Green dress of Keira Knightley

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Green dress of Keira Knightley
DesignerJacqueline Durran
Year2007
TypeBackless green dress
MaterialSilk

Keira Knightley wore a green dress in the 2007 romantic war drama film Atonement. The garment was created by costume designer Jacqueline Durran with director Joe Wright, and is worn during the film's climactic scene. The dress, combining period and modern elements, was praised by media publications upon Atonement's release, and is regarded as a standout in film fashion.

Background and design

Atonement (2007), a film adaptation of Ian McEwan's novel, centres around the impact of World War II on one woman's life and journey.[1] Costume designer Jacqueline Durran was asked by Wright to make a memorable dress suitable for a pivotal scene within the film.[2] Wright had opined that the final piece should be green and full-skirted with movement at the hem.[2] He also advised Durran that it should highlight the scene's setting of the hottest day of the year".[2] Durran reviewed fashion books from the 1920s and 30s, including the designs of Coco Chanel, picking elements that would suit Knightley's figure.[2] She designed the piece in 2006, in a fine fabric to be "light and unstructured".[2] The silk was bought in white and dyed into a composite green, picked by Wright from Durran's selection of three pigments.[2][3] Durran modernized certain period trends, including a bare back and shoulders, to reflect more contemporary styling of "unadorned, bold-coloured gowns".[3][2]

The dress is an emerald-green, lush, low-cut gown with a

Grecian, full-skirted silhouette.[4][2][1] It features elements of London fashion in the mid-1930s, but had a modern, 2000s focus with its colouring, patterns, and strap combinations.[2][5]

In Atonement, Knightley portrays Cecilia, a woman of high standing who falls in love with Robbie, the housekeeper's son, portrayed by

scene in the library.[2][5] The sequence's shots largely include full-length lighting and framing of the dress, which Durran noted "[sold the piece] to its best advantage".[2] The dress's colouring was consistent with a green motif within the film, found the setting of the manorial house and the English countryside.[3]

Reception and legacy

Following the film's release, the green dress received widespread press attention and acclaim.[3] As a result of her work in the film, Durran was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Costume Design in 2007.[5] That same year, a Sky Cinema/InStyle poll voted the dress as "greatest film costume ever"; a decade after its release, it was "still regarded as one of the all-time greats."[2] Durran stated that the dress's legacy was a "complete surprise" and attributed its significance to a "perfect storm" of Wright's filming, Knightley's performance, and the film's sequencing.[6][2] Replicas of the dress have sold for substantial amounts of money, with one retailing for over $30,000.[2] Versions of the dress made for filming were later sold for tens of thousands of dollars, with proceeds going to charity.[2] The dress's shade of green was a rarity among popular film costumes.[2][3] British Vogue listed the ensemble as one of the most unforgettable green dresses in film.[7]

Seattle Times labelled the dress "one of the most beautiful movie costumes of recent decades" with "a slippery, almost watery gown that seems to float over its wearer".[8] Stylist framed the dress as an audience highlight, praising its "slinky, bold, and elegant" design.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Eden, Nellie (2 September 2016). "Films To Inspire Your Summer Style: Atonement". Refinery29. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Canfield, David (15 July 2011). "Atonement 10th anniversary: The inside story on that iconic green dress". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Luigi, Emanuele (5 February 2008). "Atonement's green dress deserves all the accolades". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b Kapadia Pocha, Sejal (19 July 2017). "Where to buy the most iconic party dresses in film on the high street". Stylist. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Reynaud, Floriane (11 August 2020). "The story behind Keira Knightley's green dress in Atonement". Vogue Paris. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. ^ Fell, Victoria (30 May 2018). "Costume designer Jacqueline Durran on feminism, fat suits, and Atonement". Marie Claire UK. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  7. ^ McDermott, Kerry (30 November 2020). "8 Of The Most Unforgettable Green Dresses In Film". British Vogue. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  8. ^ Macdonald, Moira (20 April 2014). "Sunday Best: 'Atonement's' gossamer green gown". Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
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