Never mind the drama between Will Smith and Chris Rock at Sunday night’s Oscars ceremony – the most unforgettable moment for Delayne Dixon took place hours earlier on the red carpet.
The Kamloops, BC, fashion designer was enjoying a relaxing night at home watching the star-studded event when she realized she was tagged in an Instagram story by Emmy-nominated TV host and journalist Rasha Goel.
“She was doing interviews on the red carpet for the Oscars and she was wearing my dress,” Dixon told CTV News Vancouver in an interview Tuesday.
“I instantly got emotional. I was in tears because that’s what I’ve been working towards my whole career…it’s like all this hard work is paying off.”
Dixon had a few of her designs hanging in a Los Angeles boutique, where a stylist then plucked the black and gold tweed dress to be worn by Goel.
“There was a picture of her just before she went live on the red carpet,” said Dixon. “Kevin Costner and his her guests were right behind her. I was like oh my gosh, that’s so crazy… just rubbing elbows with all of these famous people.”
The piece was part of Dixon’s couture line, which she released only a few months ago.
“That dress actually only cost me $38 to make,” Dixon said. “I found the fabric in the bargain section of Fabricland…but it’s really luxurious.”
Dixon likes to finish one project at a time, and said it only took one day for her to design the dress from start to finish.
According to Dixon, Goel was a big fan of the dress.
“She said it was really comfortable and wants to work with me again, so I’m just going to continue to make couture dresses,” said Dixon.
“I’m the type of person that when a goal is accomplished, I’m just like, OK, what’s next? So I’m going to take that motivation and just kind of propel forward as much as I can.”
Dixon graduated from the Art Institute of Vancouver in 2012, but has only been working in the industry full-time for the past four years.
She said she’s received a lot of support from family and friends over the past couple of days.
“Everyone has been following my journey for so long,” said Dixon. “I know that I’ve worked to be here but I’m such a shy person that I downplay my accomplishments a lot. So now I just want to scream from the rooftops like this is what I’ve been working towards. And I think I deserve to brag a little bit, for sure.”
Dixon wasn’t the only BC connection at the 94th Academy Awards.
Vancouver-based natural cleaner company Pink Solution Canada Corp. had one of its brand new products included in the swag bags given to this year’s Oscar nominees.
The portable Jayde Spot Away product is similar to a Tide to Go pen and is designed to remove spots on clothing.
“It’s a practical gift that they thought was a good fit for the concept of what they were looking for, which was a sustainable product,” Pink Solution CEO David Pasin told CTV News Vancouver.
“I’m sure they get hundreds of submissions and we were chosen to be included which is great.”
Pasin said he has a relative in Los Angeles who is a doctor for professional sports teams who was able to put him in touch with the right people to get the product noticed.
“That’s how it came about,” he said. “I don’t think it’s super common for a Vancouver company to get chosen.”
Passion said Jayde Spot Away, which is packaged in a refillable glass bottle, was created for people who are more environmentally conscious.
“When it’s depleted, you can just refill it with a refill so that it can be used over and over again,” he said. “It also fits easily inside a purse or pocket.”
When watching the Oscars, Pasin said he saw a lot of stars that could have potentially benefited from the product.
“I was looking at all those white shirts those guys are wearing that could get stains on them and be drinking and eating at parties backstage.”
Passion added that the product will also be included in swag bags at the Grammys, which will take place this Sunday.
“I’m told that they’ll make sure that people like Adele, Lady Gaga and Beyonce get one eventually, which is very exciting.”