Lizzy Gardiner Bold Credit Card Gown: In a memorable moment at the 67th Academy Awards in 1995, Australian costume designer Lizzy Gardiner made headlines by donning a gown crafted from 254 American Express Gold cards. The shimmering floor-length outfit, adorned with gold underwear and matching platforms, became an iconic piece in Oscars fashion history.
Gardiner, then a relatively unknown figure in Hollywood, was nominated for Best Costume Design for her work on “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” Originally envisioning a credit card dress for one of the movie’s cross-dressing protagonists, she faced rejection from American Express and other banking companies. Undeterred, she opted for a dress made from flip flops for the film.
The idea for the credit card gown emerged when Gardiner found herself without anything to wear for the Oscars. She told red-carpet reporters, “Im broke, and I didnt have anything to wear. So I went through my list of past good ideas.” Looking for an American symbol, she chose credit cards over options like Coca-Cola bottles or Cadillac hubcaps.
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When she and fellow costume designer Tim Chappel collected their award on stage, host David Letterman quipped, “Im tellin ya, American Express cant buy publicity like that.” This time, American Express granted permission for the dress, sending over 300 cards that Gardiner and designer Salvador Perez assembled into a gown in just 12 hours.
The dress served as a satirical protest, critiquing the excesses of Hollywood and symbolizing wealth and standing. While some critics lauded Gardiner’s bold fashion choice, others labeled it tacky, with Time magazine later naming it one of the worst gowns in Oscars history.
Despite mixed reviews, the dress’s influence endured. In 2017, American label Vaquera paid homage to Gardiner’s creation on the runway. A replica of the iconic dress, featuring Vaquera-branded dummy credit cards, went up for auction at Christie’s, fetching $12,650.
Today, the dress resides in the National Gallery of Victoria in Australia, a testament to the enduring impact of a bold fashion statement that took center stage on Hollywood’s grandest night.
Our Reader’s Queries
Who wore the American Express dress?
Do you recall the commotion caused by Australian costume designer Lizzy Gardiner at the 67th Academy Awards? She made quite a statement by donning a gown made from 254 American Express Gold cards. It was a bold move that caught everyone’s attention and sparked conversation. Gardiner’s creativity and ingenuity were on full display, and she left a lasting impression on the fashion world.
Who didn t leave home without 254 of them American Express?
American Express probably didn’t envision this when they coined the slogan, “Don’t leave home without it.” At the 67th Academy Awards, costume designer Lizzy Gardiner made a statement by wearing a dress made of 254 expired American Express cards. It was a unique and unexpected way to showcase the brand, but certainly not what they had in mind.