Ava Gardner’s Relationship with Clothes
One of Ava Gardner’s closest friends in London was Franka de Stael von Holstein. Franka was a couturier, and designed Ava’s wardrobe for Permission to Kill (1975). Franka designed for many celebrities and for royalty, and her designs are known for rich color paired with black. Some of Franka’s designs are now owned by the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. In addition, she made personal clothes for Ava during the London years. Franka commented that Ava truly loved clothes. In a vignette for Ava’s autobiography, Ava, My Story, Franka said, “Ava just loved beautiful things. Even clothes – she’d just enjoy them. Everything was like she’d never had a dress before. A wonderful quality.”
Ava Gardner’s dear friend, the couturier Franka, designed her wardrobe for the spy thriller Permission to Kill (1975).
This can be traced to Ava’s humble beginnings in the depression era south. Her clothes were homemade, and this did not bother Ava because everyone’s clothes were mostly homemade. However, this changed when Ava and her parents moved to Newport News, Virgina, where Mama and Papa Gardner ran a boarding house for merchant marines. Papa Gardner died, and Ava and her mother suffered the worst of times.
Japanese magazine article highlighting Ava Gardner’s wardrobe for The Little Hut (1957) by famed designer Christian Dior. Lower image (labeled with the letter “B”) shows Ava at a fitting with Dior.
Ava said she had only “two outfits and one was being washed while the other was on my back.” She wore her coat all day at school because she was ashamed of her clothes, and she was often ridiculed for her tattered appearance. This left its mark, and consequently, as an adult, Ava enjoyed her clothes and was dressed by the greatest haute couture designers the world over; Cassini, Gucci, Dior, Balenciaga, Valentino, Oscar de la Renta, and the Fontana Sisters just to mention a few. She was a fashion trend setter, and her fashions still impact today’s runway.
Ava Gardner and Oscar de la Renta at a bullfight in Spain. Visit here to learn more about the Spring 2016 fashion collection by Peter Copping inspired by Ava Gardner.
Ava inspired a collection of gowns by Peter Copping at Oscar de la Renta in 2016. The collection was made in deep crimson and black, the colors of bullfighting. A carnation motif embellished some of the pieces to recall the spectators who threw carnations into the ring after a bullfight. This was a gorgeous collection of rich color Ava would have worn.
When Ava traveled, she took numerous trunks with her filled with her fabulous clothes, so she was never without the most appropriate fashion regardless of the occasion. These numerous trunks were stored in the basement of the hotel where she was staying and there was a master notebook listing the contents of each trunk. This enabled her maids to quickly locate whatever she needed.
During her long career, Ava Gardner was fortunate enough to travel all over the world. While on work and personal trips, she prepared detailed packing notes like those in the second image to organize her wardrobe items when planning for a trip. Ava and her assistants used luggage tags like the one in the third image to organize multiple wardrobe trunks when away from home. The stars appearing in the television miniseries “A.D” (1985) were presented with these monogrammed Gucci bags. Ava used this bag as a handy tote bag for miscellaneous items while traveling. She later gifted this bag to her great-niece Ava Thompson.
Like most women, sometimes Ava had a difficult time deciding on her clothes for an occasion. Her maids would have been lost had it not been for the master notebook! On New Year’s Eve, 1963, She was invited to a party at the Screen Actor’s Guild in NYC. She changed her evening gown three times before she decided to wear a white satin gown. She also had a difficult time with her hair that afternoon. Being naturally wavy, it had a mind of its own. She finally called in her friend and hair stylist Sidney Guillaroff to help her. I watched as he patiently fixed her hair several different ways. She finally decided on a glamorous updo. Sidney then left and Ava took her hair down and wore a white satin turban to match her gown.
For public appearances, Ava Gardner often selected glamorous gowns enhanced with distinctive accessories like clutch purses, furs, and gloves. (Right) Ava at a premiere event. (Left) Ava in a promotional photo for The Barefoot Contessa (1954).
Being one of the most beautiful women of the 20th Century, her style was just as iconic as her beauty. Her curves paired with her bold personality came through in her fashion choices. Ava’s style was marked by form fitting, figure flattering gowns with lots of sparkle made from richly colored fabrics. She is noted for her tiny waist, her dark hair, and her green eyes.
(Left) Ava Gardner with Aldo Gucci, the chairman of the iconic fashion company Gucci from 1953 to 1986. (Right) One of Ava’s Gucci handbags, which is now part of the Ava Gardner Museum permanent collection.
She also loved furs, jewelry, and just the right accessory. A white fox fur accentuated many of her most notable gowns. She loved Gucci handbags, having sent 20 to Gucci at one point for refurbishing. She was also asked to donate several of her bags to the Gucci Museum in Milan. She once told Lawrence Groebel who was being considered as a ghostwriter for her autobiography, “If you are going to hang with me, we will have to get you a Gucci (satchel).”
Salvatore Ferragamo (left) was Ava Gardner’s go to shoemaker. He was very popular within the Hollywood community. To craft the perfect footwear, he created custom shoe molds for his clients. Above, Ava’s mold is pictured along with ones for Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, and Audrey Hepburn.
Ava Gardner's shoes for The Barefoot Contessa premier of the Capitol Theatre, September 29th, 1954, New York, New York. These Delman satin sandals were selected by Ava from among three styles, then Delman had Chatillon, the jewelers, replace the rhinestone heel and toe with real diamonds especially for the premier. The slippers, valued at 25,000 in 1954, were displayed in the Delman window for a week.
