Lookbook image of Ruby’s Marina gown. Image supplied.
Welcome to ‘Journey of a Dress’ where we profile a standout piece from a designer’s seasonal collection and chronicle the design from its origin to finish. First off is a dress you may have seen all over social media or in various fashion spreads, the very striking ‘Marina’ gown by Ruby which was initially intended to be a special bespoke piece only, for designer Deanna Didovich’s sister – the renowned stylist Marina Didovich. Here Deanna tells us a little bit more about the dress’ story.
Tell us about your sister’s style and how it inspired you to design the dress?
Marina’s personal style is very unique. She manages to perfectly balance elements of femininity, boho, and sophistication, nailing it every time. She has a knack for putting unexpected elements together and has made a name for herself in doing so. We wanted to create a dress that was perfectly suited to the environment, that reflected her style and that was all about colour and romance.
How was the fabric print decided on, was the floral specially designed or exclusively sourced?
When my sister approached me to make her a dress for a wedding she was attending in Palm Springs, I had already begun work developing this red poppy print for my SS16 collection, and it seemed the perfect fit for the occasion. The print was specially designed for the collection.
Marina Didovich wearing the Marina gown. Image supplied.
What did the production process entail?
The dress is quite a complicated piece, bias cut with many ruffles, so the production process was timely and detailed – but we wanted to make sure the finished product was perfect.
Was the design expected to be such a hit with your market, or did it take you by surprise?
It definitely took us all by surprise. The dress was never intended to be a part of the collection – it was just a one-off piece for Marina, however after a single post of it on Instagram went viral, we had requests flooding in, so it was a no-brainer to add it into the collection.
And lastly, I’m sure everyone is dying to know, how did it come about for Rosie Huntington Whiteley to get a hold of the gorgeous dress?
Rosie was recently in New Zealand and had come across the dress on Instagram. She got in touch with us to see if we had any left. Luckily, we had one left in her size. The rest is history!
Rosie Huntington Whiteley in the Marina gown. Image source: @rosiehw