As our esteemed readers know, we at the Guardian fashion desk do not make a habit of blanket coverage every time a duchess wears a dress to a thing. There are issues that demand rolling coverage in the news right now, and common sense suggests that Kates decision to wear, say, a tweed suit versus a wool coatdress on a given days charity visit probably isnt one of those issues. But when she wore a sparkling green Vampires Wife dress, with that labels distinctively dramatic emo-mermaid silhouette and frilled bracelet-length sleeves, it was a genuine moment. Every fashion-based WhatsApp group started blinking in unison; the dress was headline news on Vogue soon after.
Accessorised with a pint of Guinness during the first stop on the Cambridges tour of Ireland, this was a coronation. Not for Kate for the dress. It was the moment that the Vampires Wife dress became an official It dress. Not since Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johansson simultaneously swooped on Roland Mourets Galaxy dress in 2005 has one dress been so ubiquitous. After a lengthy under-the-radar campaign of red-carpet appearances, the Falconetti, which costs 1,595, has branched out from its indie heartland to become a bona fide mainstream hit.
Back in 2018, Rachel Weisz wore a floor-length, deepest aubergine version to the Baftas, Margot Robbie wore the same in crimson to a wedding in Australia and Jennifer Aniston chose an identical frock for a Jimmy Kimmel appearance. Last year, Kate Moss appeared in a Vampires Wife campaign modelling a shorter version, the Mayhem, while Princess Beatrice wore the Falconetti to Ellie Gouldings wedding. This dress has crossed every divide: from London to LA, from music to fashion, and from alternative to establishment.
The Vampires Wife herself is the designer. The ex-model Susie Cave, 53, still has the milkmaid skin and Beetlejuice hair that made her a legendary beauty to whom Prince used to send red roses whenever he was in London. She launched her fashion label in 2014 with a name referencing her husband, the musician Nick Cave. Florence Welch, a devoted fan, has described the signature dress as making you look like you are practising witchcraft in a very romantic cult. The fabric is grand corded dark velvet, or metallic silk chiffon in sweetie-wrapper bright and the neckline is high and modest. The torso is body-skimming but not tight and ends in a seam positioned just above the natural waist. This simple shape is set off by narrow sleeves set on a posture-enhancing high armhole that flounce at the shoulder and waist. The skirt is softly gathered. The classic hemline is below the knee, although there is a short option beloved by Alexa Chung.
The Vampires Wife phenomenon is remarkable for two reasons. First, famous women do not on the whole want to be seen in the same dress as everyone else, which means it takes a lot for a dress to overthrow the desire to look unique. Second, this dress is not an obvious choice. It is poetry, not pop. The elite few dresses that have enjoyed this degree of success have tended to be beloved for their figure-flattering properties. Mourets Galaxy dress, with its internal power mesh lining, was a double whammy of internal structure to suction and hold, with external styling that flattered (that elongating back zip) and added an air of sophistication (those origami-like folds at the neckline). Stella McCartneys Octavia dress, which was everywhere in 2011 Liv Tyler wore it, and Kate Winslet had it in two different colourways used optical-illusion panels that functioned as a kind of hourglass-shaped filter over the body.
The Vampires Wife is different. The shape modestly covers the upper arms and thighs, but the silhouette is cut to work best on a narrow torso and flat stomach. (It is forgiving of age, however, because it covers a lot of skin.) This dress takes the wholesome, milk-fed aesthetic of the prairie dress and its ubiquitous high-street offshoot, the midi-length ditsy floral dress that has a ruffle at the hem and is probably being worn by someone in your office or railway carriage right now, probably with flat white trainers or ankle boots and gives it a cheekboned, hungry kind of glamour. Wearing a Vampires Wife dress is an elevated kind of a power move: not only are you showing (to those who know) that you have the body to look good in this dress, you are also signalling that you are sufficiently sophisticated in your thinking and messaging to be low-key about showing off.
The story of the Vampires Wife label is an emotional one. The label launched in 2014 with a broad-based bohemian aesthetic that took in pastel-toned full skirts, silk blouses, cashmere cardigans and Liberty-print tailoring. Then in July 2015, Susie and Nicks 15-year-old son, Arthur, fell to his death in a tragic accident close to the Brighton family home, and any thoughts of fashion disappeared from Susies universe. But three months later, prompted by friends trying to distract her from her grief on the pretext of needing dresses made, she found her way back to her design studio. To be honest, work is what has saved me, she told Vogue in 2017. It was during this highly charged time that she narrowed focus, distilling the aesthetic to its essence and hitting on the very particular silhouette with which it has become synonymous. This is a party dress that has an air of melancholy. It is a Disney princess dress for goths, a dancefloor dress for the era of Billie Eilish. It speaks not just of fashion sophistication, but of emotional sophistication.
