Dresses to impress at tribute to screen legend O’Hara

ALMOST all her contemporaries from Hollywood’s Golden Era have passed away.

So it seems fitting that a dozen timeless dresses, worn by legendary actresses such as Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, will be flown in to Ireland as the centrepiece attraction for a special weekend of tribute to Maureen O’Hara.

In what has been described as the ultimate fashion show ever to be staged in this country, vintage gowns, valued collectively at $360,000 (€272,125), will be put on display at the unlikely venue of the Eccles Hotel in Glengarriff in west Cork on Saturday, where screen legend Ms O’Hara, 91, is being honoured for her amazing legacy to the silver screen.

Philadelphia-based vintage gown collector Gene London has agreed to bring over his prized dresses as a tribute to The Quiet Man star to coincide with her launch of the Maureen O’Hara Foundation, an entity charged with building an ambitious legacy centre in Glengarriff which will house Hollywood memorabilia and train budding film stars and movie directors.

The main focus of the collection is likely to be the gold lame pleated low-cut halter gown that screen icon Marilyn Monroe wore in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, valued at $40,000 (€30,230).

Two dazzling originals worn by actress Grace Kelly, one that she wore at the Oscars and another in To Catch A Thief, will also feature, alongside Audrey Hepburn’s sleeveless black silk evening gown in Breakfast At Tiffany’s and Vivien Leigh’s green flower-print barbecue dress in Gone With The Wind.

Glamorous outfits worn by Elizabeth Taylor, Lena Horne, Rita Hayworth, Joan Fontaine, Joan Crawford, Claudette Colbert and Maureen O’Hara herself will also be on show.

Along with the dozen originals, two more Marilyn Monroe-inspired gowns — a copy of the blonde bombshell’s Happy Birthday Mr President dress and a replica of her iconic white-pleated halter dress in The Seven Year Itch, both designed by Mr London — will also be on display.

Chief executive of the Maureen O’Hara Foundation, Frank McCarthy, said: “It’s wonderful that Gene London is bringing over these priceless gowns that featured in Hollywood’s vintage era.”

Ms O’Hara was last night said to be back to full health, after suffering a cold last week, which had forced her to pull out of aa function in Kerry.

“She’s really looking forward to the weekend, has had plenty of rest and is back to her old self,” Mr McCarthy added.

Director Neil Jordan and actor Patrick Bergin will be attending,

Ms O’Hara has said that once the foundation is built, it will mark her greatest achievement.