It was born from a grieving mother’s need to throw herself into work after a terrible tragedy, before quickly becoming the go-to dress for models, it girls and society beauties.
Rock stars Florence Welch, Kate Moss and Alexa Chung became the unofficial faces of the up-and-coming brand, often seen in The Vampire’s Wife dresses in iridescent fabrics, flowing skirts and ruffled sleeves.
But after becoming the label of choice for royals like Princess Beatrice and Kate Middleton – and numerous knock-off dresses have also been produced – it seems the designer’s rising popularity may have caused his downfall.
The British fashion brand was founded by Susie, the model wife of rock star Nick Cave, and has received a winding-up petition from HMRC, meaning the label’s future is uncertain.
Success grew out of personal tragedy when the couple’s 15-year-old son, Arthur, died in July 2015. He was found with fatal injuries at the foot of the Ovingdean Gap – a 60ft cliff near their family home in Brighton.
British rock star Florence Welch (pictured in one of the dresses in 2016) was one of the main faces behind “The Vampire’s Wife” when it first appeared
Supermodel Kate Moss (pictured in 2016’s The Vampire’s Wife dress) was also an early fan of the brand and often wore Susie Cave’s designs before it became more popular
Designer Susie Cave pictured with her rock star husband Nick Cave and their son Arthur (pictured 2012) – who died in 2015 aged just 15
But the brand quickly became popular with royals and other A-list circles. The Princess of Wales chose a dress from The Vampire’s Wife during a visit to Belize on her Caribbean royal tour in 2022.
Princess Beatrice, 34, stepped out with her husband Edo Mapelli Mozzi in Mayfair just last week while wearing ‘The Vampire’s Wife’
Arthur had taken the hallucinogenic drug LSD with a friend for the first time that day, an inquest later revealed, and the couple were separated.
The teenager then became “completely disoriented” and couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t. He sent messages to friends asking, ‘Where am I? Where am I?’
Frightened motorists had watched in horror as he stumbled along the edge of the cliff just minutes before he died, before climbing over a security fence and toppling over.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, but doctors were unable to save him after he suffered cerebral hemorrhage and catastrophic skull fractures.
The loss of her son left Susie utterly bereft. In 2018, she told the Mail, “I struggle with certain things that have happened in my life and I can be in a pretty dark place at times.”
“I lose myself when designing.” Time flies by. Actually, it’s an absolute gift, because the worst happened to me. I put all the positive energy I can into making clothes.”
The family was in “syrup of sorrow” (to use Nick’s eloquent expression) and unable to comprehend the magnitude of the loss. “He was a smart, bright, funny, complex boy and we loved him very much,” they said at the time.
Created in 2014 by Susie Cave, The Vampire’s Wife takes its name from an unfinished novel by Susie’s husband Nick Cave (the couple pictured in 2023).
After Arthur’s death, many high-profile clients received orders: model Alexa Chung; actress Elizabeth Moss; Singer Florence Welch
With more A-listers boarding the luxury brand, including Hilary Duff (pictured), she’s developed a cult following
Pictured: Rachel Weisz wears a metallic black dress at the 71st BAFTA Awards 2018
Susie had founded The Vampire’s Wife twelve months earlier with her boyfriend Alex Adamson and was busy building a client base.
Understandably, it fell by the wayside after her son’s death. “I was in bed the week after Arthur died,” she explains. “I said, ‘Nick, I can’t do this. The Vampire’s Wife is over. It’s all over.” ‘
Unable to work, leave the house or meet anyone, Susie withdrew. Photos from Arthur’s examination show her hiding her face behind a curtain of raven hair and clutching at Nick for support, shoulders shaking.
And then, three months later, a call came. “I got a call from Daisy Lowe – Pearl Lowe’s model daughter and a family friend – saying she needed a dress for an awards show and would I make one for her?
“So I dragged myself to the office to find the red fabric.” And she wore it. And I’ve seen it photographed. That was something of a breakthrough. From then on I went to work every day.
“Because I had something to do that was physically demanding, I couldn’t think of anything else for a while.”
Back then, orders were pouring in from high-profile clients: model Alexa Chung; actress Elizabeth Moss; Singer Florence Welch.
Sandra Oh wears an outfit designed by The Vampire’s Wife during the 19th Annual Unforgettable Gala Asian American Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2021
The styles – from £970 velvet dresses to £1,595 glittery party dresses – sold out. Gradually, Susie sewed herself together again.
“When Arthur died, I didn’t think I could go on,” she said. “When you lose a child, nothing can ease the pain, ever. But I realized that if I could focus on something outside of what’s happening, if I could somehow disconnect from everything, even if just for a few seconds, and start in those moments of escapism, it could be an important thing could create things .’
