Everyone from Middleton to Kylie wore The Vampire’s Wife

Olivia Petter, The Independent

Picture the perfect dress. It’s fitted and flattering. There are frills and flourishes in all the right places. And it manages to be somehow sophisticated, girlish, and subversive all at the same time — like anyone wearing it is keeping a secret. Few brands make dresses like that today, but The Vampire’s Wife was one of them. Ever since It girl-turned-entrepreneur Susie Cave co-founded the label with Alex Adamson in 2014, it has been a cult classic among the style set. Worn everywhere from festival stages to royal weddings, the brand boasted the glitziest of fanbases, spanning from Kate Moss to the Princess of Wales Kate Middleton, who wore its green Falconetti dress for an official royal portrait in 2022. Two years previously, Vogue named that gown the “dress of the decade”.

Imagine the surprise, then, when Cave announced earlier this week that The Vampire’s Wife would be shutting down. I received the news via email on Tuesday: “Despite a period of positive growth and sales, the upheaval in the wholesale market has had dramatic implications for the brand,” read a statement. “The Vampire’s Wife would like to express their heartfelt thanks to all clients, partners and those who have worn the brand these last 10 years. Your support has been invaluable, and we are deeply grateful.”

Cave followed up with her own farewell statement on Instagram, writing: “I say this with great sadness and want to express my undying gratitude to you all for your support. I wish to thank my extended family at The Vampire’s Wife who helped me create such beautiful things. I cannot describe how much you have all meant to me. I love you all, Susie x.”

Cue an entire fanbase left feeling bereft, confused, and saddened. “You’re amazing,” wrote Claudia Winkleman, in the comments under Cave’s post. “Never have dresses felt more feminine and dreamy,” chimed supermodel Karen Elson. “Thank you for the beauty and sexiness you have brought to our lives through your incredible clothes,” added Bella Freud. Even Patricia Arquette joined in, writing: “You have made stunning clothes. May this next chapter of your life be gentle and joyful.”

It’s hard to describe the hold one brand can have on an entire industry, particularly when today’s market is increasingly saturated with small-scale labels that largely operate via social media. Maybe the success of The Vampire’s Wife was partly down to the clientele, which, in addition to royalty, included Sienna Miller, Greta Gerwig, Florence Welch, Olivia Wilde, and Kylie Minogue. Perhaps it was thanks to Cave’s own reverential status as muse and wife to musician Nick Cave; together, the genetically and artistically blessed couple are, and always have been, as effortlessly cool as their output.

But it might’ve simply been down to the dresses. Distinctive, well constructed, and with a litany of idiosyncrasies (puffed shoulders, frilled sleeves, tightly fitted), they were instantly recognisable to those in the know. More importantly, though, The Vampire’s Wife was one of those brands that meant something to people. Many wore Cave’s designs on their wedding day, including actor Samantha Morton and beauty journalist Sali Hughes.

“I’d never imagined myself in a traditional white wedding dress and wanted something that felt less structured, more feminine and made me feel like an elevated version of myself, rather than another person entirely,” recalls Claire Cohen, who wore a silver Falconetti for her wedding. “That’s what Susie Cave did so well: she understood how to dress women so they felt as good as they looked. I know this should be the case on your wedding day, but I’ve never had so many compliments on something I’ve worn and the silver material almost glowed in the candlelight of our ceremony.” A week after Cohen’s wedding, Alexa Chung was seen wearing the same dress: “That only made me feel that other women felt the same magic.”