We have reached Saturday night, the final dinner for Sandra Stillwell's Eternal Style event which was a salute to Christian Dior and Yves St. Laurent. The centerpiece was titled "Versailles."
Attendees received "Alla," named after Alla Ilchun, one of the most famous Christian Dior models.
Pre-orders included "Junon," which caused jaws to drop and attendees to gasp. Get a load of that beading!
My very favorite was "Glittering Trapeze," which caused wallets and purses to explode! Wow...this one was a runaway hit.
"Métamorphose" was another favorite of mine.
Here are a few shots of my tablemates, beginning with this one of Vera and Larry:
Larry and Wayne:
Kelly, Larry (photobomber!), and Vera:
Lynne and Diane:
I was really fortunate to have such a fun and talented table. It made this year's event a blast. Michael upped the fun factor again as well by challenging attendees to create their own paper doll in an homage to the ones by Yves Saint Laurent featured at the VMFA exhibit. Everyone was given a "naked" doll and crayons, but were allowed to use whatever materials their creative hearts desired. The results were amazing!
1st runner up Holly Goldman's creation:
The lineup of contestants awaiting their prizes:
Helen from California shows off her winning creation:
A tie for First Place between Sandy Hayes and Judy Richardson:
Monsieur Michael returned to dazzle Julia with his predictions!
Huge kudos to Michael for not only making the Convention fun, but for making my behind-the-scenes photography of the fashions such a blast, too.
A shot with the talented Tommy Courtney (aka Tommy Doll):
The Helpers getting ready to bestow more gifts:
For me, the highlight of the evening was watching Michael's excitement as he won the crazy looking Lucille Ball doll during the Helper Raffle. It was love at first site!
Somehow attendees dragged themselves out of bed for Sunday Breakfast. Most likely the draw was the centerpiece titled "Maymont Park":
Pre-orders included two of my favorites "The Richmond Room":
...and "Monument Avenue," named after the controversial street with the Confederate Monuments. I can assure you no tar was thrown at this beautiful suit!
I always enjoy the Inspirations presentation, which shows what inspired the fashions that Sandra tirelessly picked and shopped for fabrics from all over the world. And I do mean all over. Sandra doesn't just go to JoAnn's; she flies to Paris and New York and picks the VERY best!
"Ambassador's Daughter" was inspired by an outfit worn by Olivia DeHavilland in a film of the same name:
Naturally, Sandra received a standing ovation:
Where will Sandra take us next year? Stay tuned!
See more Gene Marshall photos at my website. You can order these Sandra Stillwell outfits at her website.