This is a dress that speaks volumes. It is pretty, but it is slightly perplexing. And it is set to be everywhere in 2020: the most recent sighting was on Jodie Comer, while filming Killing Eve season three. The Duchess of Cambridge and Villanelle is about as strong a ticket as it gets. A dress that can unite those two is nothing short of magic. This spring, the Vampires Wife will have its moment in the sun.
Read the original:
Goth princess: how the new It dress won over Kate and everyone else - The Guardian
- Is This a Real Photo of Vampire Queen 'Madam Violet,' Voted UK's Scariest Woman Alive in the 1880s? - Snopes.com - March 16th, 2024
- The erotic 70s horror where lechy men turn into bloody-hungry vampires - Dazed - March 16th, 2024
- The vampires ball is coming to an end - Meduza - March 16th, 2024
- Oregon son, 56, who is accused of killing his mom by shoving a huge makeshift stake through her throat claims - Daily Mail - March 16th, 2024
- Muni Bond Games and the IRS' Lurking Arbitrage Vampires - Governing - March 16th, 2024
- Ball of vampires', nuke warning: Key takeaways from Putins interview - The Times of India - March 16th, 2024
- Putin compares western elites to 'VAMPIRES' who 'fill their bellies with human flesh' - GB News - March 16th, 2024
- Every Time Alaric Died In The Vampire Diaries & Legacies - Screen Rant - March 16th, 2024
- V Rising declares a 1.0 release date, climbing from the grave of a years-long early access to become your next time ... - Yahoo Movies UK - March 16th, 2024
- 15 Actors That Could Play Edward Cullen in the Twilight TV Series - MovieWeb - March 16th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT #1 Preview Releases A Horde Of Vampires On The Marvel Universe's Greatest Heroes - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - March 16th, 2024
- Man accused of killing mother in Siletz believed she was a vampire - Yahoo News - March 16th, 2024
- Stephen King approved 'Salem's Lot' movie to stream on Max this year - Yahoo Movies Canada - March 16th, 2024
- Empire of the Damned Review: A Wickedly Good Time | Arts - Harvard Crimson - March 8th, 2024
- The BLOODCOVEN: Marvel's Vampires Get Their Own Avengers With 6 "Supervampires Fed on the Blood of ... - Screen Rant - March 8th, 2024
- 17 fantasy and science fiction books to read in March 2024 - Winter is Coming - March 8th, 2024
- This MCU Hero Returns to Fight Vampires as Marvel's Massive BLOOD HUNT Begins - Screen Rant - February 28th, 2024
- These Vampons by 'Artisan Vampires' Will Make Your Period Goth AF - Loudwire - February 28th, 2024
- Bloodsuckers Through the Ages - A History of Vampires (Video) - Ancient Origins - February 28th, 2024
- 'Blood Hunt' #2 Cover Shows the Avengers Are Bloody, Battered, and Broken - Marvel.com - February 28th, 2024
- Vampires Invade the Marvel Universe in New Blood Hunt Trailer - Superherohype.com - February 28th, 2024
- 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - IMDb - February 19th, 2024
- In The Sci-Fi World I Created, Vampires And Werewolves Are Still A Huge Problem (20 New Pics) - Bored Panda - February 19th, 2024
- Kathryn Bigelow's 'Near Dark' Is the Acid-Soaked Vampire Western You Need to See - Collider - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With the Vampire review Tom Cruise and Brad Pitts brilliant bloodsucking bromance - The Guardian - February 19th, 2024
- Is This Too Niche: Vampires - The Post - The Post - February 19th, 2024
- ALEX VAN HELSING Novel Trilogy Being Adapted as a TV Series By Kit Williamson GeekTyrant - GeekTyrant - February 19th, 2024
- The Supernatural Romance Of Vampire: The Masquerade Blood-Stained Love - Forbes - February 19th, 2024
- Leaving the shadows for passion: Why vampires are classic monsters that best reflect our fears and desires - EL PAS USA - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend to Embark on 2024 Tour, Releases Two New Singles - Variety - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend adds second Austin show to 2024 tour - Laredo Morning Times - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend's summer 2024 tour will stop in Minneapolis - Bring Me The News - February 19th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announce Massive Tour in Support of New Album Only God Was Above Us - Rolling Stone - February 19th, 2024
- Harry Potter: Are There Vampires in the Wizarding World? - CBR - Comic Book Resources - February 19th, 2024
- The Midnight Sons return, Black Panther becomes a vampire, and much more in Marvel's Blood Hunt tie-ins - Gamesradar - February 19th, 2024
- Morbius is The Secret To Saving Marvel's Entire Universe (Yes, Seriously) - Screen Rant - February 19th, 2024
- Geometry Survivor is a little Geometry Wars and a bit Vampire Survivors - GamingOnLinux - February 19th, 2024
- The War with Angels Is On! SYFY's Reginald the Vampire Officially Returns for Season 2 in May - Yahoo Entertainment - February 19th, 2024
