ELEGANT. ETHEREAL. NO WONDER THEY’RE MY BEST SELLER
HERE, British designer JENNY PACKHAM reveals the fascinating history behind a very British garment . . .
My first cape crush? i must have been about ten years old, watching Christopher Lee as Count Dracula in the iconic Hammer Horror film.
Peeping over a cushion, i watched spellbound as he hovered above his prey, then pounced, sweeping the blood-red lined cape over his victim as he went for her jugular. it was ouch and wow, all in one.
thinking back, my childhood was full of capes: superman, spiderMan, Wonder Woman.
Capes were the only coats you could wear to fly through the sky and then land on your feet, striding towards the baddies with style — your cape unruffled, flowing in your wake as you throw that powerful punch.
that said, the baddies wore them, too. there wasn’t — and still isn’t — a single cinematic, swashbuckling highwayman who would get on his horse without one.
it’s no wonder it has been the coat of choice for women and men for thousands of years.
since the first length of fabric was woven and thrown around the shoulders, this simplest of coverups has given grandeur, confidence and an air of mystery to its wearer.
from the must-have garment of the prehistoric era, to Lady Gaga’s swirling pop of purple chiffon at the House Of Gucci premiere last month, our love for the cape has continued uninterrupted. it is the king of coats, drama personified.
the Queen has many capes, mostly velvet and lavishly embroidered (given how voluminous they are, i wonder whether there is a dedicated royal ‘capery’ at the palace to store them all).
Capes are also the go-to garment for religious and stately events. When it comes to making an entrance, they are pure magic, seeming to enable the wearer to glide across the floor in an other-worldly fashion. the vast expanse of fabric is a dream for decorative symbolism.
so given their reputation for high drama, it’s little wonder that they are a red-carpet designer’s dream.
to me, capely perfection is the glamorous flow of billowing chiffon, shoulders encrusted with crystals, the fabric falling away into a waterfall of sparkle.
Or an elegantly draped crepe, as seen on my Ursula gown — worn to a film awards event by Kate Beckinsale earlier this week.
Best of all, though, capes are ageless and can be a sophisticated choice for any Hollywood starlet, as well as an alternative to sleeves for the older, and rather more upper-arm conscious, like myself.
i am tempted to add them to all my gown sketches at the moment.
With just a couple of sweeping pencil lines, a dress with a cape incorporated transforms into something magical, ethereal and — just as important — a best seller.
the trend for capes shows no sign of abating. Whether they are short, long, detachable or purely delectable, our attraction to the idea of swirling into an event is the golden ticket for a gown designer.
As with all my designs over the years, i am forever inspired by the early days of cinema, where the archive of captivating capes is astounding.
Claudette Colbert as Cleopatra in the 1934 extravaganza wore the cape of all capes.
But i must be honest; Errol flynn as robin Hood — a man wearing both tights and a cape — remains my ultimate caped icon.