In 1998, 23-year-old Drew Barrymore starred in Ever After, a Renaissance-era film that flipped the tried-and-true tale of Cinderella on its head. While promoting it, she attended an Ever After Gala at Rome’s baroque Palazzo Corsini—an event that obviously required a dress to match the incredible frescos. She picked out a corseted ball gown with a full skirt made of layers upon layers of misty tulle, hand-dyed silk scarves, and pearls.
Sixteen years later, fans still remember the look fondly. Referred to as the “Fifty Scarves Dress,” it’s inspired a DIY recreation by Cait Trantham and content creator @jenna.sais_quoi_ calls it “one of those dresses that has been stuck in my mind my whole life.”
Its provenance has also been a bit of a fashion mystery. For years, the dress was incorrectly credited to John Galliano during his time at Dior—but after a handful of emails to different fashion houses (and a few persistent follow-ups), a spokesperson for Ferragamo has finally confirmed that the brand designed both Barrymore’s dress and her shoes for the event. And though Barrymore herself wasn t available to discuss the dress or evening at length, she confirmed it was Ferragamo, too.
Ferragamo has long had ties to the movie business; after the brand’s founder, Salvatore Ferragamo, emigrated to the United States from Italy in the early 20th century, he made shoes for Hollywood films and starlets. So when Ever After’s costume designer, Jenny Beavan, first reached out to see if Ferragamo wanted to work with her—first, on the glass slippers seen in the film—it represented a return to the house’s roots. How’s that for a magic touch?
