Who knew Dame Kiri Te Kanawa was so handy with a sewing machine?
The Kiwi soprano singer, born in Gisborne, presented the BBC Cardiff Singer of The World award at St David's Hall in Cardiff on Saturday night, and turned a few heads as she did so.
Kiri Te Kanawa both surprised – and delighted – fans by wearing a skirt fashioned from a $40 Zara bedsheet – demonstrating a) you don't need to spend a lot of money to look (and feel) incredible and b) fashion really is what you make of it.
Despite the unusual origin of her skirt, Te Kanawa looked radiant as she presented Ukrainian baritone, Andrei Kymach, 31, with a £20,000 (NZ$38,600) prize.
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Dame Kiri's outfit to the Singer of the World competition was a unique choice.
The opera singer, who has announced she will no longer perform in public, said of the design: "I have been looking for a hydrangea print for years".
Kiri, who enjoys gardening in her spare time, also said her "prayers had been answered" when she saw the sheet.
KIRI ONLINE/BBC
Kiri on stage in her chic skirt.
As much a we'd love to imagine Dame Kiri at the helm of a sewing machine, making her outfit for the event, it was actually her dressmaker that fashioned the summery, blue and white floral sheet into a skirt.
If you're thinking of style-biting Kiri's outfit, you can find her floral sheet of choice at Zara Home – it comes with a matching duvet cover and pillowcase.
ZARA HOME
The 'Watercolour Flower Flat Sheet' is on special for NZ$40.
The Kiwi opera singer paired the hydrangea-covered skirt with a white, lace blouse and chic jewellery to the Singer of the World competition.
The biennial, televised contest invites opera and art singers from across the globe to compete, with 2019's competition drawing more than 400 applicants.
