When it comes to choosing a wedding dress, Vivienne Westwood was always a fan favourite because of her unparalleled ability to produce dresses that flattered the body just right.
Although known for her signature safety pin look that represented her punk, Dame Vivienne Westwood was a goddess of wedding gowns. Her designs worked in dual effect – equally inspiring matrimonial bliss and rebellion.
And it is her unique take on the traditional wedding gown that makes her designs so iconic. The deft deft draping and corsetry is the ideal aesthetic that brides seek, and because of this, Westwood has become an icon in wedding fashion.
So, from business women with a soft spot for rom-coms, to women who have had their perfect wedding planned since childhood, Vivienne Westwood has always been able to fashion an individual wedding dress for each of her brides, and has never failed to exceed their expectations. And we have 6 brides here confirming this and sharing why Vivienne Westwood was their only choice when it came to their wedding dress.
Sabina Szymura, Head of PR at Totême
“I wore the Vivienne Westwood Bridal Minerva dress to my wedding at Hauser & Wirth Somerset in August 2021. Previously, I’d owned other ready-to-wear black dresses of hers, and this was the only dress that I considered and tried on. I thought that this particular non-corseted style was so modern, and loved how Vivienne’s signature draping was used to elevate the neckline. Made in the UK from peace silk, it’s a timeless piece that I hope to wear again sometime.”
Grace Soldatos, a Fashion Legacy
“Having worked in fashion my whole life, my wedding looks were of utmost importance to me. I wanted to stay true to myself and I have always loved Vivienne’s corsets, especially those from the ’90s.”
“It was clear after a few hours I wanted a completely custom dress, created to my measurements, and was put in touch with the Vivienne Westwood couture studio in London. My mom also thought it was a great excuse to make frequent trips to London where my best friend Simon happened to live and would be on call for any appointments.”
“Due to my mother’s passing, she was never able to see the sketch come to life, but I’m thankful she got to see the vision and give her nod of approval. When we finally landed on the new date for the wedding, I traveled to London frequently to meet with the Vivienne Westwood team for all my fittings. Simon (best friend) had a wonderful idea of incorporating a lace train into my look for some added drama during the ceremony that could then be easily removed for dinner. The overall result was extremely romantic and one-of-a-kind, and when I finally picked up my dress the week of the wedding, it was bittersweet as I knew I would miss seeing everyone at the Vivienne Westwood studio. The dress is a work of art, and on the wedding day when the whole look came together, I looked in the mirror and felt like the best version of myself.”
Anna Shaffer, Actor
“We had plans for a big wedding that were scuppered by Covid. But, determined to do something nice amongst all the uncertainty, we kept our registry date [in July 2021] to get married at our local town hall in London, with just our families present. I love the idea of marriage: two people drawing a circle around them in the sand and saying, I promise to have your back forever. But weddings can so often be stuffy and archaic, and especially infantilising of the bride. Being a wife with a capital W… eek! How are you meant to know what your wedding dress style is if you only wear a wedding dress on your wedding day?
“So many wedding dresses out there felt twee to me, reminiscent of communions and christenings… either too much going on, or not enough. That’s what I think Vivienne Westwood does so perfectly: she understands women’s bodies, but channels sensuality and sexiness not through fragility and elegance, but structure and power. There is so much romance in the draping of her wedding gowns, but the silhouette is harsh and exacting, exhibiting the woman who wears it. Maybe it was my teenage self clutching my Vivienne Westwood bag, or that Carrie Bradshaw moment, or just the quiet hum of anarchy in me, who loved love, but wanted a white wedding on my terms. But I knew that if it really was just this one dress on this one day, it had to be Vivienne Westwood. Putting on my dress for the first time I felt so unmistakably, unapologetically me. A strapless, off-white, corseted Betty Boop style that just skimmed the floor but I had altered to hit my ankles, it was my armour to march down the aisle in, ready for the next chapter. It was perfect, and me and my 16-year-old self will be forever indebted to queen Viv for that.”
