Having witnessed the sequence of global lockdowns over the past few weeks, it seems intangible that a few months ago the world was ‘business as usual’ – with award season upon us and the glitz and glamour of the Academy Awards taking centre stage. The thought of a global pandemic was the last thing on our minds.
An evening like the Academy Awards might seem a little inappropriate and frivolous while we are social distancing and battling an invisible enemy; however, there is also something therapeutically comforting about allowing oneself to escape reality through a bit of indulgent nostalgia. If nothing else, it is a gentle reminder that we will eventually emerge from this state and resume our pre-lockdown lives.
The original ‘Best Actress Dresses’ infographic was launched in 2014, showcasing the dresses worn by every Best Actress Academy Award winner since the first academy show in 1929 until that of 2014. The team is now updating the infographic annually to reflect the dress gracing the Best Actress winner of the consecutive years, and it provides an invaluable glimpse into the history of fashion – from the classically elegant 50’s to the lavishly extravagant gowns of today.
The research was immersive, and it often felt like we were rifling through Hollywood archives full of secrets; the storylines, the actresses, the fashion, the designs and their respective designers. These dresses have graced the world’s most famous red carpet and are becoming precious fashion symbols. Seeing the result with all the dresses together as a pictorial history was phenomenal.
The infographic was an instant success the world over and went viral upon release. It featured in global media outlets – such as The Times, Time Magazine, The Washington Post, Marie Claire, Hello!, Cosmopolitan, Yahoo, MTV and HuffPost – widely shared by social media influencers and later made it into fashion and design specific industry books. We were having our ‘Oscar’ moment!
Since its success, there has been a growing demand for larger print versions of the infographic. We have listened intently and are delighted to announce that the original ‘Best Actress Dresses’ infographic is now finally available in poster version – allowing everyone to own a little piece of Oscar history.