Because you can't have depths without surfaces.
Linda Grant, thinking about clothes, books and other matters.
Pure Collection Ltd.
Net-a-porter UK

Monday 29 September 2008

My Booker dress

not me, not the dress, but yes - Av

I took in my MaxMara dress and my L.K. Bennett shoes to Avsh Alom Gur at Ossie Clark this afternoon. I felt as if I had asked Saul Bellow if he'd like to join my book group to discuss Bridget Jones' Diary. The seams! The stitching! The horror!

No, he said. This is not good enough. No. No.

He has given me an Oscar length blue and back sheer silk georgette dress with sleeves and is designing and making me a full length slip to go under it. He is also lending me a Donna Karan wrap (he used to work for her) to arrive and leave in. He is giving me a pair of vertiginous heels. When I said, 'I can hardly walk in these,' he said: 'They cost £600. I'm giving them to you. Are you sure you can't walk in them?'

UPDATE
I had an email late last night from Av, which contained a detailed list of everything I needed to wear and know for the big night. All I can say is, I know now how the stars squeeze themselves into their Oscar dresses and how they come not to pay for them. I know which hair products to use, what bra to wear etc etc etc. I had two grown men giving me and hour and a half of extremely intense attention. I learned that my taste, which I thought was good, isn't all that when it comes to evening wear. The shoes I had bought on the basis that I could stand in them are going back. There are ongoing discussions involving the phrase 'Manolo Blahnik PR . . . product code.'

I now concede that black tie wear is out of my realm of experience. It's much much harder than it looks and Av has saved me. Thank god for him. Oh, And did I forget to mention that he has also given me this?

20 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bravo! Good things come to those who wait. I had a feeling he would come through for you.

Miss Cavendish said...

Fabulous! I can't wait to see everything on!

Nadine said...

Well, yes. You are famous, you are going to a high-profile event, you HAVE A BLOG. He's getting all this lovely glowing publicity and you get to dress beautifully. That's how it goes. You deserve it!

materfamilias said...

I agree with Nadine about your deservedness altho' I think this is still a wonderfully generous act. It's lovely to see a celebrity from the world of literature/writing be accorded some of the same privileges regularly bestowed on movie actors.

Susan B said...

Oh, excellent!

Duchesse said...

Blue and black, so chic and striking. Please post plenty of shots!

Anonymous said...

I'd be worried about falling over on the shoes, but presumably you'll be practising before the big day. See the thoughts of another Linda on how to do it:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2005/oct/07/fashion1

And is it just me who would now be thinking, "bloody hell I'd better win to do justice to the outfit?"

I look forward to the pictures of you fabulously attired, smiling modestly in to the flashbulbs.

Anonymous said...

Ah, to have such a friend at such a time as this. Priceless.

Marti said...

I must say I was wondering in the back of my head why you weren't being given a dress since you are a nominee at the literary world's version of the Oscars. BRAVO! I can't wait to see it. Did he happen to have the dress on hand? I will now check out the Ossie Clark collecton.

Anonymous said...

The night is televised, isn't it?

I hope it gets put on YouTube;

We want to see Linda In Motion and they better show your heels!

Linda Grant said...

You can be certain that if anything gets put on YouTube it will be a shot of me eating.

Anonymous said...

So jealous. Love that Ossie Clark blouse

Cal said...

Oh that blouse is gorgeous. I now totally covet it. Not fair.

Anonymous said...

You got the blouse? The red blouse with the fabulous sleeves that I drooled over the last time it was posted here?
You can go off a person, you know.

Linda Grant said...

Got as in, was given as a gift. Does that improve matters?

Mardel said...

It is a wonderfully generous although it is certainly good for them as well as you will be the only female contender in a sea of men (well perhaps a pond). You certainly deserve it.

And the red blouse, wow! That is certainly just icing on the cake

Miss Cavendish said...

More and more exciting . . . What a vicarious pleasure this experience is!

Anonymous said...

Ooh this is so exciting!! I am loving reading about the Booker build-up Linda, you really deserve the dress and all that attention!

camille0528 said...

I am really so very happy for you and your success...but the blouse. That is too unfair. It is so beautiful! Wear it in good health!!

lisagoldman said...

Since I know (from personal experience) that you are fantastically generous, all I can say is, "Good Karma pays off."

Please post a photo of you wearing the dress at the great event.

Lisa