Azzi & Osta Designers On Kesha’s Couture Humane Society Gala Dress: ‘It Was A Heart Attack Kind Of Surprise’
Kesha made waves this past weekend at the Humane Society Gala in Los Angeles when she performed a cover of Lady Gaga and Diane Warren’s Oscar-nominated song “Till It Happens To You.” Taking the stage in an elegant pink gown with a long train, Kesha’s look was as elegant as her performance was moving, earning her kudos all around.
Billboard spoke to Lebanon-based designers George Azzi and Assaad Osta of Azzi & Osta, who have also dressed Giuliana Rancic and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, about seeing Kesha perform in one of their designs.
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What was it like to dress Kesha?
We don’t know many people who get the chance that we had. It was a true heart attack kind of surprise. You wake up on a supposedly normal day to find out that none other than Kesha is looking drop dead gorgeous in one of your dresses. We are very lucky. The gown was not custom-made for her, but it definitely looked like it was.
How did Kesha find you?
This gown was selected by Kesha’s stylist Shelby Hearts from a showroom in L.A. Apparently an immediate “coup de foudre” love story happened between Kesha and the gown as soon as she saw it.
Could you tell us a bit about the details of the dress?
The dress is made of silk pink crepe and entirely hand embellished with sequins, beads, pearls and crystals. The design, execution and finishing were all done in our atelier in Beirut, while the embellishments were meticulously executed abroad. That is one of the reasons why the dress takes weeks and weeks.
Is there any significance to the cherry blossom motif or colors?
We love cherry blossoms — they’re an inspiration we don’t seem to get bored of. In this dress, they were depicted abstractly and in pink hues. However, we’ve used the theme in a more representational design in previous collections.
What was it like knowing Kesha was going to be singing such a powerful song in your gown?
Her performance was exceptionally touching. We were proud that our design added to the magnitude of her performance and served a rightful cause.
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