Jenny Packham can see in her mind’s eye the saturated colors of “Rear Window,” and “To Catch a Thief,” and used them as inspiration for a collection inspired by the women in Alfred Hitchcock’s life and work.
“Hitchcock’s films went from grainy black-and-white to Technicolor and the colors on the screen were so memorable,” said the designer, adding that Hitchcock’s costume designer Edith Head, and his wife and collaborator Alma Reville, had a major impact on the look and feel of his films.
Packham worked black, white and the intense color palettes of those films into a collection that was filled with a variety of silhouettes, some embellished, others not so much.
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A strapless, sequin ombré gown that started out white and morphed into a deep marine blue was an ode to Kelly’s now-legendary chiffon dress in “To Catch a Thief,” while a deep pink taffeta ballgown with puffy sleeves nodded to the gowns that the director’s socialites and heroines wore to the ball in that film.
Long, shiny silver slip dresses and others with strong shoulders and sleeves recalled the early days when Hitchcock was shooting in black-and-white, while a lineup of gold, and rose gold, dresses and caftans were brimming with Old Hollywood glamour.
Silhouettes ranged from languid to more constructed shapes, as in a rose gold gown with strong shoulders and bell sleeves edged with feathery beading. Other gowns came with sheer, built-in capes and diamanté belts and collars, recalling the Hitchcock heroines’ lavish on-screen jewelry.
Packham is no stranger to leading lady style, with longtime clients including the Princess of Wales, Taylor Swift and Adele. Last month she dressed Paris Hilton in an ice-blue, beaded gown and matching cape for Selena Gomez’s wedding to Benny Blanco in Santa Barbara, Calif.