Dress Drama: The fight to save Julia Roberts' iconic red gown in Pretty Woman

It is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most iconic ensembles in cinematic history. A rags to riches moment like no other, all thanks to one off-the-shoulder gown in a shocking shade of siren red. Pretty Woman spawned many referential outfits, from Vivian Ward's scanty swimsuit-inspired cut-out dress paired with shiny thigh high boots, to her polka dot moment at the polo. And while Julia Roberts wasn't actually the first choice for the movie, we simply could not imagine Pretty Woman without her and that fiery red opera gown. The costumes in the hit rom-com were the brainchild of American designer Marilyn Vance whose illustrious career saw her become John Hughes' go-to designer for other classic hits such as The Breakfast Club and Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Except, the iconic dress that Julia Roberts wore in the film was meant to look very different and a bone of major contention. Marilyn Vance would score a BAFTA nomination for her work on the 90s classic and even 31 years later the sensual and elegant ballgown is influencing fashion. However, during the costume creation process, the production studio slipped a note to her saying that Vivian's opera dress had to be black. Could you imagine? In an interview with People, the Oscar-nominated costume designer revealed that John Singer Sargent's portrait of Madame X served as inspiration from the now-iconic dress.