Lilli Diamond is a classic vintage label to know—and Ariana Grande and her stylist Law Roach are tapped in.
Popular through the ’50s, the stylish, feminine, and luxurious designs of Lilli Diamond delight in signature embellishments, fitted bodices, and hoop style skirts. Stepping out in Paris for the Wicked: For Good premiere, Grande wore a Lilli Diamond dress and coat ensemble sourced by the celebrity open secret vintage haven Timeless Vixen, who specialize in such era-defining couture.
Timeless Vixen is the source for breathtaking vintage moments, like Winona Ryder’s Yohji Yamamoto set at the Stranger Things fifth season premiere, and two Kylie Jenner looks: a sheer and lacy 1998 Hanae Mori couture gown for the 2024 Golden Globes, and a 1998 Azzedine Alaia black knit halter gown, which she wore to the Santa Barbara International Film Festival to support Timothée Chalamet.
“I started collecting over 25 years ago, and have accumulated one of the best 1950s collections,” says founder Lauren Lepire. “I’ve had this particular set in my archive for about a decade, waiting for the perfect opportunity to put her in the spotlight.” That moment arrived with Grande.
The ’50s dress is black and fitted, with spaghetti straps, a close-fit bodice, and arpeggiated a-line skirt, a hot pink satin lining, and row of blooming pink flowers across the bust. The matching black and pink coat added to the ultra-feminine, whimsical look. Grande wore her now-ashy brunette hair in an elegant braided bun with wispy side pieces, with a slick of eyeliner and black mascara, her glam finished by a glossy, rose pink lip. This is it: method dressing is so back.
Thursday night saw Wicked: One Wonderful Night air: a celebration of Wicked and the forthcoming Wicked: For Good. As well as stunning program of performances from Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Kristen Chenoweth, Jeff Goldblum, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Marissa Bode, it was also high-fashion affair—particularly, for vintage.
Grande, for one, wore a strapless, champagne colored Bob Mackie gown from the designer’s fall 1997 collection. The dress featured a sculpted bodice with a glittery sweetheart neckline, a bubbled waist, and swishy a-line tulle skirt. Roach sourced the Glinda-approved dress from Tab Vintage, which Fran Drescher originally wore the dress in the 1997 rom com The Beautician and the Beast. While Drescher paired it with a good witch-worthy tiara and opera gloves, Grande wore her hair in a ballerina bun and a Swarovski diamond choker—plus, a sparkling harness when she was launched into the air.
Another ethereal archive look saw the actor and pop star don a silver cocktail dress from the fall 2005 “The Man Who Knew Too Much” collection from Alexander McQueen, as well as a sleek Christian Dior couture Ligne Profilee cocktail dress from the fall winter 1952 collection with bows on the hips. To duet with Erivo, Grande had a striking LBD moment in a ’40s-era Gilbert Adrian black crepe gown with a caped back. This was a particularly special moment: Adrian was the MGM costume designer behind the classic 1939 movie, The Wizard of Oz.
But Grande’s penchant for special, IYKYK vintage pulls goes way back: a butter yellow beaded, petal-skirted Givenchy haute couture gown from 1966 for The Golden Globes, Saint Laurent-era Dior, a stint on SNL in hot pink ’80s Mugler. When she’s not in the archives, she’s tapping Glinda-pink designs by Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood, Marni, and Robert Wun.
With Wicked: For Good set for release on November 21 and a litany of global premieres and press events ahead, expect more special vintage finds from Ariana Grande and Law Roach to come.
