Through Hastings, Rae is introduced to Rita Watnick, the legendary founder of fashion at Lily et Cie, who has collected extraordinary fashion shows of the last century, enriching Margot Robbie, Jennifer Aniston, Winona Ryder and Kim Waiting for the star’s wardrobe Kardashian. While offering Kardashian Alexander McQueen’s signature spring2003 ‘Oyster’ dress for her2020 Vanity Fair Oscar party trip, Watnick Knowing a thing or two about creating a viral moment. Still, Rae wasn’t on her radar until the 90-year-old visited the Beverly Hills store. “Ryan and I dress a lot of people together, so when he said he had a client who was going to LACMA, I didn’t even ask who,” Watnick shared by phone from Los Angeles, “just in her After leaving, I learned more about her background. At the end of the day, whoever you are, what you want is to match people and clothes in a way that makes them the best they can be.”
Watnick was blown away by Rae’s love of the art of fashion, something she shares with some of Lily et Cie’s longtime clients. “In a way, it reminds me a long time ago when we dressed Kate [Moss], Winona [Ryder] and Naomi [Campbell] in vintage clothes in the ’90s,” she said. “They were young at the time and everyone wanted to dress them up, but they intended to carve out an independent path where they could define [what] ‘dressing well’ meant to them. Fashion was part of how they shaped the future… …I don’t know what the future holds for Addison, but she’s very gracious, and this was the moment when [she] decided to go her own way.” (While this was the beginning of their collaboration, it wasn’t Rae’s first foray into the archives ; at the September 2021 Met Gala, Rae wore a red Tom Ford fall gown Gucci collection).
During her fitting process, Rae was immediately drawn to this moody, sequined Scherrer piece, complete with a plunging neckline. “It feels like it’s made for my body, that’s what defines fashion,” she says. “We knew right away that it was a LACMA gown. It was so sophisticated and glamorous, but still had this sensuality.” Adding Art Deco jewelry, one of which hung from her bare belly button, added to the appeal of the gown , adding a jazz-age vibe to the costumes of “90”. “These three necklaces are all hand-carved crystal in Paris ,” explains Rae. “When Rita and Ryan wore this dress, it made a difference.
