A duck is probably the last thing that springs to mind when you look at Ally Langdon’s Logies gown, but it’s the image designer Nicky Apostolopoulos uses to explain its deceptive simplicity.
“A duck on top of the water is just cruising along, but underneath, its feet…” she laughs, miming frenzied paddling with her hands.
Allison Langdon is decked out in thousands of crystals and beads. Getty
At first glance, the A Current Affair host’s Velani dress – a bronze halter-neck sheath with lattice-like crystal and bugle bead embellishment – does give the air of ‘effortless’, but there’s more than meets the eye.
“Nicky [says] a simple dress is often the most tricky one to make,” Langdon tells nine.com.au.
“Under all that sparkling material you see, there is so much work, there is so much boning. I’m feeling very secure in there. It’s not going anywhere!”
“Under all that sparkling material you see, there is so much work.” Nine.com.au/Isabela Gonzalez
We’ve accompanied Langdon for her final fitting at the Velani atelier in Five Dock, Sydney, with four days – and some final finishing touches from the designer and team members Lucia, Laura and Rita – left before the ceremony.
The sparkling gown has been a collaboration between Apostolopoulos and Beck Wilson, senior Nine Network stylist, who had a clear vision: metallics.
Gold, silver and bronze materials were considered, but, as the Velani founder puts it, “this is the one that spoke our love language”.
Langdon is thrilled by the result, but admits she’s happily taken a back seat during the ideation process.
“I play to my strengths, and this is not mine … I just zip my mouth and let the professionals do their job,” she says.
The brief given to Velani’s Nicky Apostolopoulos was ‘metallic’. Nine.com.au/Isabela Gonzalez
Langdon describes the dress as “exquisite”, yet comfortable. Getty Images for TV Week
“I don’t need to be getting in their way and messing with whatever they’re doing. Between the two of them, I know I’m in really safe hands.”
That said, the journalist knows what she likes and doesn’t like, and this material “jumped out” when she was browsing the swatches.
“I loved it, I connected to it, there’s a beautiful bronze in it that I adore.”
“I just zip my mouth and let the professionals do their job,” Langdon says of her involvement in the design process. Nine.com.au/Isabela Gonzalez
The crystals and beads on the dress, which Apostolopoulos says number in the thousands, give it incredible sparkle – as evidenced in the afternoon light streaming into Velani HQ.
However, they also add a physical challenge.
“It’s so heavy, people don’t realise. They’ll say, ‘She’s got a simple dress on’ but there’s some serious weight on this,” Apostolopoulos says, explaining the gown’s internal corsetry is crucial in counteracting this.
“Underneath it’s quite structured to be able to hold the weight of the embellishment … The fabric is meticulously draped over with minimal seaming, so it can look effortless.”
The couturier describes the outfit as “chic, sophisticated and very elevated”, and says Langdon looks “absolutely incredible” in it.
Langdon says she feels “a million bucks” in the dress, but even more importantly, she knows she can walk and move in it.
“What Nicky and her team do is so exquisite, but it’s also really comfortable,” she says.
“When you know you’re going to be putting on the dress at 3 in the afternoon, and you’re still going to be wearing it nearly 12 hours later, that’s critical.”
However, she and Apostolopoulos acknowledge there is one practical challenge presented by the outfit, and it’s one many Logies attendees are likely to face.
“They’ll say, ‘She’s got a simple dress on’ but there’s some serious weight on this.” Nine.com.au/Isabela Gonzalez
The sheath gown features a halter neck, crystal and bead embellishment and internal corsetry. Nine.com.au/Isabela Gonzalez
“You know I’m sitting here thinking, ‘How do I pee in this thing?’ That is a problem for the night,” the journalist quips.
Apostolopoulos agrees it’s a “legit” question, suggesting she bring someone with her to the bathroom.
“That’s going above and beyond friendship, but that’s OK,” Langdon laughs, “That’s what we do on Logies night.”
Video: Isabela Gonzalez