Dua Lipa’s ‘Potion’ Music Video Is a Fashion Archivist’s Dreamscape
For months, It girls of all shapes and sizes have been proving that archival and vintage looks are the way of the future. Bella Hadid just attended the Cannes Film Festival in a group of dresses that were all at least 20 years old while Maisie Williams just pulled from Junya Watanabe’s archives for the perfect dress for her recent Pistol premiere. Vintage pieces can say a lot about the wearer, it proves they have access to these designers’ archives, or know someone who does, but it also shows an appreciation of fashion history, and a recognition of the circular nature of trends. Pop It girl Dua Lipa has made it very clear over the past few months that she’s game for a vintage look every once in a while (though she also loves shopping from the current shows). So, it was no surprise when the singer showed up in her most recent video in four vintage looks, creating the ultimate showcase with her stylist Lorenzo Posocco of what archival fashion has to offer.
Lipa is first seen in the “Potion” video, trapped in an upside down car on a sand dune. The pop star sings from inside the vehicle, showing off the first look from the three and a half minute video, a Christian Dior by John Galliano mini dress, courtesy of Tab Vintage. The floral pattern and uneven hem of the dress fits well into the castaway nature of the scene as Lipa rolls around in the sand on the neon-hued island.
There’s only a moment to take in the Dior before we’re on to the next look, which Lipa shows off while strutting down a long hallway. This ensemble was obtained through Christelle McCracken of My Runway Archive, and it’s made up of a Roberto Cavalli spring/summer 2003 pheasant print shirt tied up to show off the singer’s abs, a Cavalli spring/summer 2002 asymmetric skirt with a lion printed on the front, and a pair of Dior fall/winter 2000 knee-high boots.
The archive looks continued during the video’s dance sequence, which found Lipa in another look from My Runway Archive. Continuing with the early aughts theme, the singer wore a silver slip dress with an asymmetric hem and a crystal-embellished design on the front from Cavalli spring/summer 2000. She paired the dress with some more Dior boots, a monogrammed calf-high pair that were worn by Beyoncé in the “Jumpin’ Jumpin’” music video. McCracken also provided vintage Cavalli and Valentino dresses for Lipa’s background dancers to wear in the sequence in order to really complete the Y2K fantasy.
And that brings us to the final vintage look from the video, because you know they had to get some of Tom Ford’s Gucci in there. The song ends with a shot of Lipa leaning on her collaborator, Calvin Harris, wearing a blue snakeskin spring/summer 2000 dress, with a keyhole detail in the front, also obtained through Tab Vintage. This piece has a bit of celebrity history behind it as well, as Gwyneth Paltrow wore a longer version to the Met Gala back in 1999.
While many pop stars would have normally commissioned four new looks for a video like this, Lipa’s decision to go vintage is notable from an environmental point of view as well. Of course, Lipa does commission looks for other projects, like her tour, but for a star like her, who wears a new outfit every single day, it’s nice to think she recognizes the impact of that and does take opportunities to avoid adding to the already very wasteful fashion industry, while also providing a fun trip down fashion’s recent memory lane.
