It’s been 10 years since acclaimed Australian director Gillian Armstrong released Women He’s Undressed, the documentary about Kiama-born, three-time Oscar-winning costume designer Orry-Kelly.

And she still admits it was shame that motivated her to make it.

“I’ll admit it - I made the film out of shame,” Gillian said.

“I’d never heard of Orry-Kelly. And when I Googled him and saw the films he’d worked on - Casablanca, Some Like It Hot, An American in Paris - I was stunned.

“Here was a man who won three Academy Awards, and we didn’t even know he was one of ours.

"We know the names of all our great cricketers, but not one of the most influential costume designers in film history? That felt wrong. So yes, I made the film because I was ashamed we’d let someone like Orry-Kelly be forgotten.”

The idea for the film came from producer Damien Parer, the son of Australia’s first Oscar winner, also named Damien Parer.

While researching other Australian Academy Award recipients, Orry-Kelly’s name surfaced - along with the fact that he held the record for the most Oscars won by an Australian at the time.

“Damien had never heard of him either,” Gillian recalled. “So he started digging, and soon thought, ‘This would make a great documentary.’ He approached me because I’d just made a film about Florence Broadhurst, the wallpaper designer, and thought I might be interested.”

Since the film’s release, Orry-Kelly’s profile has risen sharply. On Saturday (26 July), Kiama Icons and Artists will host the Orry-Kelly: Dressing Hollywood Gala, as well as an exhibition of his work. 

That same day, the NSW Government will unveil a Blue Plaque in his honour - milestones the documentary helped make possible.

“After the film came out, ACMI in Melbourne staged a major exhibition of his costumes - original pieces sourced from collectors around the world,” Armstrong added.

“And the memoir we kept hearing about but couldn’t find? It finally got published.”

In fact, the discovery of Orry-Kelly’s long-lost memoir is one of the most remarkable stories behind the film.

A promotional poster for Women He's Undressed. Photo: Damien Parer

“I happened to be at a small indie film event in Newcastle and agreed to do a quick interview on local radio,” Armstrong explained.

“The next day, my agent got a call from a woman who said she’d heard me mention Orry, and that her friend - Orry’s great-niece - had his memoir.

“It had been sitting in a laundry cupboard, in a bag. Her mother had given it to her with the words, ‘Whatever you do, don’t lose this.’ She had no idea how significant it was.”

A still from Women He's Undressed. Photo: Damien Parer Productions

The memoir, Women I’ve Undressed, became the basis for much of the film - offering Orry’s own voice in a story where few people who knew him personally were still alive.

It also confirmed something else for Gillian: only an Australian could tell this story properly.

“He had this wicked sense of humour - and I don’t think Americans always got it,” she said. “People said he was difficult or dramatic, but half the time, I think, they just just weren’t in on the joke.”

She also related to his creative battles with studio executives - something she experienced firsthand.

“He’d design a beautiful costume that an actor like Bette Davis loved, and then Jack Warner would say, ‘No, no, we want something plainer,’” she said.

“I laughed because I’ve had those same arguments. I once got a note from a studio exec about Diane Keaton’s earrings. Just the earrings! And I thought, yep - I know exactly how Orry felt.”

Despite often being remembered for glamour and glitz, Gillian insists that Orry-Kelly was a character-first designer.

“He wasn’t designing for vanity. He was designing for the character. He had an amazing understanding of how clothes tell a story,” she said.

“Think about Casablanca. That trenchcoat on Humphrey Bogart - it became iconic. At the time, it was just a raincoat. Orry saw what it could be, and people are still wearing them today.

“He also had a real understanding of the human body. He knew how to make actors look taller, slimmer, more powerful - whatever the role demanded.”

A still of Darren Gilshenan who plays Orry-Kelly in Women He's Undressed. Photo: Damien Parer Productions

Women He’s Undressed blends traditional documentary with stylised drama to bring Orry’s life to screen in an unforgettable way. Armstrong believes it resonated because it felt personal - both to audiences and to herself.

“I didn’t make the film to win awards,” she says. “I made it because it felt wrong that he’d been forgotten - especially by his own country. And I really believe we don’t celebrate our own enough in Australia. We’re humble by nature, but we need to be proud, too.”

If you’d like to learn more about Orry-Kelly, the exhibition opens on 26 July at 11am at the Sebel Assembly Room, showcasing original costumes and designs. The Gala later that night has sold out - but the legacy of Australia’s greatest costume designer is now impossible to miss.