Ariana Grande Wears Custom Vera Wang to Brother’s Wedding
When Frankie Grande married Hale Leon in May 2022, his sister Ariana Grande turned to the designer who had made her own wedding dress a year earlier. Her custom Vera Wang look, however, was nothing like a classic wedding-guest gown: it was a sculpted two-piece in black lamé.
The wedding
Frankie Grande and Hale Leon married on 4 May 2022, Star Wars Day, in a Star Wars-themed ceremony at the Grande family home in Florida. It was an intimate event for close family, officiated by Frankie’s mother, Joan Grande, and both grooms wore custom Dolce & Gabbana tuxedos. Ariana attended with her husband, Dalton Gomez.
The Vera Wang look
Ariana’s outfit was custom Vera Wang, styled by her longtime stylist Mimi Cuttrell. It had three parts:
- a structured bra top in black lamé, sculpted with a cutout at the centre;
- a long, high-waisted black lamé skirt with a high slit;
- a matching black lamé mini skirt worn underneath, visible through the slit.
She finished it with a black silk bow in her hair and bronzed, winged-liner make-up with a glossy lip created with products from her own brand, R.E.M. Beauty.
Why Vera Wang
The choice of designer was personal. Ariana wore Vera Wang when she married Dalton Gomez in May 2021, so returning to the house for her brother’s wedding made a quiet link between the two family celebrations. After the wedding, Vera Wang shared images of the look on Instagram.
It also fits Vera Wang’s own history. Although the name is synonymous with bridal gowns, Wang has long shown a love of black, and her bridal and evening work has often played with corsetry, exposed structure and layered skirts. Ariana’s look drew on those same ideas rather than on the white, romantic side of the brand.
Black at a wedding: why it worked
Black was once considered off-limits for wedding guests, but for evening and formal celebrations it is now widely accepted, and it has a clear practical advantage: it cannot be mistaken for anything the couple is wearing. Next to the grooms’ formal Dolce & Gabbana tuxedos, Ariana’s look sat comfortably within the tone of the day.
What made the outfit feel like occasion wear rather than stage wear was the fabric and the proportions. Lamé, a fabric woven with metallic threads, catches the light and reads as dressed up even in black. The long skirt kept the silhouette formal, while the bra top and mini underlayer gave it the playful edge that runs through Ariana’s style. The outfit divided some fans online, but it was a deliberate, coherent look.
Taking the idea to your own wardrobe
A two-piece is one of the more versatile ways to dress for a formal event, and the principles behind this look translate easily:
- Choose one fabric throughout. Matching the top and skirt in the same material makes separates look like a single outfit.
- Balance exposure with length. A cropped or bra-style top reads as formal when paired with a floor-length or midi skirt.
- Let the fabric supply the shine. With lamé, satin or metallic jacquard, jewellery can stay minimal.
- Check the dress code first. A bold two-piece suits an evening or fashion-forward celebration; for a daytime or religious ceremony, a covered top or jacket is the safer choice.