In the height of lockdown—when tropical holidays were mere fantasy, and getting ‘dressed up’ for anything felt like a relic from a former life—a dress went unexpectedly viral. First Rosie-Huntington-Whiteley wore it, then Hailey Bieber, then Candice Swanepoel, and then a whole slew of Instagram It-girls and celebrities. That dress—a knitted style with side cut-outs by the culty Instagram label Cult Gaia, known as the ‘Serita’—was dubbed the ‘dress of the summer’ and sold out worldwide.
Now, Rosie is revealing a new-season update on the year-defining dress, wearing Cult Gaia’s winter-friendly ‘Mariel’ style in pictures published over the weekend. The ‘Mariel’ is made with mohair and Merino wool and features an off-the-shoulder style and elongated sleeves. Like the ‘Serita,’ its power lies in its inherent wearability: the neutral tones (it’s available in off-white and caramel) are chic and understated, while the dual side slits and shoulder details add sex appeal to an otherwise pragmatic autumn outfit.
Huntington-Whiteley paired the dress with a pair of pink resin chandelier earrings, also by Cult Gaia, highlighting that 70% of the earrings’ purchase price will be donated to the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, as part of an initiative supporting breast cancer awareness (those interested can get their hands on a pair here).
In the last few years, Huntington-Whiteley has emerged as one of the most stylish models on the planet, wooing Instagram with her highly-curated, minimalist personal style. New-season pieces by Bottega Veneta feature heavily, as do the likes of The Row, Low Classic, Totême, and Wardrobe NYC. Cult Gaia has long been among the model’s favorite brands, beloved for their minimalism-with-a-side-of-sexy aesthetic and accessible price point.
If past performance is any indicator, a nod from Rosie is likely to send a piece into sellout status in the blink of an eye. Read: Get your hands on this dress while you still can.
CULT GAIA DRESS, $658, SHOP NOW
