Summary

Mid-blue dress with printed band of light blue and pink at hem. It is one of five designs for the Placard Bearers who led the teams around the Melbourne Cricket Ground during the Athlete's Parade segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games. This dress was made by the Costume workshop of the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Ceremonies team. The colour band designates this dress as being for the Asia region. Although this costume was not worn during the ceremony, it is identical to those that were worn.

This dress was designed by staff of the Ceremonies team, Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, for the Placard Bearers. The Placard Bearers were women who led the teams of the competing countries into and around the Melbourne Cricket Ground, during the Athlete's Parade segment of the Opening Ceremony of the Games. The dresses were made at the Ceremonies Costume Workshop in Kensington, under the supervision of Paula Ryan, head of Wardrobe.

Because of errors in printing the stripes on the dresses, these were among the very last costumes to be completed, and the shoes that accompany them were only painted the right shade of blue in time for the second dress rehearsal, on 13 March 2006, two days before the ceremony itself was staged.

There were five different designs for the dresses, with the difference being the colour of the highlight stripe. The pink stripe indicates that this dress was for a Placard Bearer leading a team from the Asia region of the Commonwealth of Nations. Each region of the Commonwealth had a different set of costume jewellery accessories. The accessories for the Asia region were fake gold.

Physical Description

Mid-blue dress with printed band of three light blue stripes, separated by two pink stripes at hem. Two-layer tule petticoat beneath skirt.

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