For her second Academy of Country Music Awards red carpet, country star Maren Morris sported a chiffon spaghetti-strap custom gown with tonal beading. The breezy, emerald-green floor-length dress was designed by Project Runway season 8 alum Michael Costello.
Earlier in awards season, Morris favored Costello’s designs for her Grammys debut. On the carpet, the songstress wore a purple lace halter dress with dramatic leg slits from his Spring 2017 RTW collection, and for her duet with Alicia Keys she wore a custom sparkling black and purple floral plunging, long-sleeve bodysuit.
“Michael wanted to do a custom gown for the Grammys red carpet, but we decided to wait until the next major event instead,” explains former Glamour fashion-editor-turned stylist Courtney Kivela Robinson. “The dress she chose for this event, the ACMs, is my number one choice from the options, although I didn’t tell her that at the time,” she says. “When it comes to custom, it needs to be between the designer and the person who’s wearing it; I don’t want to sway anything.”
As soon as Morris, 26, saw the piece, which took two weeks to create, she immediately texted Robinson saying she is “obsessed” and “so happy” with her “insane” dress.
For Costello — who has also dressed Jennifer Lopez, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé’s 2014 custom-made Grammy Awards dress — working with Morris is “a designer’s dream come true.” Throughout the seven-day collaboration process, their vision of the ACM Awards gown was completely synergistic. “Maren was incredibly hands-on in designing the piece, and she completely trusted me in the process. After her big night at the Grammys, Maren knew all eyes were going to be on her at the ACMs, and I was so glad she personally called me to create a piece,” Costello tells Billboard.
In terms of accessories, Robinson and Morris chose a pair of nude, three-strap high-heel sandals from British designer Tamara Mellon’s Frontline collection for a “subtle, but cool design.”
On Saturday, Morris won the new female artist of the year award presented by T-Mobile. On Sunday, she was a nominee for single record of the year, female vocalist of the year and album of the year.