- BLOOD HUNT: Marvel Comics Reveals T'Challa/Black Panther Will Be Transformed Into A Vampire This May - CBM (Comic Book Movie) - February 19th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire season 2 teaser reveals May 12 release date - Winter is Coming - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire Season 2: Cast, Latest News, and Everything You Need to Know - TV Guide - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview with the Vampire' Season 2 coming to AMC in May - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - February 11th, 2024
- Vampires Are Here to Spill Some Blood in the Newest Max Win Gaming Slot Release Midnight Thirst Deadspins - World Casino Directory - February 11th, 2024
- Everything We Know About INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Season 2 - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Michael B. Jordan and Ryan Coogler's top secret vampire movie will be set in the 1930s and have anime influences - Gamesradar - February 11th, 2024
- Sean Strickland has weird altercation with 'vampire' Machine Gun Kelly, Dana White offers hilarious reaction | Video ... - MMA Mania - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2's Claudia Recast Impact Explained By Star & Producer - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Interview With The Vampire Season 2 Book Accuracy Explained By EP - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend Announced Their 'Only God Was Above Us' New Album - UPROXX - February 11th, 2024
- Interview with the Vampire - AMC Sets Season Two Premiere Date - Bloody Disgusting - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend announce new album 'Only God Was Above Us' & Austin total eclipse show - Brooklyn Vegan - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire Weekend tease new music with a cryptic video - NME - February 11th, 2024
- Louis and Lestat Are Coming Back: Interview With the Vampire Season 2 Has a New Trailer - Them - February 11th, 2024
- Expansion Of Anne Rices Immortal Universe In Development; Interview With The Vampire & Mayfair Witches Season 2 Updates From AMC - Deadline - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' season 2 is FINALLY on the horizonhere's when you can watch it - Out Magazine - February 11th, 2024
- Introducing the 'Vampire Virus' and What It Means for Connecticut and New York - i95rock.com - February 11th, 2024
- 'Interview With the Vampire' Season 2 Release Date, Cast, Plot, and More - The Mary Sue - February 11th, 2024
- Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Is Already Making One Big Mistake - Screen Rant - February 11th, 2024
- AMC's very good, very sexy Interview With The Vampire sets its return - Yahoo Entertainment - February 11th, 2024
- Man accused of burning down home said voices told him the place contained vampires - KOIN.com - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton on 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' reboot: 'They're still working on that' - USA TODAY - February 3rd, 2024
- Become the ultimate vampire In V Rising, coming to PS5 this year - PlayStation - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's Your First Look At Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 Gameplay From Its New Developer - Game Informer - February 3rd, 2024
- The Vampire Diaries: Be Transported To Mystic Falls With These Best Books For Fans - GameRant - February 3rd, 2024
- Our first look at Vampire: The Masquerade Bloodlines 2 shies away from what makes it a vampire RPG, and that has ... - Gamesradar - February 3rd, 2024
- Hulu's ACOTAR Show Could Kick Off The Next Early 2000s Vampire Craze - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton On Potential Buffy The Vampire Slayer Revival: Theyre Still Working On That - Deadline - February 3rd, 2024
- Here's 15 minutes of The Chinese Room's Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - Eurogamer.net - February 3rd, 2024
- Sink Your Fangs into This Extended Gameplay Reveal of Vampire: the Masquerade - Bloodlines 2 - MMORPG.com - February 3rd, 2024
- They're still working on it: Dolly Parton teases Buffy The Vampire Slayer revival - Gay Times Magazine - February 3rd, 2024
- 'Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines 2' gameplay revealed in new trailer - NME - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Hints At 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' Reboot - Purple Sneakers - February 3rd, 2024
- All 8 The Vampire Diaries Seasons, Ranked Worst To Best - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- 10 BTS The Vampire Diaries Details That Will Change How You See The Show - Screen Rant - February 3rd, 2024
- Is Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works? Here's what Dolly Parton says - Sportskeeda - February 3rd, 2024
- Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot still in the works, says Dolly Parton - PinkNews - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton shares Buffy the Vampire Slayer reboot revelation - The Independent - February 3rd, 2024
- Dolly Parton Spills the Tea on Potential 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' Reboot - American Songwriter - February 3rd, 2024
- Hit Vampire RPG V Rising Arrives on PS5 This Year - Push Square - February 3rd, 2024
- Blade Theory: Mahershala Ali isn't Hunting Vampires, He's Hunting Followers of Knull Planning an Incursion - FandomWire - January 26th, 2024
Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero