DRESS CODE REINVENTED
To look at Belinda Berry is to wonder whether to applaud her creativity or scratch one’s head. Berry, a retired San Francisco Passport Agency official, is a supporter of the arts — and spirited self-expression.
Since 2001, the red carpet renegade has raised eyebrows at the openings of the San Francisco Symphony, Opera and Ballet by wearing clothing of her own design. In 2000, “I was in a turquoise mermaid gown, swanning around, thinking I was all that, and I turned around and there she was: a woman in an identical dress,” Berry recalled. “Not only did she have on my exact dress, she was seated right behind me. I swore, ‘As God is my witness, it will never happen to me again, even if I look like the worst person there.’ ”
In 2009, she wore a Bob Mackie gown once owned by socialite Pat Montandon; at the 2012 Black & White Ball, she wore a referee gown of black and white upholstery fabric and a red whistle (“In case two women showed up in the same dress, we want to be sure it’s a fair fight”); and for the 2014 Symphony gala, a pinkand-white striped hoop skirt made from a repurposed gown. But for this year’s Ballet gala, she mustered up the piece de resistance — a dress modeled after a Calla Lily Barbie collector’s doll.
Berry was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader in 1974, so taking center stage comes naturally. Her sidekick, Tom Barrett, is accustomed to her high-stakes high jinks. “I just enjoy it,” he said. “When you stand next to her, you’re invisible.”
“Let’s hope that the high-society types can keep it in perspective and realize that without humble Blisters like Berry and Barrett, there can be no A-List,” Berry quipped. “Otherwise, it's just a list.”