Kiri Te Kanawa - soprano
(Birmingham Symphony Hall Collection)

After sketching Kiri at rehearsal in London in her casual training gear (1992), I had to create both the dress and the atmosphere that evoked the music that became my principal source of musical inspiration.

This was Kiri's recording (with Sir Georg Solti) of Strauss' beautiful and infinitely sad "Four Last Songs". I chose fading old-rose, ochres and mauves, which float across the paper with the surging and dying music, and I created an off-the-shoulder dress that Kiri found very romantic.