Lauren Sánchez's wedding gown won't be understated. But who will design it?
Those for whom the hourly news cycle is enraging and overwhelming – all of us – will at least find some sort of distraction in the forthcoming nuptials of the world's richest man and the cat who got the cream. While the world goes to hell in a handcart, Lauren Sánchez is marrying Amazon founder Jeff Bezos in a three-day extravaganza rumoured to be costing upwards of £7 million.
Set to take place in Venice between June 24 and 26 (we're guessing the couple aren't Glastonbury fans, then), the wedding itself is expected to occur in an open-air theatre before guests move onto Bezos's £370 million mega-yacht, Koru. Alas, said vessel will be unable to glide 'grammably under the Bridge of Sighs due to its almighty heft, but even Bezos can't buy everything. Although he can buy suites. Guests will be put up at one of five hotels including the Aman Venice and the Gritti Palace, generating an accommodation bill in the region of $500,000. After the space trip backlash, the lovebirds are said to want to be 'less Marie Antoinette', resulting in an 'intimate' guest list of under 200 people.
But oh, what people they are. Donald Trump will be there, apparently, for why wouldn't the president of the United States jet off to Venice simply because the world is at war? Also in attendance: Kim Kardashian, Kris 'babyface' Jenner, Leonardo DiCaprio (Kris had better watch out), Eva Longoria and everyone's favourite ground-kissing pop chanteuse, Katy Perry.
While rumours abound about the entertainment – Elton John and Lady Gaga have allegedly been ruled out – no detail is more keenly anticipated than that of the dress. Pronuptia, it won't be. Low-cut, figure-hugging and fiendishly expensive is more likely to be the vibe. Sánchez doesn't do understated. This is a woman who rocked up at the president's inauguration ceremony in a white trouser suit unbuttoned to reveal a white bra.
It's hard to capture the essence of Sánchez's unique sense of style using words alone. So I asked Chat GPT. 'Lauren Sánchez's style is a confident mix of high-glam, sultry elegance and bold personal expression,' it quoth. So there you have it.
As for which feted designer the journalist, entrepreneur and astronaut will choose, there's no shortage of runners. When money is no object, it all comes down to personal taste. Thankfully, Sánchez has no shortage of female friends from whom to take advice. 'Forever starts with friendship, surrounded by the women who've lifted me up, illuminated my path in dark times, and shaped my heart along the way,' she recently posted on Instagram to her 926,000 followers. But don't expect American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour to be involved. She's been too busy tending to the needs of her friend Huma Abedin, who married Alex Soros in the Hamptons last weekend.
Here are some contenders. Maybe she'll wear all of them. You wouldn't bet against it.
The favourite: Dolce & Gabbana
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If multiple sources are to be believed, all bets are off. 'The wedding gown is being made by a designer who has a longtime relationship with Lauren,' one perfectly placed source recently revealed to Page Six. Since Sánchez has often worn designs by the Italian label Dolce & Gabbana, it's certainly tempting to put two and two together, and make five. But let's do the math, as Bezos would say. At the risk of seeming pedantic – a prerequisite when sleuthing – this 'source' said 'a designer': there are two designers helming D&G. Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana have dressed a wide variety of brides, including Kourtney Kardashian and Lady Kitty Spencer, whose 2021 Rome wedding saw her wearing a Victorian-inspired lace gown that showcased the duo's traditional, understated leanings. We doubt that will be the brief for Venice.
The classic: Oscar de la Renta
When you've spent 11 minutes of your life being hurtled into space, no-one would forgive you for eschewing thrills and embracing the predictable. Which is why it's highly feasible that Sánchez might plump for Oscar de la Renta on her big day. Helmed by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, the storied New York-based label is one of Sánchez's most frequent choices for high profile events: she wore a 'shattered glass' gown to the 2024 Met Gala, as well as a floral crop top and matching skirt to lunch at her bachelorette weekend in Paris. De la Renta has always been synonymous with classic, upscale American chic, dressing first ladies and socialites alike, including Jacqueline Onassis, Nancy Reagan and Princess Diana. That he's dressed brides Amal Clooney and Lizzy Schaffer, daughter-in-law of Anna Wintour, signals his impeccable credentials.
The outsider: Sarah Burton for Givenchy Couture
She may be a journalist by trade, but in her own mind it seems, Sánchez is a princess. Now that she's marrying into tech royalty, it's not entirely improbable that she would choose Sarah Burton to create her gown. As creative director of Alexander McQueen, Burton designed one of the most famous wedding dresses of the 21st century, given that an estimated 162 million people watched Kate Middleton marry Prince William in Westminster Abbey in 2011. With Burton newly installed as creative director of Givenchy, and still to reveal her first couture collection for the house, Sánchez might relish the 'scoop' of wearing a Givenchy Couture wedding gown, although Abedin was the first bride to be awarded that privilege last weekend, courtesy of Wintour.
The stayer: Vera Wang
For some A-listers, there is only one choice: Vera Wang, the former figure-skater and Vogue staffer who has been making brides look beautiful since 1990. Arguably the most famous luxury designer in the bridal market (she's frequently referenced in Sex and the City), Wang, 75, has created wedding gowns for Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, Hailey Bieber, Mariah Carey, Ivanka Trump and Ariana Grande, to name a few. While she can't guarantee their marriages will last, she can certainly guarantee her brides will be as chic as their own personal taste will allow.
The longshot: Galia Lahav
Her wardrobe might be groaning with high-end household names such as Dolce, Valentino and de la Renta, but Sánchez also likes to flex her fashion muscles by occasionally wearing lesser-known names. For her Paris bachelorette, her first look, a plunging white corset top and skirt with lace-up sides (note to bride: you have already pulled the world's richest man – you can afford to dial it down a notch) was by the Romanian brand Murmur, who no doubt appreciated the publicity.
While Murmur doesn't do a bridal range, another Sánchez favourite, Galia Lahav, does. She may not be a household name, but Lahav more than 30 years of experience. Born into a family of Russian seamstresses, her gowns are renowned for their delicate embroidery and fine beading, and are sold in the UK via Browns Bride. Will Sánchez surprise everyone by following in the footsteps of Beyoncé, Paris Hilton and Simone Biles by choosing Lahav? It's all to play for.
The non-runner: Jonathan Anderson for Dior
He was only appointed as creative director of Dior menswear in April, and had a mere two months to design his inaugural collection (due to be unveiled in Paris on June 27). Having also recently been announced as Dior's first sole creative director since its namesake, it's fair to say that Jonathan Anderson has his work cut out. Even though Sánchez frequently wears Dior, on this basis alone, there is surely no way that he could add another task to his already busy diary. Given that the industry is already fretting about 'burnout' on account of Anderson's onerous 18 collections a year, we're ruling him out.
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