Like a sorcerer, the creative mind behind the luxury designer dress label The Vampire’s Wife has bewitched “it” girls and cool kids the world over. Seen on the red carpet, loved by rock stars, and now captured for all time in a royal portrait, there’s some kind of serious magic going on here. Here’s everything you need to know about the magical power dress of the moment and its creator, Susie Cave and her red-hot label The Vampire’s Wife, the go-to designer for Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
serious moments demand a serious dress
Your mission – should you choose to accept it: find a dress for a work event or special social occasion that doesn’t make you feel overexposed or underdressed. That’s “forgiving” of actual human issues, like upper arms that maybe we don’t feel like putting on display at the moment, thank you very much.
Kelly Ripa in a dress from The Vampire’s Wife. Courtesy Photo.
A dress with a clean line, because these are serious grown-up duties we have to attend to, and we don’t want to be distracted by frippery. But some color would be good. Extra points if it’s a subtly shimmering metallic. Maybe a floral – but not too mumsy.
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This dress – if it exists – should make us feel confident and self-assured. We’re going for an effortless, humble vibe. Like we don’t need the spotlight, but it’s on us anyway. Because we’re just that smart and capable. Because we’re the boss.
A shimmering dress from The Vampire’s Wife. Photo Credit: Harpers Bazaar.
If you’ve found yourself shopping for such a frock, you know how elusive it is. There are dresses that are modest – but boring. Dresses that are sexy – but inappropriate. Sure, a pantsuit is always an option – especially if it’s pink. But why aren’t there serious dresses for serious times?
Dear reader, there are. Let us introduce you to The Vampire’s Wife.
What to know about the dress of the moment and its creator, Susie Cave and The Vampire’s Wife, seen here on Kate Middleton. Courtesy Photo.
Spotted on three chic guests at the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, the brand earned instant “it” status in 2018. As Glamour UK reminds us, at the time it was the new-new thing.
“I don’t know what it is,’ Florence Welch told VOGUE, [speaking about The Vampire’s Wife dresses] “but they make you look like you’re practicing witchcraft in a very romantic cult, which is how I want to look all the time.”
Everything you need to know about the dress of the moment and its creator, Susie Cave and The Vampire’s Wife, often worn by Kate Middleton. Another fan? Florence Welch of Florence and The Machine.
The same dress showed up in varying colors and lengths in photos of cool-girl celebrities and influencers like Sienna Miller, Alexa Chung, and Ruth Negga.
cue the vampire’s wife and its iconic dress
The fabled frocks that are showing up everywhere when there is serious socializing to be done is the work of the founder of the brand The Vampire’s Wife, former model Susie Cave. She’s married to superstar singer and goth-rock icon Nick Cave. The company name comes from a piece he was working on and then abandoned.
The Telegraph of London recently highlighted the ubiquity of The Vampire’s Wife in the social circles of William and Kate. In fact, when the Duke and Duchess recently unveiled their first portrait as a couple (it was done by British artist Jamie Coreth), Kate is wearing an emerald dress by The Vampire’s Wife. She first wore wore the iridescent green frock for a trip to the Guinness factory in Dublin during an official visit to Ireland in 2020.
Image of the first official portrait of Prince William and Kate Middleton, wearing a dress from The Vampire’s Wife. Courtesy Photo.
The article goes on to note that the signature silhouette of The Vampire’s Wife dresses has become “a cult shape this year” in the U.K., with rental brands like ByRotation reporting that requests for it are higher than any other brand.
Chloë Grace Moretz in a dress from The Vampire’s Wife at the GLAAD Media Awards in 2018.
9 favorite dress buys from The Vampire’s Wife
1. The Festival Dress.
The Festival Dress is the O.G. of The Vampire’s Wife dress silhouettes. It’s the iconic look that announces the brand’s presence without saying a word. Its hallmarks? A fitted bodice that skims the body and accentuates the waist; an A-line skirt; a ruffled bottom hem. Plus a high round neckline. And three-quarter length sleeves edged with ruffles. Everything is always in the same color, and the brand almost always employs the same fabric for the entire garment (that’s evolving a bit, as sleeve fabrics are now sometimes more sheer than the rest of the dress.)
