Boise Filmmaker Heather Rae Gets Ready To Walk Red Carpet In Idaho Oscar Dress

By Dana Oland | Originally published on IdahoStatesman.com 22 Feb 2009 

The "clink" of plastic cups and a sip of Veuve Clicquot celebrated the final fitting for Heather Rae's Oscar dress.

The moment ended a fast and furious four weeks since Rae heard the official announcement that the small independent film she produced, "Frozen River," was nominated for two Academy Awards.

The movie's momentum has taken Rae on a dream ride that includes independent film's biggest honors: The Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Best Feature at the Gotham Awards, seven Spirit Award nominations, including producer of the year for Rae, which comes with a $25,000 prize.

And now this.

She spent a few hours in "Oh, my God!" euphoria, then reality hit: "I thought, oh my gosh, what am I going to wear?" Rae said.

You might not think an accomplishment of this magnitude would come down to couture, but the Oscars are as much about fashion as film, so yes, the dress matters.

Well, keep your eyes peeled. As she always does, Rae will keep her Idaho roots close and walk down the red carpet in an original gown, designed and created in Boise.

NOT VERSACE OR GUCCI
When the Oscar news came, Rae had already been working with Boise designer Maria Sabo on a dress for the Film Independent's Spirit Awards given out on Feb. 21. (Check IdahoStatesman.com to find out the results.)

"This is so special for me. It's a culmination of 20 years of the work, time and energy I put into getting the voices of independent film out there," she said. "I wanted to wear something personal, that reflects who I am and where I come from."

Actress, documentary filmmaker and now an in-demand independent feature producer, Rae is an understated beauty. She doesn't own makeup and rarely wears a dress.

When "Frozen River" won the Gotham Award, Rae wore black pants and a T-shirt to the ceremony, never expecting to be on stage. This time will be different.

DRESS FOR SUCCESS
The film has its own Cinderella story. This is Rae's more literal one as she dresses for the big night with the support of her community.

It is like taking "all the people who helped and supported me over the years," with her, she said.

Everything has come together as if by magic, Rae said. Trying them on results in giddy celebration and an awareness that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The creative team has either donated or drastically cut the cost of their work.

Rae wanted to be comfortable, glamorous and true to herself, she said. So both dresses are easy to wear, elegant and simple. They accentuate her curves and cleavage and highlight - not hide - her tattoos by Ink Vision artist Erik Payne.

She has tattoos of wild horses on the run, a red tail hawk, an elk, and bright red Indian paintbrush and corn, to represent Cherokee corn goddess Selu.

"I chose to have skin art, so it's part of the wardrobe, always," Rae said. "It has to work together."

THE DRESSMAKERS
Designer Maria Sabo moved to Boise 18 months ago with her husband, Rob Palmer. She met Rae when Palmer's ad company, Mitchell + Palmer, set up shop in The Muse Building, which Rae and her husband, Russell Friendenberg, manage as an artistic cooperative.

Sabo dreams of creating her own ready-to-wear line and never imagined she would create a personalized design for the biggest fashion event of the year. But, no pressure, she said.

"This has been an amazing, amazing experience," Sabo said.

Rae asked traditional bead artist Deaun Lone Bear to personalize the Spirit dress. Beading is an essential part of the Native cultures the two women share.

Rae is Cherokee; Lone Bear is Navajo and Lakota. She began beading when she was 8 and is known for the intricate, beautiful costumes she makes for her son and grandsons, who are Native American dancers.

She designed a Cherokee rose for Sabo's Spirit dress that combines silk and buckskin on the bodice. "We were really trying to blend the past and future and give a new take on modern Native dress," Sabo said.

Working on this project gave Lone Bear a chance to connect the dots in Boise's Native American community and shine a light on her art and culture, she said.

Barbie McCormick is a master dress and pattern maker who works out of Caledonia Fine Fabrics, where they found all the fabric for the dresses.

McCormick designs custom wedding gowns and also specializes in formal and couture clothing. She has been there every step of the way to make sure the dresses fit. These are her first awards show dresses.

Jeweler Winfield "Wink" Jones, Jr., sent Rae down with vintage diamond earrings, a ring and some other jewel possibilities.

THE BIG PICTURE
The reality is, you can't just put on a fabulous dress and call it done, no matter who you are. Rae, who has been stepping up her workouts, discovered "a real celebrity secret," she said, at Energetic Body Wrap and facials at Glow Spa and Remedy.

"It takes a village to get ready for the Oscars," Rae said.

Win or lose, on camera or off, it is just a thrill to be there, she said.

"I'm definitely going to the ball," Rae said. "It's wonderful that this movie has been seen by so many people. Sometimes movies come and go and don't ever find an audience. This movie just worked. It was magical every step of the way."

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