Vittoria Ceretti, 27, made headlines after stepping out in a pale blue Dolce & Gabbana gown from the brand's autumn/winter 2004 collection. The Italian supermodel wore the archival piece to a post-wedding event in Venice for Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his new wife, Lauren Sánchez Bezos.
The striking dress had its first red-carpet moment in 2003, when Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen, then Leonardo DiCaprio's girlfriend, wore it to the Met Gala. Now, more than two decades later, it is back in the spotlight on another of the actor's partners.
Archive Over Haute Couture
Wearing rare archival fashion has become a prestige move among A-list celebrities, signalling fashion fluency and exclusivity. Unlike vintage pieces, typically over 20 years old, archive garments often refer to limited-edition catwalk pieces considered wearable art.
'Something scarce from fashion history is a different kind of bragging right,' said Gill Linton, CEO of Byronesque, a platform dedicated to archival fashion. 'The clothes are celebrities in their own right, to make people seem more authentic than they actually are.'
Ceretti, who later shared images of torn seams from the delicate gown on Instagram, appeared unfazed by its fragility. The moment reinforced her image as a modern tastemaker rather than just a plus-one.
Celebrities Compete in the Archive Game
Ceretti was not alone in choosing a piece with history. Kendall and Kylie Jenner both wore archival Roberto Cavalli to the pre-wedding events, while Sánchez wore a 2003 Alexander McQueen dress for a pre-ceremony dinner.
Other stars have embraced similar choices:
- Naomi Campbell re-wore a Chanel couture gown she modelled in 1996 at Cannes last year.
- Jennifer Lawrence donned a Givenchy lace dress previously worn by Kate Moss on the catwalk in 1996.
- Sabrina Carpenter stunned in a Bob Mackie dress once worn by Madonna at the 1991 Oscars.
The Risks of Rewearing History
While archival fashion offers prestige, it also brings risk. In 2022, Kim Kardashian was criticised for wearing Marilyn Monroe's £4 million Bob Mackie gown to the Met Gala, raising concerns over potential damage to historic garments.
Ceretti's torn dress may highlight the limits of bringing fragile fashion out of storage and onto modern red carpets. However, her choice underscores a growing trend: authenticity and fashion heritage now hold more weight than simply wearing the newest designs.
A Style Statement with Purpose
For Ceretti, who was later seen in Venice wearing a 1990s Betsey Johnson dress, the commitment to archive fashion appears intentional. With stylists curating these looks to support personal branding, wearing fashion with a backstory is not just about glamour; it is a strategic statement.
