Kate Middleton and Princess Beatrice’s favourite fashion brand is closing down

Keira Knightley called Susie’s gowns ‘just as beautiful and special as she is’. Putting on a dress by The Vampire’s Wife, said the actress, ‘is an occasion in itself, full of magic and decadence.’

Singer Florence Welch agreed, praising the ‘subversive femininity’ of Cave’s designs. ‘I think the most beautiful things have a strangeness to them,’ she said to the outlet, ‘and her dresses seem to have walked out of a gothic fantasy. One that is entirely Susie’s.’

The designer expressed her ‘undying gratitude’ for her countless supporters in a touching Instagram message: ‘I wish to thank my extended family at The Vampire’s Wife who helped me create such beautiful things. I cannot describe how much you have all meant to me.’

A statement from the brand attributed the closure to ‘upheaval in the wholesale market’, with outlets noting recent difficulties involving HMRC.

Condolences flocked in for The Vampire’s Wife, with Alexa Chung, Sophie Ellis Bextor, and Claudia Winkleman among those sharing their love for Susie’s work. ‘Your divine dresses will live on forever,’ said jewellery designer Annoushka Ducas – indeed, it is fittingly fantastical that the Vampire’s Wife remains immortal, reborn in its impact and undying in its legacy.