Minnie Mouse, global style icon, partied with the fashion industry’s elite at the Third Annual Daily Front Row Fashion L.A. Awards. Alice & Olivia CEO & Creative Director Stacey Bendet dressed Minnie Mouse for the awards, in a custom dress that boasted more than 175 polka dots and 14,000 rhinestones. Stacey Bendet isn’t stranger to the Disney family – she’s married to producer Eric Eisner, son of former Disney chairman and CEO Michael Eisner. And Minnie Mouse is no stranger to working with designers on collaborative looks; past collaborators include Alber Elbaz, Christian Siriano and Olympia Le-Tan.
Here, Pret-a-Reporter caught up with Bendet on dressing the style icon.
Tell us about Minnie’s look?
Minnie’s dress is satin with crystal-covered polkadots. Each polka dot is covered in over 100 hand-applied jet black crystals!
How is it comparable to an alice + olivia dress?
It is honestly something I would wear! I love polka-dots and the shape is based on one of our signature party dress styles.
How does designing for Minnie differ from designing for a more typical model?
The design process was fairly similar to how I’m used to working. We were inspired and created a design for a unique personality that was both very alice + olivia and reflective of Minnie’s style.
Did you go through Minnie’s fashion archives for inspiration?
I did some research, but I really wanted to give her a modern look versus something that she had worn before. Polka dots are very alice + olivia and very Minnie, so it felt like the right design convergence.
Can you describe the rose headband she’s wearing?
I love flower crowns, so we decided she should have a crown made of beautiful red silk flowers.
What was the most fascinating thing about working with Disney and Minnie?
The joy it brings to people! Everyone — kids and adults of all ages — smile when they see Minnie or Mickey and I love experiencing that response!
