HOLLY WILLOUGHBY’S NEW LOOK IS STRAIGHT FROM PRINCESS DIANA’S ‘REVENGE DRESS’ PLAYBOOK
On the grass green carpet at the premiere of Celebrity Bear Hunt last night in central London, one look stood out amid a sea of sequins and other fussy details. Celebrating the new Netflix reality competition series, which she hosts, Holly Willoughby delivered timeless elegance in a sleek black dress by London-based designer David Koma.
With its form-fitting silhouette and off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline, the piece was reminiscent of Princess Diana’s famous ‘revenge dress’. Memorably daring, Diana wore the fitted, off-the-shoulder black dress by Christina Stambolian to a gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994 – the same night the then-Prince Charles admitted to infidelity on national television.
In contrast to Diana’s statement seven-strand pearl choker (which featured a duck-egg sapphire central stone given to her by the Queen Mother as a wedding present), Willoughby’s accessories were kept minimal. The presenter paired the David Koma dress with black stiletto heels by Gianvito Rossi, along with gold and diamond cuff-style earrings from Heavenly London. Known for its lab-grown stones, the jewellery brand is a celebrity favourite and has been worn by the current Princess of Wales on several occasions.
Credited with adding the concept of “revenge dressing” to the fashion vernacular, Diana’s look has delivered plenty of inspiration for other high-profile women over the years. Diana’s nieces, twins Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer, took a style lead from that moment at last year’s Fashion Awards, wearing matching black gowns and gleaming diamonds.
They are all proof, if it were even needed, that there’s nothing like the elegant power of a little black dress. So beloved that it has earned its own acronym, the “LBD” can be traced back to Coco Chanel in the 1920s, and has held a permanent place in the collective wardrobe ever since it was conceived by the French designer.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, fashion rental platform By Rotation, which is extremely well-stocked with luxury items, counts black as the most-rented colour amongst its customer base. “A black dress will always have a timeless appeal,” says founder Eshita Kabra-Davies. “People are also a bit more experimental with their LBDs, renting everything from embellished pieces from brands like Self-Portrait to feather-adorned dresses from Taller Marmo.”
Form-fitting incarnations like David Koma’s feel particularly empowering. Despite having never actively courted celebrity clients, the designer has dressed a roll-call of formidable women, including Beyoncé, Adele, Jennifer Lopez, Lady Gaga and Rihanna, a testament to his statement-making appeal. Many of the designer’s best pieces are iterations of the classic black dress. One worn by Emma Thynn, Marchioness of Bath, featured a dramatic feather trim and was paired with sheer opera gloves.
Nor must they always be cut close to the body: look to RIXO for bias-cut styles which flatter without clinging. “There’s something so effortless about having a few go-to black dresses that can be styled for any occasion, season after season,” says Henrietta Rix, RIXO’s co-founder and CEO. “LBDs have always been a staple in our collections and we love seeing how our customers make them their own, proving that classic never has to mean boring.”
2025-02-06T08:05:34Z