Prospecting for Gold
For Los Angeles designer Eletra Casedei, the Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 20 provided a golden opportunity. Casadei, owner of the Casadei contemporary sportswear and dress label, and her design team chose their top five favorite dresses from the award ceremonies and created their own Casadei interpretations within a day and a half.
“We’re like the Olympic team of couture,” joked Casadei. This is the second time her company has performed its quick-turn fashion feat. Last March, it produced several gowns inspired by last year’s Academy Awards. The Oscar-inspired dresses were so successful that the company decided this year to create a line inspired by the Golden Globes.
(The company plans to again create Oscar-inspired dresses this March.)
The Casadei design team chose dresses worn by Halle Berry, Debra Messing, Jennifer Garner, Calista Flockhart and Julianna Margulies to recreate, adding such details as a front slit on the Garner-inspired dress and ruching and an open back on the Margulies-inspired dress.
“The person who can afford Narcisco Rodriguez is a little more conservative,” Casadei said. “But at $220 [retail] you get a younger customer who’s a little zippier, a younger person who wants a little more flair and sex.”
The dresses debuted on KTLA-TV’s “Morning Show” on Jan. 23. Casadei will officially launch the collection at Fashion Coterie in New York in February. —Alison A. Nieder
