A precious honor
Houston designer dresses Hollywood's newest rising star
It's a small world, and Houston fashion designer Gayla Bentley is thankful for it.
Gabourey Sidibe, the critically heralded star of Precious, which already has early rumblings of an Oscar nod, wore one of Bentley's designs — a gray cocktail dress with black beaded detail — last night to chat with David Letterman.
Bentley nabbed the honor because her college roommate's boyfriend's sister (we had to repeat that a couple times, too) shares a publicist with Sidibe. Bentley, who recently got backing for her Houston-based line from two entrepreneurs on Shark Tank, charged ahead with the lead and landed a call from Sidibe's stylist.
Bentley overnighted 12 pieces, six of which the star kept for her closet.
Sidibe plays an abused, downtrodden, obese teen in the emotionally charged film, which is based on the novel Push by Sapphire. Bentley says she expects Sidibe's stylist reached out because of the sparsity of red carpet fashion choices for curvy women.
Bentley is known for her "style over size" attitude, and will be helping to dress Sidibe for her appearance on Oprah November 20.
Next stop... Oscars?