AUSTIN, Texas: It turns out there will be another day for Scarlett O’Hara’s green curtain dress. Many of them.
The iconic dress and Scarlett’s burgundy ball gown from the 1939 film “Gone With the Wind” have been saved from deterioration by a $30,000 conservation effort by the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas.
The dresses worn by actress Vivien Leigh are now on display for the first time in nearly 30 years at London’s Victoria and Albert Museum as part of a Hollywood costume exhibit.
Ransom Center officials announced the project in 2010, noting the dresses were in danger of falling apart from age.
The dresses were made of heavy fabric and were not built to last. Weakened stitching and sagging waistlines had to be repaired and conservators also had to remove some previous alternation work and additions, such as feathers placed on the burgundy gown.
“All of those areas would have gotten worse. All the vulnerable parts have been stabilized,” said Jill Morena, the Ransom Center’s assistant curator for costumes and personal effects. “It has been a success. We would not be able to display them without this effort.”
Morena stressed the project was not intended to restore the dresses to looking brand new, but to save them so they could again be viewed by the public. For example, the green dress has long faded streaks and conservators did not try to restore its original color.
The Ransom Center acquired the dresses with the collection of film producer David O. Selznick in the 1980s. Conservators wanted them ready in time for a 2014 Ransom Center exhibit to mark the film’s 75th anniversary.
The costumes are among the most famous in Hollywood history and played a key role in one of the most popular films ever. The green curtain dress and the burgundy ball gown were completed in time to join the London exhibit which began Oct. 20 and runs through Jan. 27.
Other pieces, including a blue velvet night gown and Scarlett’s wedding dress and veil, were too fragile to handle and will go back into storage. The Ransom Center plans no additional work on those pieces.
“The wedding veil, once you touched the tulle you realized how brittle and fragile it is,” Morena said.
Iconic Scarlett O’Hara dresses displayed
Iconic Scarlett O’Hara dresses displayed
The Grammys red carpet is open. Music stars tend to go bold with their fashion
- he Grammy Awards began in 1959 by honoring music legends from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin.
- At this year’s Grammys red carpet, some stars are embracing the unconventional
The 68th Grammys red carpet is in full swing with Gen Z stars like Lola Young and PinkPantheress delivering fresh takes on red carpet fashion.
The British rising stars who are shaking up the music industry with their individual sounds both opted for vastly different Vivienne Westwood looks Sunday. Best new artist nominee Young, who is back after taking a brief hiatus last year, sported an army green sweatsuit printed with children’s toys on the carpet. PinkPantheress opted for a signature corseted off-the-shoulder gown draped with the Union Jack symbol.
The Grammys are a night of rule-breaking looks and memorable fashion statements where artists shed the traditional playbook of red carpet dressing and take style risks. For music’s biggest night Sunday, celebrities will playfully toe the line between costume and contemporary whether it’s with sexy, dramatic or eccentric ensembles.
Stars respectfully toned down their attire last year, choosing instead to go with more subdued or all black looks in light of the destruction left by the Los Angeles wildfires.
At this year’s Grammys red carpet, some stars are embracing the unconventional.
FKA Twigs brought her album “Eusexua” to life on the carpet wearing a beige sheer flowy Paolo Carzana dress which she paired with a book and an orchid. The artist told Variety that the book is part of the lore of her “Eusexua” album for which she won best dance/electronic album early in the night.
With any red carpet, there is bound to be some drama. Two stars had a fashion face-off at the start of the night with singer Ledisi and TV host Jasmine Simpkins both flaunting the same off-the-shoulder pink peach dress with sparkly tinsel.
A green Versace becomes legendary
The Grammy Awards began in 1959 by honoring music legends from Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Dean Martin. Since then, red carpet dressing has only become more daring and over-the-top.
Who could forget Jennifer Lopez’s legendary Versace green dress at the 2000 Grammy Awards? The jungle-print dress with its striking decolletage is credited as the inspiration behind Google Images, according to Google, due to the high volume of search queries online at the time to see photos of the dress.
Last year, model Bianca Censori took the meaning of barely there to new heights when she posed with Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, on the carpet in a transparent dress with nothing underneath.
Unlike the tuxedos at other award shows, male Grammy nominees often shake things up. Singer-songwriter Darren Criss was one of the first to arrive Sunday shortly after the carpet opened. Criss, who is hosting the Grammys premiere ceremony, donned a shimmering lace suit from Tanner Fletcher with an off-white silk cravat shaped into a bow. He paired it with his signature painted nails.
Newcomers get to shine
At the Grammys, the carpet is a chance for up-and-coming artists to shine among industry legends and their peers.
This year, a fashionable bunch of artists make up the hotly contested best new artist category. Rising star Addison Rae aptly has a song titled “High Fashion.” Will the starlet wear an archival fashion look?
Chappell Roan, who won best new artist last year, donned a yellow tulle archival Jean Paul Gaultier couture gown printed with Degas’ famous ballerinas on the carpet. She later wore several other looks throughout the ceremony.
The showstopping getups don’t stop once the carpet closes for the night. Some celebrities debut new looks inside. Miley Cyrus stunned in a shimmery silver Bob Mackie number while performing her hit song “Flowers” onstage in 2024. The stylish list of performers set to perform this year includes Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter, Justin Bieber and Pharrell Williams.
How to watch
The Associated Press will stream a four-hour red carpet show with interviews and fashion footage. It will be streamed on YouTube and APNews.com.
The main show will air live from LA’s Crypto.com Arena on CBS beginning at 8 p.m. Eastern Sunday. Paramount+ premium plan subscribers will be able to stream the telecast live, too. (Paramount+ essential subscribers will have on-demand access the next day.)
The Grammys can also be watched through live TV streaming services that include CBS in their lineup, like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV and FuboTV.
