The Lavish Fashion of Dalia MacPhee
There is sparkle in her eyes and cheer in her voice as celebrity fashion designer Dalia MacPhee speaks to the press from the red carpet, on a night in which she is the center of attention. And, well there should be, as the Consul General of Canada in Los Angeles, David Fransen, is honoring her with an affair at his home to match her creative oeuvre.
MacPhee, a native Canadian, has been carving out her mark for the last thirteen years, and her Los Angeles atelier has produced a remarkable and distinctive vegan couture line.
Indeed, this evening is a grand symbol of the arrival of Ms. MacPhee, with an imposing number of celebrities present and begowned in her creations. They include actors Bai Ling, Nia Peeples- Fame/Pretty Little Liars, Sofia Milos- CSI: Miami, Lili Hayden- violin virtuoso, and Rolanda Watts-Rolanda, to name a few.
In the past, MacPhee’s gowns have been worn by Scarlet Johansson, Heidi Klum, Hilary Duff, Serena Williams, Gabby Douglas, and Khloe Kardashian.
Some of the other attendees are Lili Hayden – renowned violinist, Ray Charles Jr. – RAY, Angell Cowen – Days of our Lives, and Kaya Jones – Pussy Cat Dolls Bail Ling – actress, Sophia Milos – CSI: Miami, Sam Trammell – True Blood, George Blodwell – celebrity stylist, Mark Valley – “Boston Legal”, Steve Lillywhite, Colin Blake and Gene Chang – Entertainment Lawyer and Slade Smiley – HoOC
Meanwhile, glasses tingle and guests mingle at the event, while virtuoso violinist Lili Hayden regales listeners with a heartfelt performance.
In the ante-room of the Consul General’s home are fifty-five mannequins dressed in Dalia MacPhee’s designs. This showing of gowns spills out into the pool area where there are more mannequins in MacPhee’s creations. The evening is a showcase for her 2014 red carpet collection and will help celebrities make their choices of gowns for the coming awards season. These MacPhee ensembles are strikingly beautiful, elegant, and totally vegan, and they are made in America.
My favourite, a black and white taffeta gown, was worn by actor Bai Ling, who commented: “I feel so chic in this dress.”
When asked what makes her the most proud, Ms. MacPhee mentions the magic dress which she herself wears at this gala, which she calls “the 007 dress” and describes as “the most important item in any wardrobe.”
Ms. MacPhee hails from Vancouver where she grew up with fashion in the air as her parents had a chain of clothing stores all over Canada. At first she studied law, but realized that creativity was in her blood. So, she launched her career in fashion in earnest and with a purpose: “I wanted my designs to be available to all women, and that means plus size women as well.”
A woman for all seasons, she does everything from marketing to pr to designing for her company. MacPhee is also an equestrian jumper and loves to skydive and hang glide as well, and she even spends some time driving a racecar. Wow! This diversity of interests feeds her creative spirit, but what inspires her the most are her customers.
Plans are in the works to expand the MacPhee brand so that it encompasses couture, prêt-a-port, perfume, and accessories. The 2014 line will feature jackets and little black dresses, which MacPhee dubs “the essentials of what every woman needs in her closet.”
She believes that perseverance not just in design but in life as well is key, and she is certainly the personification of that trait.Dalia MacPhee’s gowns are available at Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, After Five, Holt Renfrew, Saks of Canada, and other boutiques worldwide.
For more information, visit: www.daliaonline.com.