BUY NOW: $2,181.
2. The Midnight Garden gown.
The Midnight Garden gown is the sexy cousin of the Festival Dress. Same fitted bodice and ruffled hem, but sleeveless but for some charming spaghetti straps.
BUY NOW: $1,847.
3. The Sky Rocket dress.
Of course, with the return to maximalism in full force in apparel, accessories and home décor, more and more of us want some options when we’re feeling a bit Extra. There’s nothing wrong with ruffles as long as they’re done well, right? And dialing up the sparkle and shine for a big occasion is the whole point, no? Enter The Sky Rocket – the maximalist response to the minimalism of The Festival Dress. Add towering platform sandals and you’re ready to roll.
BUY NOW: $3,089.
4. The Light Sleeper dress.
Sometimes the big occasion for which we need a grown-up (but not stuffy) dress happens in the daytime. Sometimes in the summer, and sometimes outdoors. For those moments, the brand offers The Light Sleeper dress. A lightweight pastel confection that floats on you like a dream, with flutter sleeves and a sweeping hem. We dare you to find someone who wears dresses who would not look good in this.
BUY NOW: $1,106.
5. The Mini Fortune Teller dress.
The mini version of the Fortune Teller dress is one we’d pack on a business trip, given how multi-functional it would be. For day, we love the long sleeves, strongly defined shoulder and femme pussy bow. That’s “waist up” dressing, nailed all day long. For after work cocktails with clients or coworkers, the silk velvet fabric adds a bit of shimmer and texture. The dramatic sleeves and the print, with its “Vampire’s Bouquet of nocturnal blooms, add just the right note of dark glamour.
BUY NOW: $1,724.
6. The Confessional Dress
If you haven’t decided whether you’re in the mood for naughty or nice, The Confessional Dress gives you the option of going either way as the night wears on. Made of dark red velvet, with puff sleeves, a rounded neckline, and buttons on the front bodice, it could read as prim. But the side skirt seams can be unbuttoned pretty high if you start feeling all Angelina Jolie. And the dress is tailored to accentuate the waist. So, you know – you can transmit whatever subliminal messages you like.
BUY NOW: $1,600.
7. The Night Tremors
You know we have this thing for pink and red, right? This full-length Night Tremors dress is everything. Sheer pink tulle, appliquéd with flocked velvet burgundy blooms. The high neckline and fluttery sleeves nod toward the Victorian era. We never tire of dark romance as a look – and this is an outstanding example of why it never gets old.
BUY NOW: $1,600.
8. The Falconetti dress.
The Falconetti is quickly becoming another signature dress for The Vampire’s Wife brand. As is this shade of emerald green, which is by far the hue that gets photographed (and worn) the most by the bold-face names. And yes, Kate Middleton chose an emerald Falconetti dress for her first official portrait with Prince William.
BUY NOW: $
9. The mini Falconetti dress.
The shorter version of this classic silhouette is the Mini Falconetti, and we think we might love it best of all. Especially in gold, which makes us feel like we’d radiate light everywhere we wore it.
BUY NOW: $1,724.
what you should know about The Vampire’s Wife
That’s the rundown: everything you need to know about the dress of the moment and its creator, Susie Cave and The Vampire’s Wife, often worn by Kate Middleton and other women with power and influence. What do you think? Is it time to succumb to the spell?
join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier Newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.
This article contains affiliate links to products independently selected by our editors. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, Dandelion Chandelier receives a commission for qualifying purchases made through these links.
Pamela Thomas-Graham is the Founder & CEO of Dandelion Chandelier. A Detroit native, she has 3 Harvard degrees and has written 3 mystery novels published by Simon & Schuster. After serving as a senior corporate executive, CEO of CNBC and partner at McKinsey, she now serves on the boards of several tech companies. She loves fashion, Paris, New York, books, contemporary art, running, skiing, coffee, Corgis and violets.
