Lisa Rinna arrived at Elton John AIDS Foundation’s 34rd Annual Academy Awards Viewing Party wearing a custom Christian Cowan gown constructed from roughly 11 pounds of human hair, designers and reports said.
The dress wrapped dark brown tresses into a criss crossed, strapless bodice that flowed into a floor length skirt and hairy train, and lisa rinna captured her reaction on her Instagram Story, saying, Oh my god, are you kidding me, look at how gorgeous.
Designer Christian Cowan described the piece in a press release as an effort to put hair front and center, saying the hair is not the finishing touch of this look, it is the look.
People reported Cowan worked with a TRESemmé team of 16 people who spent 152 hours building the gown, and Page Six Style said the garment used hair extensions that were multiple yards long.
Reports described construction as wrapping tresses around fabric and boning, sewing wefts into the garment, and preparing strands with TRESemmé products to achieve texture and hold.
Rinna, 62, attended the March 15 event with her husband Harry Hamlin and completed the look with prominent jewelry, including a sparkling necklace and diamond earrings per coverage.
Context And Reception
The project included ethically sourced hair from suppliers Aliperal, Bellami, and The Hair Shop, which a report said provided wefts chosen to complement Rinna’s skintone.
Cowan told People he wanted to celebrate the work behind red carpet looks and the relationship between hair artistry and fashion design, calling Rinna a tour de force known for iconic hair.
Coverage placed the gown in a lineage of unconventional red carpet materials, noting Margot Robbie’s hair adorned dress and Lady Gaga’s meat dress as past examples.
The Elton John viewing party raised $10.6 million for the foundation’s HIV prevention, treatment, and care work, and the hair couture concept served both as spectacle and a nod to behind the scenes styling craft.
