{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O1790855"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1790855/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O1790855","accessionNumber":"T.5-2026","objectType":"Mask","titles":[{"title":"Heidi","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"The Vampire’s Wife was founded in 2014 by former model Susie Cave (formerly Bick) and was named after an unfinished novel by her husband, the Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave. The couple worked closely together and each of the garments was given what Susie Cave described as ‘a naming ceremony’ in which Nick Cave would assign a title to the garment. Susie Cave explained that these names ‘give the wearer a whole fantasy’.   The brand, which operated from East Sussex, folded in 2024 but in its decade-long existence Cave’s designs became popular with many high-profile celebrity and royal clients -at 2018 royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for which three high-profile guests wore her designs. The brand’s designs became so ubiquitous at award ceremonies that The Vampire’s Wife was credited with popularising a more demure look on the red carpet. As Susie Cave explained in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, ‘The shape I gravitate towards is a strong silhouette that shows the power and glory of the female form without the need to show a whole lot of flesh.’    \r\n\nCave had a small team working with her locally in Sussex and was committed to working closely with UK and European fabric producers such as Pongees silk, Smedley’s, Stephen Walters, Libertys and Klaubert lace. The brand prided itself on maintaining a high standard of production and finish, resisting commercial pressure to outsource beyond Europe to reduce production costs when demand increased. Cave paid keen attention to detail at every stage of the design and production process. Early designs were created on a pattern block based on her own body shape. Cave has described the three key design features of a dress by The Vampire’s Wife: bust darts, shoulder pads and ‘baby lock’ (where the fabric is edged with a very narrow overlocking stitch to ensure lightness at the edge of the garment). Great attention was paid to the weight and nature of the fabrics to make sure that the outer and lining fabrics did not ‘fight’ with one another. Often, as in the Falconetti dress made of bespoke Pongees silk, the same expensive fabric was used for the outer dress and the lining to avoid this problem and to keep the garment lightweight. Great effort was made to keep the correct length of the signature three-quarter length sleeve just below the elbow when size grading. \r\n\r\nThe Vampire’s Wife was one of the first brands to provide a high-fashion response to the Covid 19 pandemic, creating designer face masks in autumn 2020 after masks had become compulsory in all public spaces in the UK in June 2020. The masks were sold in a variety of named designs with a matching drawstring bag and sold out within seconds. Model Kate Moss was photographed wearing the brightly coloured ‘Heidi’ design. The masks were made from upcycled surplus materials and retailed for £30-35. A percentage of the proceeds from mask sales went to charities supporting healthcare workers, food banks and children’s foundations. The Vampire’s Wife also made evening dresses with matching masks such as the black lace example T.6:1&2-2026.","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Cave, Susie","id":"AUTH412514"},"association":{"text":"Designer","id":"x36960"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[{"name":{"text":"The Vampire's Wife","id":"AUTH404397"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silk","id":"AAT243428"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"","categories":[],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"T&F","id":"THES48601"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"DwnSmallStudio","id":"THES393029"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"mask","id":"x30067"}],[{"text":"mask","id":"x30067"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"United Kingdom","id":"x29336"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"2020","earliest":"2020-01-01","latest":"2020-12-31"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Susie Cave","dimensions":[],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"The Vampire’s Wife was founded in 2014 by former model Susie Cave (formerly Bick) and was named after an unfinished novel by her husband, the Australian singer-songwriter Nick Cave. The couple worked closely together and each of the garments was given what Susie Cave described as ‘a naming ceremony’ in which Nick Cave would assign a title to the garment. Susie Cave explained that these names ‘give the wearer a whole fantasy’.   The brand, which operated from East Sussex, folded in 2024 but in its decade-long existence Cave’s designs became popular with many high-profile celebrity and royal clients -at 2018 royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for which three high-profile guests wore her designs. The brand’s designs became so ubiquitous at award ceremonies that The Vampire’s Wife was credited with popularising a more demure look on the red carpet. As Susie Cave explained in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, ‘The shape I gravitate towards is a strong silhouette that shows the power and glory of the female form without the need to show a whole lot of flesh.’    \r\nCave had a small team working with her locally in Sussex and was committed to working closely with UK and European fabric producers such as Pongees silk, Smedley’s, Stephen Walters, Libertys and Klaubert lace. The brand prided itself on maintaining a high standard of production and finish, resisting commercial pressure to outsource beyond Europe to reduce production costs when demand increased. Cave paid keen attention to detail at every stage of the design and production process. Early designs were created on a pattern block based on her own body shape. Cave has described the three key design features of a dress by The Vampire’s Wife: bust darts, shoulder pads and ‘baby lock’ (where the fabric is edged with a very narrow overlocking stitch to ensure lightness at the edge of the garment). Great attention was paid to the weight and nature of the fabrics to make sure that the outer and lining fabrics did not ‘fight’ with one another. Often, as in the Falconetti dress made of bespoke Pongees silk, the same expensive fabric was used for the outer dress and the lining to avoid this problem and to keep the garment lightweight. Great effort was made to keep the correct length of the signature three-quarter length sleeve just below the elbow when size grading. \r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Printed silk face mask, the Vampire's Wife, 2020","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"Designed by Susie Cave for her label The Vampire's Wife","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["T.5-2026"],"accessionNumberNum":"5","accessionNumberPrefix":"T","accessionYear":2026,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-04-21","recordCreationDate":"2024-11-18","availableToBook":false}}