Sydney Sweeney’s Birthday Dress Was a Custom Recreation of a 2009 Teh Blonds Design Originally Worn by Britney Spears
Sydney Sweeney’s recent galaxy-inspired birthday look wasn’t just a stunning fashion moment – it was a meticulously crafted homage to Britney Spears and a piece of fashion history. The actress’s show-stopping silver dress was a custom replica of a design first unveiled by The Blonds in their Spring/Summer 2009 collection, originally worn by Spears herself.
Stylist Molly Dickson revealed to Vogue the inspiration stemmed from reference pictures Sydney had sent. Research led them to discover one image featured an archival piece from The Blonds’ 2008 collection.”The Blonds said the original dress was currently on hold for a museum project, but they would make a very similar replica,” Dickson shared.
The original dress debuted during a runway show inspired by the 1941 film Ziegfeld Girl, featuring Judy Garland, Hedy Lamarr, and Lana Turner. The collection embraced a futuristic, high-glamour aesthetic, with models showcasing chrome-dusted, sherbet-toned dresses and metallic corsets. sweeney’s replicated look was initially presented on the runway with a model wearing a large white faux fur coat, which was then removed to reveal the silver dress.
According to The Blonds, the dress is constructed from rhodium-plated metal mesh draped over a corset, adorned with over 1000 hand-placed Preciosa crystals forming shooting stars.The custom recreation for Sweeney took six weeks to complete, faithfully mirroring the original’s three-dimensional star appliqués, corseted back, and chainmail-like skirt.
Despite its intricate construction, the dress-weighing over 20lbs-proved surprisingly comfortable for Sweeney. “The construction of the dress was so amazing, and fit her so perfectly that she said it was actually comfortable,” Dickson noted. The look was completed with sparkly star-detailed heels by Rene Caovilla, a departure from Spears’s original styling which included fishnet tights, a black choker, and black platform heels.
[Image of The Blonds’s spring summer 2009 look, on view at SCAD Museum of Fashion. Photo: Courtesy of SCAD]
