In an announcement, the label said it had ‘sadly made the decision to cease trading with immediate effect.’
On her personal Instagram account, Susie Cave said after ten years as The Creative Director of The Vampire’s Wife, “it is time for me to say goodbye”.
“I say this with great sadness and want to express my undying gratitude to you all for your support,” she wrote.
“I wish to thank my extended family at The Vampire’s Wife who helped me create such beautiful things. I cannot describe how much you have all meant to me.”
Helen Cherry, owner and buyer for Auckland boutique Workshop, a local stockist of The Vampire’s Wife, expressed her sadness at the closure in a post on Instagram.
“I have followed Susie’s career since she was an iconic model in the 90s, so when she launched The Vampires Wife in 2016, I was immediately taken with her feminine yet sexy designs,” Cherry wrote.
“Thank you, Susie, for creating such beautiful signature dresses, not only are they glamorous but transformative and empowering. The fashion world will miss you, as will we.”
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The label, launched in 2016, became known for its distinctive romantic and vintage-inspired designs, feminine shapes with a touch of gothic glamour.
Its fitted long-sleeved dresses in shimmering metallic silks, like its famous Falconetti dress, became a favourite of celebrities.
An emerald-coloured version was famously worn by both The Princess of Wales, Kate Middleton and Princess Beatrice on separate occasions.
Princess Beatrice, who has been photographed in The Vampire’s Wife dresses on numerous occasions, wore the green number to Ellie Goulding and Caspar Jopling’s wedding in 2019, before Kate wore the dress on a trip to Dublin in 2020. Princess Kate was subsequently captured in the dress as she and husband Prince William were painted for their first official portrait as a couple by British artist Jamie Coreth in 2022.
Other celebrities fans of the brand include Kate Moss, Salma Hayek and Sienna Miller, Jennifer Aniston and Rachel Weisz. Singers Florence Welch and Kylie Minogue have performed in the famous designs.
“Most modern clothes felt they were more about the designers themselves and less about the women who want to wear them,” Susie Cave once told Liberty in an interview. “I want people who see a woman wearing one of my dresses to say, “What a beautiful woman”, not “What a beautiful dress.”
She said she loved a “full and womanly” silhouette. “Shamelessly and wondrously. It really is the most beautiful thing!”
The name for the brand was conceived by Susie’s husband, singer Nick Cave.
“It was actually the name of a book he was writing on the role of the muse in songwriting, but he abandoned the book and channeled his energies into a different idea, so the name was kind of lying around,” Susie told Liberty.
“I felt it was a great name for the clothing company, because it was strange and sort of sexy and playful too,” she said. “We felt it was kind of unforgettable.”
