Michael DePaulo, the fashion designer who designed the gown that Carrie Underwood wore on her 2020 holiday album, “My Gift,” recently donated the gown to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville.
The red ballgown will now be shown through curated exhibitions at the museum.
Underwood chose to wear the red ballgown from DePaulo’s fall 2016 collection that he showcased during New York Fashion Week.
Michael DePaulo’s red ballgown on the fall 2016 runway.
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“I feel amazing. I’m thrilled to go see an exhibition and stand next to it. It’s one of my favorite pieces,” said DePaulo, who has sold reproductions of that dress.
He recalled that Underwood’s Christmas album came out in September 2020 and he ran to Target to buy several of the CDs (which he hadn’t bought in a long time), and bought the full album for his own archive.
DePaulo, who is based in New York, is known for his sculptural bridal and eveningwear designs featuring intricate embroideries and beading. In addition to Underwood, he has dressed celebrities such as Gwen Stefani, Kate Beckinsale, Camila Cabello and Lea Michele, among others. He also does custom work.
His silhouettes run the gamut from grand ballgowns to sexy sheaths and formfitting jumpsuits. He sells at retailers such as Stanley Korshak in Texas and Bridal Reflections in New York City. He’s also sold to Saks through trunk shows and Mark Ingram.
DePaulo graduated with an architecture degree from Northeastern University in 2004 and pivoted to fashion design in 2006, when he set up his company. The designer is getting ready to show his spring 2026 collection in a presentation at Radio Park in Rockefeller Center on Sept. 12 at noon.