‘Perfect match': Charli xcx in Vivienne Westwood becomes gen Z's bridal muse
So it came as somewhat of a surprise to fans when, last weekend, she opted for a more classic bridal look to marry George Daniel, the drummer in the band the 1975.
Arriving at Hackney town hall in east London, the bride wore a white sculpted corseted minidress from Vivienne Westwood. Even her accessories veered towards the traditional: a bouquet of locally grown white cosmos and dahlias, a short white veil, and slingback heels.
Despite the look being more conventional than defiant, Alexandra Macon, the weddings editor of Vogue.com and founder of the e-commerce site Over The Moon, describes the pop star's choice of designer as a 'perfect match'.
'Vivienne Westwood has forged a legacy as a true 'anti-bride' icon in the world of bridal fashion,' Macon said.
In 2008, Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw was jilted at the altar by Mr Big while wearing a floor-sweeping corseted gown from the British designer. Yet even without the couple's eventual happy ending, a Westwood wedding dress has been desired by millennial brides ever since.
Seventeen years later, gen Z have welcomed their own bridal muse. This time the hemline may be shorter but the brand remains the same.
Charli xcx's dress was inspired by the Cocotte, a style of dress Westwood first unveiled in her autumn/winter 1995 collection. Featuring a swooping neckline, a waist-cinching corset and draping detail on the hip, the original paid homage to the dresses worn by the 17th-century French author and courtesan Ninon de l'Enclos.
Westwood was one of the first to subvert the historical flat corset. Instead of lacing there are zip fastenings, and while the corset still moulds the body there are stretch panels for comfort. Since then, the brand has launched numerous iterations of the silhouette. Off-the-peg versions start from £3,200. The style is as popular among celebrities as it is with non-famous brides.
In 2005, Dita Von Teese wore a billowing purple version. Hailey Bieber wore a mini take on it for her nuptials, while Demi Lovato chose a longer length and added a cathedral-style veil. In June, the Hot Milk star Vicky Krieps wore a rose-patterned version for her Greek island wedding, while the model Daisy Lowe customised hers with a bustle and side slit.
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Such is its ubiquity that last year Vogue declared it 'the wedding dress of the decade'. Macon describes the silhouette as 'instantly recognisable and beloved, which is why we see it again and again on brides'.
A finale bridal look has been the brand's show signature since the 1990s when the model Sara Stockbridge was an unconventional bride, carrying her baby down the catwalk in a dress depicting Jean-Honoré Fragonard's 1797 painting The Swarm of Cupids.
Bridal is now a core part of the business with a dedicated atelier. In April, Vivienne Westwood staged its first standalone bridal show.
After trying on 120 dresses in her search for her perfect dress, the writer and influencer Katherine Ormerod was surprised to find herself choosing a Cocotte.
'No one wants to be a basic bitch and feel like what they're wearing is ubiquitous, but also after all my years working in fashion, I've seen the distinction between something that is trend-led and 'everywhere' and design which is iconic, timeless and popular for a reason,' she says.
The Cocotte dress is also a hot ticket item on resale and rental platforms. Ormerod says that 'in contrast to a sea of algorithmically fine-tuned brands and designs', it 'feels like a bit of a FU to the lace and full train'.
Six months after her wedding, Ormerod sold hers. 'I can't think of anything sadder than that beautiful dress hanging, Miss Havisham-like, in a dust bag for ever. It wasn't a hard sell: within a fortnight it had found its new bride.'
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