When Emily Cutts Judd got dressed for King Kalakaua’s Coronation Ball in 1883, she chose a stunning Paris-made, maroon satin gown trimmed in a cream-colored floral brocade, with a flounce in back and a train over layers of petticoat lace.
She likely wore a corset to cinch her tiny waist beneath all those layers, along with matching 1-inch satin heels, fine jewelry, white gloves and a custom-made fan.
A royal ball, after all, was a time for the wife of the royal chamberlain to put on her finest — a display of elegance and high fashion for all to see in the ballroom.
Getting dressed for a royal ball at Iolani Palace is not all that different in the 21st century, sans the corset and layers of petticoats. Women today still desire to make a striking impression but with a modern flair — whether it’s a gown with a shapely silhouette, sequins or satin and a pair of Jimmy Choos.
Alice Robinson and daughter Dorna of Honolulu found fashions that reflect their distinct styles to wear to the Friends of Iolani Palace’s Royal Ball extravaganza on Saturday.
Dorna is wearing a sophisticated, figure-hugging, navy dress from Italian designer ChiaraBoni’s "La Petite Robe"collection to create the aura of "MadameX" — the young 19th-century French socialite immortalized in a portrait by John Singer Sargent. The look is finished with glittery Jimmy Choo peep-toe platform pumps, Oscar de la Renta earrings and family jewels of sapphire and diamond.
Instead of a gown, her mother went for a rich emerald-hued, sequined tunic by St. John, worn over a high-waisted "liquid satin fishtail gown" skirt that flares to the floor with a short train.
The outfit is set off by Alexis Bittar earrings, an emerald ring and Manolo Blahnik satin heels decorated with peacock feathers, reminiscent of the peacock-feather dress Queen Kapiolani, Kalakaua’s wife, debuted during Queen Victoria’s London Jubilee.
The theme of the Royal Ball, which celebrates Kalakaua’s birthday, is "A Night to Unmask Your Seven Senses," and besides the 100 violinists who will play for guests during dinner on the veranda, Iolani Palace will be decked out in colors and lights, with a three-story tent pavilion set up outdoors for dancing.
|
THE ROYAL BALL
“A Night to Unmask Your Seven Senses”
>>When: 9 p.m. Saturday; reception at 6:30 p.m., dinner at 7 p.m.
>>Where: Iolani Palace, 364 S. King St.
>>Cost: $200 (only tickets to the ball are still available)
>>Attire: Black tie, full military dress or Hawaiian formal attire
>>Info: Call Pomai Toledo at 522-0827 or email members@ iolanipalace.org
|
About 350 guests are expected, women in evening gowns and men in tuxedoes or full military dress.
The ball helps raise funds for The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, which supports and guides restoration and management of the historic site.
Guests who have paid a premium will be able to behold artifacts from the monarchy era that have never been publicly displayed, including royal orders, letters and personal items related to Robert W. Irwin, the Hawaiian kingdom’s ambassador to Japan, who arranged for the first Japanese immigrants to sail to the islands. Also for viewing will be a silver sake set given to Kalakaua by the Emperor Meiji and a massive 18th-century umeke (calabash) of kou wood that is said to have been used to feed the shark god.
At last year’s Royal Ball, Alice Robinson wore a dress she bought at Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco, but this time the St. John outfit struck her fancy when she saw it in a magazine.
"Dressing up is fun,"she said.
As a supporter of The Friends of ‘Iolani Palace, going to a ball there is also a family reunion of sorts, as Robinson is a descendant of James Campbell, one of the wealthiest landowners in the islands, and is related to the Kawananakoa family, heirs to the Hawaiian throne.
Her daughter, Dorna, said she tried on several gowns at the suggestion of a personal shopper at Neiman Marcus and knew as soon as she put on the alluring navy dress that it was "the one."
"I was there, trying on different dresses, and this one speaks to you,"she said. "I feel like a flower in this one. It feels elegant and comfortable."
Navy is one of the season’s trends, according to Neiman Marcus spokeswoman Lucy Chelini.
"It’s just a beautiful dress," Chelini said. "The designer is a well-traveled woman, so she has created these marvelous stretch fabrics. So not only does the dress look great, but it’s comfortable, too."
The day before the Royal Ball, mother and daughter will get manicures together, and on the evening of the event they’ll get their hair done before getting dressed and heading to the palace in style, in a chauffeured car.
"Once you get the hair and makeup done, you put on the dress and the excitement starts," Alice said. "Then you want to go and see what everyone else has on."
