the area. When I showcase The Darnell Collection, it is my favourite backdrop for fashion shoots of any decade. Usually I’m posing beautiful models in the collection’s vintage ensembles, but on this occasion I was the one being primped. Standing on the terrace in my to-die-for Valentino black silk velvet evening gown, the photographer’s camera clicking away as hotel guests looked on, I couldn’t have asked for a better setting. Only a gown like this could compete with such a magnifi cent backdrop. Made for a red carpet moment, this fabulously quirky but divinely elegant dress is by the celebrated young designer Prabal Gurung, whose fans include Sarah Jessica Parker, Anne Hathaway and the former First Lady, Michelle Obama. I would love to stand on a promontory overlooking the magnifi cent Grose Valley in the Blue Mountains wearing this, feeling the delicate ‘feathers’ lift in the breeze. Something about this dress makes you want to preen in a grand setting. Perhaps that’s exactly what Gurung intended.

Extracts taken from One Enchanted Evening (Affi rm Press), on sale now at Gleebooks in Blackheath, Megalong Books in Leura and bookshops around Australia.