SOLD!
Size 10
€10 plus P&P (€6.50 Ireland & €10 Europe)
Let me know if you want to buy, I’ll confirm and you can then pay via the donate button in the sidebar.
Selling this one on ebay for now:
Click on the photo to be brought to the ebay page
When I first performed the show in the fringe in September. I gave a dress out each night to an audience member. One night there were two lovely girls from Paris on the audience who took home one of my dresses. I have not posted here in a while but I recently received the full dress diary of her time with my dress so I thought it my duty to share it with you. Tomorrow will be the last show of my life in Dresses I do for a while. Its time to take a little break. It has been a wonderful journey and thank you to everyone who took part.
Monday September 13th:
After a meeting at the Irish Theatre Institute and a lot of shopping in the city centre, we went to the airport and flew back to Paris. Ninon and I had decided that I would take the dress first. So I took it home with me. The first thing I did when I arrived is taking it out of my luggage and your envelope. I laid it down on my bed so she could rest a little after the long journey. Then I went to bed and I thought it would be cool if she had some time to meet my own dresses. So I left her in my cupboard for the night so she could chat, gossip and have fun with the others!
It sounds too cold for me to use “it” because that whole week felt as if I had a friend with me. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to use “she”.
Tuesday September 14th:
That day I decided to take the dress to work with me. I couldn’t wear it because it was too large for me. So I simply put it on the heater behind my desk. I didn’t say anything to anyone but some of my
colleagues asked me about her. What is it? Why is it here? So this is how I told everything about your project and how I loved it! The perfect advertising!
Then I wanted to take pictures with her so I asked one of my colleagues to come with me and take the
pictures. This is where I have to explain where I work: the thing is I’m working in a big national theatre which happens to be situated within an old palace, facing the Eiffel Tour… If you want to know more you
can visit the website www.theatre-chaillot.fr (now I’m doing my advertising!). What I’m trying to explain here is that there where plenty of beautiful pictures I could take! So my colleague and I went to the hall where spectators gather and have drinks before the shows at night, I changed and I asked her to shoot.
The first one didn’t really work because the sun was facing us but I decided to keep it because I thought
it was beautiful anyway. Then I sat on a chair, and I don’t know why, now I think that the picture looks sad. Don’t you think? But I like it though. There were people working around. There was a meeting at
the other side of the hall and technicians were running all over the place, preparing things for that night’s show. I tried to be as discrete as possible and actually wanted to be quick! My colleague, her name isBeatrice, so Beatrice asked for one last photo. She really likes painting and colours in general, so shetold me “please let me take one where we can see the colours and the beautiful flowers near the gold
lights so we can see the contrast”. So this is the little story of picture number 6. Then I changed againand went back to work.
Nothing very special happened next. The thing is, that week was very busy. I had a lot of meetings and working nights. The dress then stayed home a few days until I took her with me again, for the week-
end… Very special week-end for me actually. I like that I shared it with her…
Saturday September 18th:
Before starting the story of that day, I should explain to you another story. A few years ago I went to see a play recommended by a friend. I had the most amazing “theatre time” of my life (and god knows how often I am seated in theatres!). The play had been written and directed by the same man: Wajdi Mouawad. I literally fell in love with him that day! I started reading his others play, attended all the performances related to him (written, directed, and played by him or his best friends). Last summer, the Avignon festival programmed what are reckoned his three best plays. They were played during night
time; the three plays in a row. 12 hours of beautiful drama! I was in Avignon then, but I couldn’t manage to find a ticket. So, imagine, when a few months ago (in March), our director announced that Wajdi would be presenting his three plays for the last time at Chaillot in September… I got crazy! Now, I’m not going to tell you about the day I met him and talked to him, or when I attended one of his rehearsals, this could take ages! To sum it up: on Saturday September 18th I went with your dress to see the 12 hours, from 11am to 11 pm. Imagine what a beautiful time we had… During the intervals, I took a few pictures outside with the Eiffel Tour behind, imagining that the flowers on your dress were replacing the fountains and the lawns. I don’t know if I’m allowed to do it but I also got you a picture of the stage at the very end, during applauses when they all said good bye. It was very intense. If you don’t know that writer, I advise you to read these plays: “Littoral”, “Fires”, and “Forests”.