Her jewelry was world famous, featuring many one-of-a-kind pieces from Howard Hughes. He searched the world over for the best sapphire money could buy, and also secured a necklace for Ava once belonging to a Russian empress. Ava also loved fun pieces with sprites, fairies, and animals. She had some favorite pieces seen many times in photos. A few of these pieces were a medallion given to her by Frank, gold hoop earrings, and of course, miles and miles of pearls. She used her own jewelry in the movie The Cassandra Crossing (1976).
Ava Gardner wore her own jewelry – a mix of classic and modern pieces – for her role in the all-star 1970s disaster film The Cassandra Crossing.
In many travel photos one can see Ava or her companion carrying one or two briefcases. These were actually her jewelry cases and remained in her possession at all times while traveling. When I was with her, I was allowed to play in her jewelry cases. I would ask her about different pieces and try them on. They were kept in the hotel safe and brought to her suite when needed.
Famed MGM designer, Walter Plunkett created Ava Gardner’s wardrobe for the classic musical Show Boat. He used shades of green in several of her costumes which accentuated her striking eye color.
Ava’s glamorous wardrobe can be seen both on and off screen. Very famous studio costume designers such as Walter Plunkett and Edith Head designed some of the most memorable gowns Ava wore in movies. Walter Plunkett, recognized as the foremost authority on period costumes, designed her wardrobe for Show Boat (1951). The green dress from this movie has lasting appeal and has been reproduced numerous times.
Irene Lentz was a renowned costume designer at MGM during Ava’s early career. She is credited with the designs of many movies where Ava had a small part. The more notable movies where she designed Ava’s wardrobe were The Bribe (1949), The Hucksters (1947), and The Great Sinner (1949). Virginia Fisher was one of her sketch artists, and she designed and sketched the costumes for The Great Sinner under the Irene name.
Ava Gardner’s period wardrobe for The Great Sinner (1949) include some of the most elaborate dresses she ever wore on screen. These detailed sketches by Virginia Fisher showcase Ava Gardner two of her full-length gowns featured in the film.
The black satin dress from The Killers, designed by Vera West, has become one of the most iconic Ava Gardner gowns. This gown was accessorized by long black gloves and strappy heels from Ferragamo. Ava was pictured in this dress in the eight-story billboard advertisement for the premier New York showing of The Killers in the summer of 1946. Ava in the same glamorous dress appeared in a larger-than-life cutout as Kitty Collins, femme fatale in black satin, at the entrance of the Winter Garden box office. This gown has influenced fashions worn by Mila Kunis, Sofía Vergara, and Margo Robbie among others.
Ava Gardner as Kitty Collins in The Killers (left). The Loew’s-operated Mayfair Theatre in New York City’s Times Square had a large, wrap-around billboard promoting The Killers which featured Ava Gardner in her iconic black, satin dress (right).
Although Ava Gardner wore the famous Vera West black dress from The Killers in 1946, her timeless ensemble still influences Hollywood fashion today, over 70 years later. Recent stars like Mila Kunis, Sofía Vergara, and Margo Robbie recently graced the red carpet in dresses inspired by Ava’s classic look.
The Fontana sisters in Rome designed her wardrobe for The Barefoot Contessa. The sisters dressed many celebrities and several heads of state and remained one of Ava’s favorite couturiers designing much of her personal wardrobe. Ava developed a long friendship with Micol.
Ava Gardner loved Sorelle Fontana, the Italian haute couture fashion house based in Rome. The Fontana sisters (Micol Fontana, Giovanna Fontana, and Zoe Fontana) created Ava’s wardobe for The Barefoot Contessa (1954).
A Fontana design for Ava to model caused quite of a buzz. It is the famed pretino, “little priest,” dress. This religious dress is cassock-shaped, with a row of red buttons set off by coordinating trim. It was accessorized with a tasseled monsignor hat and a cross necklace. Micol asked the authorities at the Vatican for permission to design the dress, and it was granted. Many Catholics found the dress to be offensive. Ava’s sexiness in combination with this religious garment fueled the drama. (Vogue Runway)
Ava Gardner famously wore the “Il Pretino” (Little Priest) dress from Sorelle Fontana’s 1956-57 “Cardinale” collection, based on a cardinal’s red-trimmed soutane.
Some of the most beautiful fashions worn by Ava in Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951) were designed by Beatrice Bumble Dawson. Her designs were exquisite on Ava. This was her first collaboration with Jack Cardiff, cinematographer, and together they were a great team making the costumes from the movie regarded as the very best.
The stunning costumes created by Beatrice Dawson for Pandora and the Flying Dutchman perfectly matched Ava Gardner’s stylish and ethereal character in the film.
The key elements of her style included form fitted sparkling gowns of rich colors that showcased her figure. Off duty, she wore tailored suits, skirts and sweaters with wide belts, and comfortable leisure wear including khakis and denim jeans.
Ava fashion choices were both timeless and modern. She has influenced the way that women dress for decades. Her fashions continue to inspire women, and she is considered to be one of the most stylish women of all time.
Ava Gardner loved to do her own ironing, and her personal fashion away from the limelight of the silver screen was a mix of athletic leisure wear, tailored suits, and mix-and-match separates.
