Fashion
Louisville-area couple brings Titanic and Mary Poppins to the Kentucky Derby
In 2023, Carrie Ketterman entered Churchill Downs as if she had just boarded the Titanic.
A few years earlier, her Kentucky Derby outfit was practically perfect in every way when she appeared as Mary Poppins.
The Kettermans live their lives as characters. Like a vintage hatpin in a haystack, Carrie and Jeff Ketterman manage to turn heads. Churchill Downs, the legendary track where the iconic race takes place every year. They elegantly stand out in the vogue crowd in an undeniably classic way. Their love of theater seemingly seeps into every aspect of the couple's lives, including their passion for acting. Kentucky Derby.
The first time I met the Kettermans was in 2023, when I found a completely unexpected Rose during the Rose Run. Carrie was the spitting image of Rose DeWitt Bukater, Jack Dawson's love interest from the 1997 film Titanic. I was certainly not the first journalist to gravitate towards them in the Paddock. Our Courier Journal photographers took their photos several times, and the Kettermans' characters appeared in a few national publications.
A few months later, the Kettermans stunned me again as I walked up to their front door.
This charming duo from Derby aren't from New York or Hollywood, they're local.
I walked through a whimsical tea garden, past a vintage camping trailer that nods to Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, and in their cozy kitchen in Corydon, Indiana. The Kettermans and their cat, Teacup, warmly welcomed me into their home, which is also part of their business. The tea room of the Old Capitol. The private tea parties Carrie hosts are just a small part of what she describes as their Life in Technicolor.
The last four years, with all the angst and animosity, we like to be that little glimmer and that nod to the past when maybe times didn't seem as bad as they do today, he told me. -she says.
They play Lucy and Desi impersonators and host a tribute show to the 1950s TV sensation. They are part of the bands Rosie & the Rockabillies and The Tin Pan Alley Cats. Carrie is an artist, illustrator and millinerand Jeff works in a railroad office every day.
Carrie doesn't always dress with character, but in recent years she's been dressing almost exclusively in vintage. People often come up to her and ask where she is going. With her classic, eye-catching look, it's easy to assume she's going somewhere equally glamorous.
But sometimes it's just Walmart.
As we sat in the tea room to chat, she poured me a cup of Julep-inspired mint tea in the spirit of the Kentucky Derby. Carrie has competed in the Kentucky Derby every year since the Silver Charms won in 1997. The 2020 Kentucky Derby, when the stands were closed to fans, is the only one she missed. It's his family tradition, so much so that his brother, who lives in Switzerland, comes back to Kentucky at least twice a year, once for Christmas and once for the Kentucky Derby.
Carrie and Jeff began dating in 2010 after they both appeared in a production of “The Music Man.” His name was Harold Hill and she was Marian the Librarian. The musical has an iconic scene where the two men meet on a footbridge and Marian professes her love for Harold.
Carrie likes to say that she never let him off the catwalk.
They attended the Kentucky Derby together that year, but a few more springs passed before Carrie went on a treasure hunt through vintage stores to make costumes for her characters.
The Kentucky Derby is steeped in tradition and history, and in some ways it always reminded Carrie of the classic film. My beautiful lady, which takes place in 1913. This is the year Donerail had the longest shot to win the Kentucky Derby to date at odds of 91-1 and won the 39th race for the Roses. This was also around the time the Kentucky Derby was becoming a national sensation.
In the film, Eliza Doolittle wears a vibrant black and white hat, accented with pink and red flowers, and a black and white floral bow, so Carrie gathered all the embellishments to replicate it. The Edwardian period of the early 1900s, when women still wore corsets and long skirts, is one of her favorite fashion eras.
Edwardian looks like what you should wear on the runway, Carrie told me. I think I'm inspired by it, and if we can pair a classic film that we both love, that'll make it another part.
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The My Fair Lady look was so successful the following year that in 2018 they took to the runway as Mary Poppins and her old friend, the jack of all trades, Bert.
For the Kettermans, attending the Kentucky Derby as characters goes much deeper than their classic, polished vintage look. Their British accents and banter as Mary and Bert were so convincing that at one point another viewer even bought them a mint julep and welcomed them to Kentucky.
And it's true, they had crossed the Ohio River to come to the race, but they certainly hadn't crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Did you feel like Mary Poppins when you hit the track? I asked him.
I did it, and I think that's our theater experience, she explained. This is another element of putting on the outfit.
The world is kind of a stage for you, Jeff added, referring to Carrie's creativity. Everything you do in your mind plays out on stage.
Of course, not all visions blossom. A few years ago, she settled Breakfast at Tiffany's, and just couldn't bring the 1940s New York socialite to life. She ended up scrapping it.
The Kettermans would love to bring their beloved Lucy and Desi to the race, but 1950s fashion doesn't fit what Carrie considers the Kentucky Derby aesthetic. The casemates and capulets of this period are more subtle than the large broadsides of the Edwardian period.
Some years, she starts planning her look the day after the Kentucky Derby. It can take a full year to find all the vintage pieces needed.
During this time, she designed hats for other people. Carrie saves all the money she earns as a milliner, so she and Jeff can afford the ever-exorbitant price of entry to the Kentucky Derby.
Even with the price, they wouldn't miss it.
Lots of people come to take photos with them on the trail. Their character-driven vintage looks inspire strangers to share stories about their grandparents and memories of simpler times.
We met so many people we wouldn't have met otherwise, Carrie told me.
The truth is something you don't see, until you look under the brims of Rose, Eliza and Mary Poppins hats. As we finished our tea, Carrie confessed that she was naturally shy. She's not the type of person who would introduce herself to strangers, but most of the characters she plays would.
As I said goodbye to the Kettermans, I told them I would see them again at Churchill Downs in a few weeks.
And even though they didn't tell me who they were going to be on Kentucky Derby day, I had no doubt in my ability to spot them.
Even in a sea of 150,000 people, this Technicolor Life couple from southern Indiana shines among the crowd.
Columnist Maggie Menderski writes about what makes Louisville, southern Indiana and Kentucky unique, wonderful and sometimes a little weird. If you have something in your family, your town, or even your closet that fits that description, she wants to hear from you. Say hello to [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @MaggieMenderski.
Sources 2/ https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/events/kentucky-derby/2024/04/29/louisville-area-couple-brings-titanic-mary-poppins-to-kentucky-derby/72507998007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
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