The wedding dress that actor Kiera wore to marry Klaxon keyboardist James Righton in 2013 was designed by Karl Lagerfeld. The knee-length, strapless creation was from Chanel’s 2006 Spring collection. The bodice and full skirt were made of tulle and paired with a cropped Chanel boucle jacket. The couple were married in a fun low-key ceremony in the small village of Mazan, France
Read on to find out how Keira Knightley’s wedding dress earned its nickname “The Dustbin Wedding Dress” and how a whirlwind romance eventually brought the smitten lovers to the altar.
How James and Kiera’s Love Quickly Bloomed
James and Kiera were introduced by a mutual friend at a dinner party in 2011. The “Atonement” actress had never heard of the talented musician’s U.K. band, The Klaxons, but he knew everything about her accomplished acting career. The fact that they were very drunk didn’t stop them from getting to know each other even better.
The couple dated until May 25, 2012, when they got engaged. Shortly after, they were seen strolling around London. Kiera was showing off her engagement ring, which featured a single circular diamond on a thin gold band.
Two Simple Private Ceremonies
The couple had two wedding celebrations. Kira wore the Chanel “dustbin” tulle dress to her official civil ceremony at the town hall in Mazon, Provence. The 30-minute service was performed by the Mayor of Mazon and there were very few guests in attendance.
The couple had a second secret ceremony in a forest in an unknown location. Not much is known about this second celebration except that only a select number of guests were invited again, and that Kira wore a formal Valentino rose-print gown.
A few days later, the couple flew to Corsica for a beautiful honeymoon on the beach.
The Story of Keira’s Dustbin Wedding Dress
By the time Kiera had met James in 2011, she had already been “the face” of three Chanel advertising campaigns in 2008, 2009, and 2010. The dress was a one-of-a-kind sample designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who was the director of the Chanel Fashion house.
Kiera fell in love with the fluffy prom-style dress, and asked to borrow it. Worn it in public several times before, including to a party where she escaped from a crowd of paparazzi outside. She slipped out the back window, sliding down the drainpipe, and into a garbage dumpster. Also wore the dress to a BAFTA party in 2008, and again to the Serious Fun Gala in London. Every time she wore different accessories, such as black tights, a fur cape, or silver shoes.
In 2013, the House of Chanel had just dumped the dress in a pile of clothing to be destroyed, when Kiera called asking if she could borrow it one more time, this time to wear to her wedding to James. The famous house happily obliged, and gave her the dress as a gift.
The fact that she wore it inside a dumpster and asked to borrow it for her wedding is why she fondly referred to it as “The Dustbin Dress.”
What Is Kiera Knightley’s Wedding Dress Worth?
As Kiera’s wedding dress was originally a showroom sample its worth is unclear, but a Karl Lagerfeld haute-couture wedding dress doesn’t go for less than $300,000. Lagerfeld has designed wedding gowns for numerous celebrities including Lily Allen, Poppy Delevingne , and Caroline Sieber.
Kiera jokes that she got her money’s worth out of the wedding dress more than 100 times in one year. Its above-the-knee-length made it versatile enough to wear to many different events. Sadly, the dress was finally put out of commission when she spilled wine down the front of it.
Keira’s second haute-couture Valentino gown, that she wore to the secret ceremony in the woods, was worth $67,000.
A Detailed Look at Kiera Knightley’s Wedding Dress
Kiera’s dress was a simple A-line prom-style dress with an ethereal, retro-50’s look. The strapless bodice was made of shirred tulle and the fully tufted A-line skirt was made of puffy tulle layers. The bodice had a removable sheer overlay of chiffon decorated with lace and pearls that gave the dress a V-neck pearl collar and long over-the-wrist cuffs.
The bride wore a headpiece made of green twine and tiny pink sweetheart roses in her shoulder length hair. She also wore pink and gray Chanel ballet flats.
After the wedding, she removed the dress collar and sleeves, and put on the Karl Lagerfeld bone-white boucle cropped jacket that had a subtle pink and grey plaid pattern.
Do you dream of one day walking down the aisle wearing a knee-length tulle dress with a traditional A-line skirt? If so, continue reading to discover where you can buy a dress like Kiera’s at an affordable price.
Shop for Kiera Knightley’s Wedding Dress
Finding a knee-length dress in grey tulle with sheer long-sleeves might be a challenge, but we’ve found tulle dresses that share the design components of Karl Lagerfeld’s original cocktail/prom dress.
The Ever Pretty High-Low A-Line Dress in grey has a lace bodice with sequins, a satin waist ribbon, and a tulle skirt that is above-the-knee in front and floor-length in back. It retails for between $62.99 – $72.99.
The Ofgirl Cute Short Gray Prom Dress has a tulle cross-over bodice with off-the-shoulder sleeves, a satin tie with a bow, and an above-the-knee full tulle skirt. It sells for $64.99.
The Rijer Short Prom Dress in Silver has a structured appliqued bodice and just-above-the-knee full A-line skirt. It sells for $77.00- $89.00.
The Homdor Tulle Homecoming Dress in silver gray has a plunging V-neck with appliques, a lace-up corset and a full above-the-knee A-line tulle skirt. It retails for between $78.00 – $89.00.
The ToTa USA Short Prom Dress is a purple gray tulle above-the-keen prom dress with ruffled off-the-shoulder sleeves and a sweetheart bodice with pearl buttons. It sells for $179.99.
Consult With an Expert Wedding Shopper
Would you like to wear a prom-style tulle dress to your wedding? Our professional team of wedding shoppers can help you find a grey knee-length dress similar to Kiera Knightley’s wedding gown.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to us to help you find that affordable A-line tulle wedding dress that makes you feel like a fairy princess on your special day.