Born Susie Hardie-Bick to an academic father, she grew up between Africa and Cheshire.
Her grandmother taught her how to use a sewing machine, a skill she put to good use at boarding school in the ’70s, where she turned her friends’ flared jeans into skinny jeans.
At 14, she ran away from school and flew to New York, where she caught the attention of fashion photographer Steven Meisel.
She was a full-time model at 16 and became the muse of celebrity photographer David Bailey on her return to England the following year.
She was introduced to Nick, the Australian-born frontman of rock band Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, by mutual friend Bella Freud, who made sure their paths crossed at a party at the Natural History Museum in London.
“He found me under the T-Rex,” Susie recalled.
Singer Katie Melua wears a gold “The Vampire’s Wife” dress at the Golden Camera awards ceremony in Berlin in 2019
Actress Caitriona Balfe wearing The Vampire’s Wife attending the 22nd British Independent Film Awards 2019, held at Old Billingsgate in central London
Socialite Tamara Beckwith wears the same £1,595 dress from The Vampire’s Wife that the Princess of Wales wore to the aforementioned reception at the Guinness Factory in Ireland
They were married in a registry office in Richmond, south west London, followed by a blessing in a chapel in Surrey in 1999.
As her husband’s career flourished, Susie was invited to high-end parties – “I started designing clothes for myself because I couldn’t find anything I wanted to wear.”
The result was The Vampire’s Wife – named after an unfinished novel by Nick – founded in 2014 in a small studio in Brighton with clothes made in Poland.
“Grief is everywhere,” she said recently. “But you have to learn to live again and try not to be a victim.” “Besides my family, my work saved me.”
But after big names like Princess Kate, Hilary Duff and Rachel Weisz have shone in the designer’s dresses, the company is now facing liquidation after the petition was served. A hearing will be held in the Royal Courts of Justice this month.
According to Drapers, the petition relates to debt the brand has racked up during the pandemic and follows a late tax payment earlier this year.
The Vampire’s Wife expects sales to reach £6.6m in 2023, up 38 per cent from 2021 when the company posted a loss of £2.1m. The brand confirmed that the court hearing was scheduled for July 12.
The designer claimed HMRC rejected their application for a time-to-pay arrangement to pay back tax debts slowly in monthly installments.
A statement from the brand confirmed that it was looking for a “solution acceptable to all parties” and would continue trading for the time being.
Dubbed Vampire’s House, the collection ranges from a £135 silk pouch to a £595 jewelery box.
Three guests wore clothes from Vampire’s Wife to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding in 2018, and the label is often spotted at red carpet events.
The Princess of Wales first appeared in ‘The Vampire’s Wife’ in 2021 when she donned a £1,595 emerald green dress as she accompanied Prince William to an evening reception at the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.
The ensemble closely resembled the same designer’s green dress that Princess Beatrice wore to Ellie Goulding’s wedding last fall.
Mother-of-one Beatrice wore The Veneration tiered silk-blend lamé dress by The Vampire’s Wife to the singer’s wedding at York Minster Cathedral for £1,695.
Princess Kate, 41, also opted for a metallic pink dress from the brand during her 2021 royal tour of the Caribbean with the Prince of Wales as part of a reception hosted by the governor of Belize.
As more and more celebrities wore the brand’s dresses, including Rachel Weisz, Hilary Duff and Meena Harris, niece of US Vice President Kamala Harris, a cult following developed among celebrities.
Celebrity stylist Rochelle White previously told FEMAIL that the emerald green dress was the cornerstone of The Vampire’s Wife’s popularity.
She explained, “I think the dress is popular with celebrities because it’s easy to wear but has maximum impact.”
“It has a disruptive look and a high quality design.”
She went on to say that many have embraced the dress for its versatility: “It’s suitable for many occasions and everyday wear and can be worn in different seasons.”
Meanwhile, the stylist explained that styling can change the formality of the dress: “Depending on the style, color and texture, it could be seen as understated, outrageous, seductive and eye-catching, with each dress making a unique statement.”
“Because of its design, it has a universal appeal that’s classic, on-trend, and chic.”
In a statement, The Vampire’s Wife said, “With a court hearing scheduled for July 12, 2023, we are working with the Company’s secured lender to seek a resolution satisfactory to all parties.”
“The Vampire’s Wife will continue to do business and remain open at this time. We thank our friends and customers for their support.”
The company said the petition was received “without prior warning” and that HMRC had turned down requests to agree a payment plan to pay off the outstanding debt.
An HMRC spokesman said: “We take a supportive approach to dealing with clients who have tax debts and will only seek winding-up after we have exhausted all other avenues to protect taxpayers’ money.”