When animated movies are brought to real life, it becomes a whole different experience for the watchers, so when the big announcement that “Beauty and the Beast” was going to be made into live-action movie, every lady that has grown out of her princess dress was taken back to her younger days.
People who grew up watching “Beauty and Beast” know the big iconic scene in the movie; when Belle walks down the stairs into the ballroom in her stunning yellow dress as she meets up with her Beast to dance. And all of those people who went to watch the real live-action movie can probably agree that the dress was to die for, and definitely met its expectations!
Costume designer Jacqueline Durran deserves a standing ovation because she did a fantastic job with all the costumes, specifically the yellow iconic dress that Belle wears as she dances in the ballroom with her Beast. Emma Watson, who played the role of Belle, said “I could think of a few dresses that are as iconic as that yellow dress.”
This dress took a long designee proses from deciding what would be the perfect yellow, to how the dress was going to be put perfectly together in order for it to flow beautifully. Watson and Durran decided that they wanted the dress to “dance beautifully.” Watson also said, “We wanted the dress to feel like it could float, and it does, it just is perfect for that moment.”
The ball gown was tested with different shades of yellow on camera before Durran chose the final color for Belle’s gown. The dress took 180 feet of satin organza, 3,000 feet of thread, over 2,000 Swarovski crystals, and more than 12,000 hours to make.
The perfect finishing touches were made by adding gold leaf filigree on the top two layers of the gown in a design which matched the ballroom floor where Belle danced the night away with her Beast.
“We tested a lot of yellows,” Durran said. “It was just trying to work out the tone. It’s less transparent than the other organza. There is a cage under some parts of the skirt. But mainly it’s layers of organza that just give it a lift, for it to have lightness.”
If you haven’t already seen the “Beauty and the Beast” film, it is suggested that you do so. Trust and believe that you will not be disappointed. This film was extremely thought out, and very well done, from the singing to the costume designs. Looking at that yellow dress will surely bring back those good memories of you running around in your princess dress that you never wanted to take off.