Ellie Robertson, Head of Shoot Production at Net-a-Porter
“Planning a wedding always felt, to me, like a surefire way to lose sight of yourself. The whole industry is rife with ‘shoulds’ and ‘oughts’, built as it is on outdated traditions and expectations. When I started shopping for a dress for my London wedding in September 2021, I couldn’t see myself anywhere. The dresses seemed designed for a very particular type of bride, with a very particular body shape. I wanted a dress that I felt like myself in (granted the very best, most glamorous version), with all the contradictions that make up a real person, rather than a ‘bride’. Don’t tell the priest that married us, but I think it all boils down to yet another outdated paradigm: the Madonna-Whore dichotomy. I wanted to wear white, but without the connotations that came with it. I wanted to feel feminine but punk, sexy but elegant, special but not precious. No one understood that better than Vivienne Westwood.
“The hardest part was choosing which of her designs to wear. I fell in love with the Bagatelle and the Cora Cocotte, before settling on the Oriana from her 2021 collection. The structure of the dress itself was a masterpiece: the ultra-flattering, elongated corset held me (and my rather large bosom) perfectly in place. I felt empowered and the very essence of myself, as ‘should’ every bride.”
Genevieve Morano Campori, Founder of Strange Field Flowers
“There was no other option for me besides Vivienne Westwood. I felt like getting married was quite a scary thing, especially for a woman now – I kind of always thought I’d be a career girl – so I almost needed something a bit strong and punk to carry me through that. In terms of attitude, Vivienne was the toughest.
“I wanted something that was mad and draped, with loads of fabric and a romantic feel. Vivienne was the only person who could really deliver that. Wearing white is a Victorian concept all about virginity – I wasn’t a virgin when I got married, so I thought, ‘why the hell should I be wearing it?’. I went for gold, which suited my skin tonally and squared up to the building I got married in [a 16th-century property outside Florence owned by her husband Giuseppe’s family]. Designers Galena and Marie at Vivienne’s studio helped create a bespoke fabric from duchesse silk lamé and Lurex organza. The dress design featured a draped minidress with a three-metre train that went on top. It also featured a pencil skirt underneath, which I can wear again. The studio fitting process felt just like walking into someone’s living room. Vivienne’s team aren’t snooty fashion people… everyone is so close-knit, and you are allowed to have fun! It never occurred to me to go anywhere else.”
Lorraine Pascale, Model and Cook
“For me, it had to be Vivienne, she was the heart, the soul, the rock and roll of British fashion. I chose this style as I wanted something different… going short did not feel right for a wedding, and going long was a little traditional. So doing a little bit of both [for a 30-person wedding at Chelsea Town Hall in July 2021] was the perfect place for me to settle.”
Vivienne On Film
Not to mention, Vivienne’s dresses have also made a statement in TV. The reboot of the iconic show, ‘Sex In The City’, ‘And Just Like That…’, that aired last year, featured a very popular Sarah Jessica Parker, wearing a very popular Vivienne Westwood gown, ever so uniquely we might add!
The actress was seen on the set of the show in New York wearing the famous dress.
Spotted on the steps of her iconic Greenwich apartment wearing the Vivienne Westwood bridal gown from the first Sex and the City film, this time we see the gown fashioned with teal green gloves and a matching opera coat. Further accessorised with a feather headpiece and net veil, it is a look that only Carrie Bradshaw could get away with!
“The whole Sex and the City franchise left an indelible mark on modern popular culture — and our wardrobes.” – Harper’s Bazaar
And this is a statement we can definitely back! It is this franchise that first introduced expressive and experimental fashion into society and allowed the industry to become more transparency and inclusive. A movement that we can thank Carrie Bradshaw for!
So what we’re sensing is that, the only acceptable way to say ‘I do’ is in Vivienne.
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Until we meet again, Ciao Bella xo