One of the most powerful points of style is the revenge dress. Do we even have to explain its lore? Princess Diana’s black off-the-shoulder mini dress will forever capture the strength of an impactful, post-break-up outfit. Over time, the revenge dress has shifted beyond just Lady Di's little black dress. For example, Kendall Jenner wore a $27,000 Phoebe Philo coat that exuded expensive divorceé energy. The latest revenge dresser we can’t stop thinking about? Cardi B in an optical illusion dress at her New Year’s Eve performance. Her eye-tricking, skintight gown was custom-made by the brand Syndical Chamber and features an optical illusion of hundreds of grunge-y belts. With her dramatic online split from Offset, it was the perfect time for the singer to give us her version of the statement revenge dress.
Poking fun at her recent split with Offset (and her great outfit), the “Bongos” singer posted an Instagram slideshow of her bold revenge dress with the caption, “What’s love got to do with it?” and a cheeky winky face emoji. The custom dress combines two of the brand’s styles, the Abanico Gown and the Belt Illusion, and features a high neck with sharp cut-outs on the top of the bodice and down the back with the overlapping mismatched belt print throughout. The one-of-a-kind mesh dress had fringe and beaded details that gave the dress an overall edgy feel.
Cardi styled her optical illusion revenge dress with black stiletto strappy heels and gothic diamond cross earrings. For her New Year's Eve glam, she wore her hair parted to one side in voluminous curls and added 90’s skinny brows, green contacts, and bejeweled nails.
Syndical Chamber is based out of Spain and spearheaded by designer Sergio Castano Peña, who describes his designs as “[created] under the values of inclusivity, difference-embracing, and freedom for all" and that "each one of those garments are made for you to be seen.” Other celebrity fans of the brand include Ashley Graham, Bebe Rhexa, and Nathy Peluso. It's always fun to see A-listers stray from the typical couture week gowns and popular styles, and Syndical Chamber's illusion-like styles are certainly worth paying attention, too.
Take a cue from Cardi B: Revenge dressing can be whatever you need it to be. Whether a LBD, fur coat, or mesh surprise, there's no denying a great outfit can be a much-needed confidence booster after a bad breakup.
