Sofia Richie’s Wedding Was a Chanel Festival
The Met Gala may still be a week away, but Sofia Richie unofficially kicked off the Chanel takeover of popular culture over the weekend. The 24-year-old married music executive Elliot Grainge in a star-studded, yet classic ceremony at the Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc in Antibes, France, wearing no less than four Chanel looks throughout the weekend, two alone on the big day in question.
Over the past few days, photos from Richie’s southern France nuptials took over the Internet, as the daughter of Lionel Richie began showing off her multiple looks for the various wedding-adjacent events. It soon became clear, especially to those who hadn’t checked in on Sofia since she broke up with Scott Disick in 2020, that she’d since matured, as had her style. The entire weekend was a master class in stealth wealth, as Richie repeatedly stepped out in one subtle, classic ensemble after the next. “I just want it to feel timeless: I don’t want to look back in like 20 years and be like, ‘She’s a glamazon,’” the model and influencer told Vogue. Soon, Twitter was waiting patiently for every one of Richie’s matrimonial looks to drop and, thanks in part to her stylist, Liat Baruch, she never disappointed.
But the festivities weren’t solely a Chanel affair, and the weekend began in Khaite, specifically a light brown, ribbed dress with a fringe skirt. Richie did manage to still represent the brand of the hour, however, with a beech wood Chanel bag. Next up, the bride donned her first all-white look for the weekend: a linen skirt and vest from Australian brand Posse. Once again, Richie paired the ensemble with a Chanel bag.
The looks did not cease as the weekend continued. A Proenza Schouler dress with a black column skirt and chevron-style halter top made way for a baby blue Khaite turtleneck maxi dress. Then came the bride’s first full Chanel look of the weekend, an off-white dress from the brand’s spring/summer 2021 show with contrasting black details and a bow in the front. Richie wore the piece for a day by the water, pairing it with that same beech wood bag. That was followed by her last look before the big three, another Proenza creation in the form of a white sleeveless top she wore as a dress. Once again, Richie accessorized the look with Chanel pieces, taking advantage of its simplicity and opting for a colorful mini bag and pink sequin slingbacks.
But that was just the beginning, and on Friday night, it was time for the rehearsal dinner, and the first of three custom Chanel looks. Richie attended the event in a long-sleeved dress with a high neck, completely covered in beads. “I really wanted to bring a sparkly elegant perspective with this dress [for the rehearsal dinner],” she told Vogue at her final fitting with Chanel, admitting that she was “scared to move” for the chance of ruining a bead. “This is like a fairy tale. It really is. It’s like an art piece. I feel like a princess, I really do!”
“I was extremely intimidated coming into these fittings just because Chanel is such a big house,” Richie said. “But they were so open to hearing my thoughts and suggestions, and they were so lovely to work with, and I adore everyone that I got to know along the process. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
The design for the main event gown originally came from Chanel’s fall 2023 collection, which featured a dress with the same criss-cross neckline. “We created the top of that dress and made it bridal-y,” Richie said. The result was a lace-covered, sleeveless gown with a cutout in the back, completely covered with iridescent white sequins and beads. “It is such magic,” the bride added. “I honestly think Elliot is going to love it. He is my biggest cheerleader when it comes to anything I wear. If he doesn’t cry, I’ll be very sad.”
There are a few hidden moments in the piece as well, not obvious to the naked eye. “S&E,” along with the date of the wedding, was sewn into the fabric as the bride’s “something blue.” There are also two hidden hearts on the dress, one on the bodice, and one farther down. According to Vogue, the hearts face each other, a subtle symbol of the couple’s connection. “[It’s] because I’m marrying Elliot, I know that sounds cheesy—but he is the man of my dreams,” Richie said.
Finally, the extreme elegance of the wedding dress was followed by something a bit more fun and flirty, as well as inherently Chanel. After saying “I do,” Richie changed into her last of the three custom dresses, a structured minidress with the brand’s signature camellia on the front, modeled after the dress Claudia Schiffer wore as the Chanel bride at the brand’s fall/winter 1993 haute couture show. “This, to me, is like my little girl dream,” Richie said. “And the fact that it is inspired [by] Claudia Schiffer’s runway dress is iconic and dope.”
Richie explained that her after-party was inspired by a nightclub, so she wanted something she could really celebrate in. “I can dance, [and] I can move,” she said. “I will be eating pizza and fries in this dress,” she says. “Pray for this dress. It will be my life’s mission to make sure nothing happens to it.”
It’s unclear, not only if Richie was triumphant in her quest to keep the dress clean, but what she is up to now that she has walked down the aisle. Traditionally, one would think she would be off on her honeymoon, but the parade of Chanel suggests she could don one more look next Monday at the Met Gala. If this past weekend is any indication as to what we should come to expect from Richie, we’re in for quite a treat if she does, in fact, make an appearance on the Met steps.
Shop Sofia’s pre-wedding looks:
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