Till Death (in Venice) Do Us Part

An extremely opulent event dressing season is upon us.

Did you hear that Jeff Bezos is getting married in Venice in late June? I wonder what made him pick this wildly crowded tourist destination at the height of summer vacation? Maybe they (he and Ms. Sanchez of course) are feeling dramatic like all of fashion at the moment. There is opulence in the air everywhere from Valentino to Mango and the mood is positively…Venetian.

Medieval trading post inspirations from the Spring 2025 collections. From left: Loro Piana, Valentino, Loewe, Saint Laurent, Toteme, Dries van Noten

I’d imagine most of us will not be at the Sanchez/Bezos affair (unfortunately I WILL be in the floating city at that time, a long story for another day! UGH!) but Venice will still be with us all (in body or spirit) this coming wedding/event season. You can think of today’s theme as: medieval trading route meets bohemian expat meets cabinets of curiosities meets all your summer events.

The beauty of this influence (other than it makes getting dressed up FUN!) is that it can be done easily with some ornate accessories layered with your LBD. You can dive into the world of brocades and silk jacquards. It can be done comfortably in long robe coats and velvet slippers. Or a pair of billowing pants and a Pasticcino!

Today, lots of outfit ideas that make the point. Some simple, some over the top. All inspired by Venice’s rich history.

A sheer damask top and skirt from P. Johnson Femme which I cinched at the waist with a by Malene Birger starfish rope belt Manolo Blahnik Ballerimus and a Hunting Season pouch with tassel closures. Bra is Negative Underwear, but you can always do a camisole too for more coverage.

I started my Venetian research with Fortuny, naturally. The fabric company named after the Fortuny family and more specifically Mariano Fortuny and his wife Henriette Negrin, who made Venice their home and inspiration in the late 1800s. Fortuny (well really, as it was widely know, his wife Henriette) designed clothing and fabrics in decadent silks and brocades, adorned his dresses with tassels and glass beads and patented his pleating technique!

The Fortunys lived a creative and bohemian life that inspired their style - surrounded by rich fabrics and eastern inspirations. Yet their designs were very relaxed. They rejected the rigid Victorian style of dress that came before them. It’s a dream combination really: comfortable…and very very fancy!

I swooned when I saw this silver plisse top and skirt from by Malene Birger, and it kicked off the whole newsletter!!! Attersee diamond tunic, by Malene Birger starfish belt, J.Crew baroque pearls, Mango (yes Mango!!) textured shirt and skirt set, Fortuny bag, Vibi Venezia mary janes and Lie Studio onyx drop earrings

I borrowed this One Of jacket from the most brilliant custom dressmaker on the UES, Patricia Voto. When I told her the theme she excitedly showed me all her actual Fortuny swatches she has been working with lately. Aflalo genie pants. Valentino sandals.

For generations before the Fortunys, Venice was the richest trading center in Europe, connecting Eastern and Western cultures - a perfect clash of currencies (gold and silver!) fabrics - silks! lace! And of course, architecture. A real more is more situation, if you will. And a very fun one to pull from in terms of getting dressed.

A long dramatic tunic seemed in order for this. This one is the new Souer x Louise Roe collab. I am wearing a Tibi slipdress underneath with a bright blue hem which you can see faintly IRL though you can’t see it here. I’m wearing old costume button earrings from Oscar de la Renta. This pair looks great. And lots of vintage Goossens below! Lie Studio collar necklace and a brocade Pastaccino. Black Venetian slippers take it home.

Black acts as an anchor for all the dramatic beading and fringe and lace that this concept demands. I searched for vintage Goossens jewelry which is quite well priced all things considered and paired it with flowing intricate fabrics. From left: Goossens necklace, Hunting Season bag, Doen lace dress (it comes with a slip, fear not), Goossens Y necklace, Zara robe (sold out yesterday, grrr! Some very fab options on Etsy! OOOO and this from ReSee!) and pants, A.Emery strappy sandals, Goossens pearl fringe earrings, Bode dress, Lemaire pouch, Forte Forte skirt, Souer top, Goossens earrings

Italian brand LaDouble J sources many of its beautiful jacquard fabrics from the Lake Como/Venice region. I LOVE this one. I played around with it quite a bit and decided it needed help relaxing so I paired with flat retro looking ballerinas, a damask pouch from One Of and all my antique-y jewelry. A cameo necklace and two cocktail rings.

Cameos and damask and jacquard and lace and hammered gold. All the things!

Same as above, black anchors all of this over the top brocade and adornment. From left: Helmut Lang cascading tank, Ten Thousand Things earrings which I’m not sure how I will go on living without, Dries van Noten silk pants, Hunting Season clutch, Doen sandals, Dries van Noten jacket, Cult Gaia plisse dress, Saint Laurent jacket (WOWZA!), Christopher Esber skirt (you can ignore the bra, or maybe actually, not if you put one of those jackets on top!) Jennifer Behr shell on carnelian. Max Mara shift dress which I think would look cool over the Toteme gathered hem dress next to it. Or just put one of the jackets at left over it!

A vintagxe YSL jacket scored off the RealReal years ago and continues to be an essential player when I want to get gussied up. Some not at all similar…but great green vintage options here and here. And this one isn’t green but gold, and the buttons! J.Crew beaded fringe skirt, which is on crazy sale this weekend. One Of pillow bag and old Prada sandals (Reformation makes a pretty great looking ballroom heel. And these from Ferragamo!)

The same skirt with a black silk shell and my Tuxedo duster from P. Johnson. Drop pearls and a vintage bejeweled Judith Leiber

And after the Fortunys came Peggy Guggenheim, of course. The art patron who was monumental in shaping Venice’s modern art scene and adding an element of celebrity to the city - as she was known to host her famous friends. We love her!

Peggy Guggenheim, everyone’s favorite Venetian

A textured mini dress by Emilia Wickstead topped with a Dries Van Noten coat. Sea shell necklace from last year’s Anchovy newsletter, Silver MJs and a Hunting Season pouch.

Proof that this concept of romantic fantasy dressing works with so many styles of dress. Can’t you just see a little tassel bag and great necklaces with all of these? From left: Brocade from Toteme, deep green fringe from Diotima, a floral caftan from La DoubleJ, dark and moody lace from Rabanne and whimsical floral cutouts from Simone Rocha (consider this slip for underneath which lines it perfectly…I know because I bought it.)

And see, told you our Holiday Things skirt was forever. The SKIRT with a Cos vest and Bode beaded collar. Vintage accessories from Judith Leiber and Prada, both ala TRR and discussed above.

And one last collage of fantastical goodies because there are just so many fun options I couldn’t stop. From left: Isabel Marant jacket, Sophie Buhai pouch, Emme Parsons satin sandal, Chloe pants, Forte Forte robe, Ileana Makri necklace, Tory Burch skirt, Etro bag

And since this is all a bit of fantasy, the biggest fantasy of them all: Valentino. I called this in for the story (editor speak for borrow) and this jacket and skirt are heaven on earth. Given that today is MY BIRTHDAY, I think i’ll wear the jacket to dinner. :) :) :) Jacket and skirt, Valentino. Pillow bag by One Of and shoes, my own Tom Fords. But honestly do the Valentino Lady Crush!

Happy wedding season, everyone. And happy birthday to me! <3

Yours TRULY,

Becky

OK OK one more Valentino just for funzies. <3 Happy weekend everyone!