Judy Garland and Orry-Kelly at Ethel Barrymore’s 70th birthday party, 1949. Photo: Everett Collection Inc and Alamy.
Kiama is rolling out the red carpet to celebrate one of its most dazzling hometown heroes — three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly — with a glamorous Hollywood-style gala and exhibition on 26 July.
The inaugural Orry-Kelly Dressing Hollywood event, organised by the Icons and Artists Association, will spotlight the Golden Age icon’s legacy with original costumes, rare artworks, and a line-up of special guests.
Kiama Icons and Artists founder Cate Menzies said the gala would see up to 200 guests dressed in their best vintage, recycled or cocktail attire, with half the tickets already sold three months in advance.
Cate said she was inspired to create the event when she realised he was so unknown in his own hometown.
She said that was despite Kelly having designed costumes for stars such as Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn, and with credits on more than 300 Hollywood films, from Some Like It Hot to An American In Paris.
Her own knowledge of Kelly began after purchasing what is believed to be his family home in Terralong Street, which she relocated to her own small working farm overlooking Jamberoo valley and restored in 2016.
She said his original childhood home burnt down during The Great Fire of 1899, which ravaged Kiama and its buildings, but was rebuilt in 1922, a year after he made his move to New York.
Outside that, Cate had only heard Kelly’s name mentioned in town due to the pavilion named in his honour and an exhibition at the Pilot’s Cottage Museum.
“I said to my husband, ‘Not only was he a three-time Academy Award winner, but he was Cary Grant’s lover,’” she said.
“He was a gay icon back in the day; he designed dresses for Marilyn Monroe, Bette Davis and Casablanca, and he was an artist as well.
“When we did up the cottage, which we use for short stay accommodation, we did it with as much of a Hollywood theme as we could to continue that link to him.
“It saddens me that every time someone stays there, they go, ‘We had no idea who Orry-Kelly was.’”
She said while exhibitions had honoured him in the past, nothing had been done recently.
“No one in Kiama knew who Orry-Kelly was, and it made me think, something needs to be done,” she said.
“I thought about the Elvis Presley festival in Parkes. Elvis never even came to Australia – but they celebrate him regularly to keep his legacy alive.
“Orry-Kelly started here; he came from an amazing Kiama family, and he deserves to be recognised.”
She said as the idea formed for a Hollywood-themed, glamorous event that showcased his work, she began rallying friends to create the Kiama Icons and Artists Association, a group dedicated to fostering art and cultural activities in the Kiama area.
Among the committee is historian and Orry-Kelly documentary consultant Sue Eggins, and former Kiama, now Canberra-based National Gallery of Australia curator Lisa Addison.
The event coincides with Kelly being awarded one of the NSW Government’s prestigious Blue Plaques, which will be unveiled on a wall of The Sebel.
It also marks the 10th anniversary of the 2015 documentary Women He’s Undressed, which chronicles his life and career.
“We knew he was in the running for the Blue Plaque and because it’s the 10th anniversary since the film was released, the timing just couldn’t be better,” she said.
The documentary’s screenwriter, Katherine Thompson, and producer, Damien Parer, will be in attendance to share their insights and celebrate Kelly’s legacy, while Australian legend and director Gillian Armstrong is also hoping to attend.
Highlights from the Hollywood-themed evening will include a red carpet arrival; panel of industry experts; a selection of Kelly’s original costumes and artwork from his cousin, along with a vintage costume collector and Cate’s own collections; and a Hollywood-inspired live performance from a dance troupe led by Veronica Beattie George, who performed for Baz Luhmann in Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.
“In my head, I could hear glamour,” she said of her vision for the event.
“It couldn’t just be a talk; it had to be something fabulous – something Orry would have loved.”
In addition to the gala, the Orry-Kelly Exhibition will be open to the public on 26 July from 11 am to 4 pm, with tickets available for purchase at the door.
There will also be a movie screening of Women He’s Undressed on 22 May from 6:30 pm at the Joyce Wheatley Community Centre in Kiama.
Book tickets to the Orry-Kelly Dressing Hollywood Gala at The Sebel, Kiama on 26 July, with exclusive exhibition access from 5 pm and gala beginning at 6 pm. Tickets $115 per person, which includes entry to the exhibition, a welcome beverage and canapes.