Sunday September 19th:
Another big event that week-end: we were celebrating my nephew’s first birthday! Your dress and I went to the suburb, at my sister’s place where the (almost) whole family was about to gather. Usually, we don’t spend that much time together (I mean with my brother in law’s family), so when it happens there’s a kind of “importance” in the air, and we love it. There’s another reason why that moment was very important for all of us: a year ago on that September 9th of 2009 (9/9/9, lucky combination of numbers some people say…), the birth has been very complicated, something very unusual and dangerous happened to my sister, something that we still don’t explain, which could have led to both the baby’s and my sister’s death… Fortunately doctors are used to dealing with complicated situations nowadays. It all ended well and both are doing very good today.
As I had done in my office I didn’t tell anyone about the dress. I just put it on the sofa waiting for someone to ask about her. The first pictures show you how people started eating, taking pictures next to her, not noticing her… until my brother in law dared ask! He was a little embarrassed to ask (he always fears he might offend me! And I must admit that I am not an easy person, I’m very huffy!). So this is when I told the whole story again. Everyone listened to me, I was impressed! Then everyone wanted to try the dress on! Thomas (my brother in law) first, 
then his sister,
Virginie, and last but not least,
Virginie’s daughter Chloe.
The girls were surprised to see how much space there was for boobs, so they decided to stuff the dress with oranges… Then of course the whole attention went back to Lucas (my nephew). We brought him the cake, the gifts and started drinking champagne. Virginie insisted that we take a picture of the dress with the cake and a glass of champagne so that we could show you how she had been a guest like the others.
I’m very excited! A fashion website doo-lally.com are offering a 1000 euro voucher to the person who finds my Mums dress. They also have four tickets to My Life in Dresses at Draíocht to give away, check it out:
After a successful, sell out run at this years ABSOLUT Fringe, My Life in Dresses is going on tour!!
This tour is kindly Funded by the Arts Council
Dates: 27th-29th Jan. Unfringed Festival, Limerick
3rd-5th Feb. Draíocht, Blanchardstown
http://www.draiocht.ie/events/my_life_in_dresses/
11th Feb. Solstice, Co. Meath
https://solsticeartscentre.ticketsolve.com/shows/126511542/events
16th April, The George Bernard Shaw Theatre, Carlow
http://www.gbshawtheatre.ie/theatre.php?day=16&month=4&year=2011
My Life in Dresses is part oral history, part performance. Its about how we remember things, how we connect with people and the world around us.
Who will tell the story of your life long after you are gone? Sorcha Kenny believes her dresses will. Sparked by a fascination for second-hand garments, she embarked on a journey to uncover the real life stories behind the dresses lingering in wardrobes all over the country. Like photographs, they are mementos of a treasured past. Join Sorcha and her best friend Fiona as they introduce you to her virtual wardrobe of stories. The walls can’t talk but the dresses sure can.
Be a part of the project: (Pre Show cup of tea and chat: 1 hour before the performance in the foyer) Sorcha would love to hear the stories behind your dresses. Perhaps its the dress you held onto from your past. The dress you could not give away because it has a special significance in your life, it triggers a memory. Maybe its the one you wore the day you met the love of your life or perhaps it reminds you of a loved one who is no longer here…… or
Get in touch now! mylifeindresses@gmail.com
I was at the show last night and talked to you afterwards in the bar upstairs with my granny, Sylvia, about this dress. The first group picture is dated June 1957 and it was taken at my granny’s brother-in-law’s wedding.
The next one was taken 3 years later when she was on her honeymoon in Jersey.
Then the last picture was taken over 50 years after the original when I was going to a wedding with my friends in 2008. I’m also wearing a pair of her lace gloves.
It fit me so perfectly and I felt amazing in it all day. I remember feeling so glamorous and I don’t think I’ve felt so good in a dress since. It doesn’t fit me anymore unfortunately but I’ll always keep it because of the sentimental value and because I know it must have been a special dress to my granny to keep it up in her attic for all those years. It was the first vintage dress I ever wore and I haven’t looked back since! I think that pre-loved dresses have a really special quality about them and have so much soul. The show was really brilliant and I loved hearing all of the women’s stories. It was great to be able to go out to something like that with my granny that I knew we’d both enjoy. Thanks again.
by Beth Hayden
