Sweden’s Loreen wasn’t the only breakout star of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. The 2023 event, held in Liverpool, England, catapulted British comedienne Hannah Waddingham into the global spotlight.
While Waddingham has already made waves thanks to stellar performances in “Ted Lasso” and “Sex Education,” co-hosting Eurovision turned the actress into an “overnight national treasure,” according to The Guardian.
You May Also Like
Waddingham’s hosting chops were further accentuated by her vibrant wardrobe. Her stylist, James Yardley, is to thank for curating a series of stellar looks that emphasized vintage glamour as well as Waddingham’s effervescent personality.
Related Articles
Yardley, who has worked with Waddingham for two years, sought out labels the actress has previously favored. “Hannah and I are both very keen on using designers who have taken a chance on us in the past,” Yardley told WWD.
One of them is British dressmaker Suzanne Neville, who created Waddingham’s look for the May 11 semi-final. Yardley was in search of the perfect opportunity to dress his client in a decadent shade of lemon yellow. The high-low gown was crafted from pleated chiffon and featured a sweetheart neckline.
“It’s quintessentially how I like to dress Hannah,” Yardley said of the ensemble. “It highlights all of her best features and it’s very Old Hollywood but with a modern twist.”
Waddingham also wore Neville’s designs while performing with Michael Bublé for his NBC special “Christmas in the City,” and at the 2021 Pride of Britain Awards.
Yardley tapped another vintage reference for Waddingham’s first semi-final look. His primary inspiration was a rainbow Halston gown, famously worn by Lauren Hutton at the 1975 Academy Awards.
This time, Costarellos provided Waddingham with her colorful couture. The caped gown, made with 60 feet of lurex georgette, was inspired by similar dresses from the Greek designer’s spring 2023 collection.
Yardley stuck with a multicolor theme for Waddingham’s first finale look. KolchagovBarba pulled an iridescent sequin fabric from their archives to make a corseted off-the-shoulder gown for the actress. The label was founded by Svetoslav Kolchagov and Emilio Barba in 2011.
“I wanted it to be feminine and classic, but also have that element of fabulousness and glamour,” said Yardley.
Yardley, who wanted to dress Waddingham in a Vivienne Westwood-inspired silhouette, found the perfect match in Kolchagov. The Bulgarian-born designer, who once worked for the British fashion house, created Carrie Bradshaw’s iconic Westwood wedding dress from the first “Sex and the City” film.
Waddingham’s final look was perhaps the most complex. Created by Lebanese couturier Fadwa Baalbaki, the strapless lilac gown (and its flowing chiffon sleeves) took six weeks to complete. Bang London was then tasked with covering it in crystals. Stars like Rita Ora, Dua Lipa and Jennifer Lopez have previously sported designs by the British brand, which is known for their intricate beadwork.
Yardley also looked to Ukranian designers to pull together Waddingham’s Eurovision wardrobe, paying homage to 2023’s intended host country. The actress wore Statnaia corsetry underneath her final gown, along with fine jewelry by Guzema. This year’s song contest was meant to be held in Ukraine, but amid the country’s ongoing conflict with Russia, the venue was changed to the United Kingdom.
Yardley has long styled for live television, but never before has his work been displayed in front of such a large audience. “I don’t think there’s any other TV program on Earth that so many people are going to see,” he said of Eurovision, which raked in almost 10 million viewers this year. “You want to dazzle the audience and make sure that it’s a feast for their eyes.”