Lisa's Dreams

Lisa wants to go on an African safari, run with the bulls in Spain, and go to the top of the Empire State building! Marisa Tomei’s character Lisa in the 1991 film “Oscar,” declares these aspirations while wearing the one of the most dreamy, feminine frocks ever to grace cinema. When I first saw this dress in the film as a child, I knew I’d need to make one for myself someday. It was many years later when I found a gorgeous floral watercolor silk georgette, that I knew I had my fabric. 

I added my own design details to my version, but I kept the floor length skirt with tiers of ruffles, and scoop back, halter neckline of the original gown. I built this dress by attaching each tier of ruffles to an individual tier of the underskirt, so the ruffle seams were concealed on the inside of the skirt. I didn't want any unsightly seams showing when the wind blew! I used silk taffeta for the underskirt, because it had the weight and structure needed to support all the ruffles. The watercolor georgette was quite sheer, so I backed each ruffle in a dusty rose silk habotai. This helped conceal where the tiers overlapped on the underskirt, as well as helping to emphasize the pink hue in the watercolor print. 

On Lisa’s version, she has a wide sash with a large flower center front. I added my large silk flower off to the side of the neckline, almost draped across the shoulder. I think it adds a unique and unexpected detail that keeps the eye moving around the dress. As a finishing touch, of course I needed to make my own version of her large, fluffy wrist corsage. I absolutely love corsages, so I took advantage here and made mine with several different flowers and added long streaming ribbons.

After wearing this dress many times over the years, and even winning first place in a fashion contest, I can say this is certainly a frock that dreams are made of!