Interest in Royal replica

Press, 25 July 1986, Page 3

Interest in Royal replica

By JOCELYN McNEE Producing a replica of the Duchess of York’s wedding dress only hours after the Royal wedding involved a good deal of team effort by the staff at Russell’s Fabrics. The owner of the Triangle Centre business, Miss Janice Webster, said all seven staff were involved in making the dress which was finished by 7.30 a.m. yesterday. "Even the fiance of one of the shop assistants was there cutting up lace,” she said. The marathon effort started at 10.45 p.m., not long after the new Princess first appeared on television as she was driven to Westminster Abbey. By 1.15 a.m. the dress was ready for the first fitting on a model, Miss

Jane Hartridge. A huge net petticoat was made last week “on spec” and this had saved at least two hours work, Miss Webster said. The group worked all night to produce a copy of the gown originally designed by Lindka Cierach. “The dress was very simple to make up but the beading was difficult,” Miss Webster said. Throughout the night the dressmakers watched a video of the wedding recorded earlier. Their job was hampered by a lack of “really good views” of the beadwork. When the dress was finished, a total of 50 metres of deep cream gossamer silk had been used for the gown. Miss Webster said the end result was not intended to be a true re- -

plica. “We tried to suggest what it was like, rather than copy it.” To save time much of the beading was left out. However, the large A on the veil and the S on the bodice have been reproduced. There is a fourmetre train which is 1.3 metres shorter than that worn by the Princess. People flocked to see the dress from as early as 7.30 a.m. yesterday. Throughout the day it was displayed alongside replicas of wedding dresses worn by the Princess of Wales and Princess Anne. Miss Webster said she had not thought about selling the replica of the Dutchess’s dress. An Auckland fashion designer, Mr Keven Berkahn, estimates the cost of a similar dress at ber

tween $l5OO and $lBOO. "Without the beading and super-long train a girl could buy a dress like that for $l5OO to $1800,” he said. Mr Berkahn spent yesterday morning whipping up a replica of the "impossible to copy” dress. He has not decided whether, he will keep it on display in his boutique or save it for a parade. Also enchanted by the Duchess’ wedding-day style was another top Auckland designer, Mr Colin Cole. “We were wondering what to expect. She had hinted at some alarming things,” he said. “It was a most classical dress, in keeping with the trend of fashion. It was perfectly fitted too, which is so important with a dress like that,” Mr Cole said.