Gothic princess: how the new It dress conquered Kate and everyone | Fashion

AIf our esteemed readers know it, we at the Guardian fashion office don't get into the habit of covering up every time a Duchess wears a dress to something. There are issues that require continued coverage in the news at the moment, and common sense suggests that Kates' decision to wear, for example, a tweed suit versus a woolen evening dress when a charity visit on a given day is probably not one of those problems. But when she wore a sparkling green Vampires Wife dress, with this label, a particularly dramatic emo-mermaid silhouette and ruffled sleeves, it was a real moment. Each fashion-based WhatsApp group started flashing in unison; the dress made headlines on Vogue shortly after.

Accessorized with a pint of Guinness during the first leg of Cambridges' tour of Ireland, it was a crowning achievement. Not for Kate for the dress. It was when the Vampires Wife dress became an official It dress. Not since Cameron Diaz and Scarlett Johansson dived simultaneously on the Roland Mourets Galaxy dress in 2005, no dress has been so ubiquitous. After a long campaign under the radar of appearances on the red carpet, the Falconetti, which costs 1,595, has moved away from its indie heart to become a mainstream success in good faith.

In 2018, Rachel Weisz wore the deepest eggplant version of the soil at the Baftas, Margot Robbie wore the same purple at an Australian wedding, and Jennifer Aniston chose an identical dress for a Jimmy Kimmel appearance. Last year, Kate Moss appeared in a Vampires Wife campaign modeling a shorter version, the Mayhem, while Princess Beatrice wore the Falconetti to Ellie Gouldings' wedding. This dress has crossed all divides: from London to LA, trendy music, and the alternative to the establishment.

The Vampires Wife herself is the creator. Ex-model Susie Cave, 53, still has milkmaid skin and Beetlejuice hair that made her legendary beauty The prince would send red roses every time he was in London. She launched her fashion brand in 2014 with a name referring to her husband, musician Nick Cave. Florence Welch, a devoted fan, described the signature dress as making you believe that you practice witchcraft in a very romantic cult. The fabric is dark velvet with large cords or metallic chiffon in a shiny candy package and the neckline is high and modest. The torso is flush with the body but not tight and ends with a seam positioned just above the natural waist. This simple shape is highlighted by narrow sleeves placed on a high armhole improving posture and flouncing at the shoulder and at the waist. The skirt is slightly gathered. The classic hem is below the knee, although there is a short option beloved by Alexa Chung.

The Vampires Wife phenomenon is remarkable for two reasons. Firstly, famous women on the whole do not want to be seen in the same dress as everyone else, which means that it takes a lot for a dress to overturn the desire to look unique. Second, this dress is not an obvious choice. It’s poetry, not pop. The few elite dresses that have experienced this success tend to be appreciated for their flattering properties. The Mourets Galaxy dress, with its inner lining in electric mesh, was a double resistance of the internal structure to suck and maintain, with a flattering external style (this elongated rear zip) and added an air of sophistication (these origami-like pleats at the neckline). The Stella McCartneys Octavia dress, which was everywhere in 2011, Liv Tyler wore it, and Kate Winslet had it in two different colors with optical illusion panels which functioned as a kind of hourglass filter on the body.

The vampire woman is different. The shape modestly covers the upper arms and thighs, but the silhouette is cut to work better on a narrow torso and a flat stomach. (She forgives age, however, because it covers a lot of skin.) This dress takes up the healthy, milk-fed aesthetic of the Prairie dress and its ubiquitous high street branching, the ditsy floral dress of midi length that has a flounce at the hem and is probably being worn by someone in your office or on the train right now, probably with white flat sneakers or ankle boots and gives it a sort of glamor to the cheeks hungry. Wearing a Vampires Wife dress is a kind of high 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 signaling that you are sophisticated enough in thinking and messaging for be discreet about the presentation.

The story of the Vampires Wife label is emotional. The brand was launched in 2014 with a wide-seated bohemian aesthetic that included full skirts in pastel shades, silk blouses, cashmere cardigans and a Liberty print seam. Then, in July 2015, Susie and Nicks' 15-year-old son Arthur died in a tragic accident near the Brighton family home, and all fashion ideas have disappeared from the world of Susies. But three months later, pushed by friends trying to distract her from her grief under the pretext of having dresses made, she found her way back to her design studio. To be honest, work is what saved me, she told Vogue in 2017. It was during this very busy period that she narrowed the focus, distilling aesthetics at its essence and striking the very particular silhouette with which it has become synonymous. It is an evening dress that looks melancholy. This is a Disney princess dress for the goths, a dancefloor dress for the time of Billie Eilish. It is not just about fashion sophistication, but emotional sophistication.

It’s a dress that speaks volumes. It's pretty, but it's a bit puzzled. And it should be everywhere in 2020: the last observation was on Jodie Comer, during the filming of the third season of Killing Eve. The Duchess of Cambridge and Villanelle is about as strong as possible. A dress that can unite these two is nothing less than magic. This spring, the vampire bride will have her moment in the sun.