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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Chloe Mac Donnell

‘Deeply concerning’: Vampire’s Wife closure shows battle faced by independent British fashion brands

Grace Dent wearing a shiny, dark red version of the Falconetti dress: it has pointed shoulders, a high neckline and ruffles at the elbow. Grace is pictured from the waist up holding one hand high and is photographed on a dark red background, against which the dress glitters.
The Guardian food writer Grace Dent wears the signature Falconetti dress by The Vampire’s Wife, September 2023. Photograph: Martina Lang/The Guardian

By midday last Friday, a large queue had formed in Mayfair, London, as shoppers lined up for one last shot at getting their hands on one of the Vampire’s Wife’s signature and highly coveted Falconetti dresses, once called “the dress of the decade” by Vogue.

Earlier in the week, the London-based brand, founded in 2014 by the former model Susie Cave and whose designs were worn by everyone from Kate, Princess of Wales, to Kate Moss, announced it was shutting down, ending its tenure with a three-day “goodbye sale”.

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