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Mr Mackie saves his most ardent praise
for My Fair Lady, which he believes to be ‘the perfect show
with its perfect book, beautiful songs and, of course, the gorgeous Cecil
Beaton costumes.’
continued
From the first notes of Barry Manilow singing George
M. Cohen's ‘Give My Regards to Broadway’, it was everything
a fashion show should be and a whole more. His interpretation of the costumes
from Guys and Dolls ran the gamut from a deliciously feminine black
wool three-piece suit with gold pinstripes to dinner suits in lace and
herringbone accessorized with colourful fur wraps. Damn Yankees inspired
him to new heights of sexy evening dressing. His black crêpe and
lace long-sleeve cocktail dress set the tone, as one imagined himself
being tempted by Lola, handmaiden to the Devil. I especially liked the
fact that all the pieces were so tempting to the eye and the senses.
His beaded short gowns in silver, green and pink came
accompanied with equally colourful head pieces and were injected infectiously
into the proceedings. Sweet Charity, another Broadway classic starring
the late great Gwen Verdon, were the inspiration for these and other designs
in this set. No woman would object too strenuously if she got to wear
any of these pieces, including a body-moulding black crêpe halter
gown with jet beading. In fact, it would have served her purpose to revel
in the aura of caressing sexiness that it gives her.
Mr Mackie saves his most ardent praise for My Fair
Lady, which he believes to be ‘the perfect show with its perfect
book, beautiful songs and, of course, the gorgeous Cecil Beaton costumes.’
My Fair Lady also happens to be my all-time favourite Broadway
musical, so it goes without saying that I loved everything he sent down
the runway in this section of the show. He effectively demonstrated that
one should not be afraid of colour. Because it's fall, almost every piece
comes with a matching boléro jacket or shawl. The man, after all,
knows what his customer wants and needs.
The highlight, of course, had to be the black cloque
coat over a white and crystal beaded empire gown. If this wasn't a direct
reincarnation of Audrey Hepburn in one of her signature roles, then I
was seeing a ghost. While this piece was more costume than modern design,
it gave us an insight into the fertile mind of a design genius. His ability
to excite the senses in so many extraordinary ways speaks volumes about
the lack of creativity that is so rampart throughout the industry.
continued
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