HBO’s The Gilded Age Season 3, which premiered on June 22, continues to captivate audiences with its lavish period drama and intricate costumes. The season’s standout moment arrives in the July 13 episode, “Marriage Is a Gamble,” featuring the wedding of railroad heiress Gladys Russell (Taissa Farmiga) to the Duke of Buckingham. Orchestrated by her ambitious mother, Bertha Russell (Carrie Coon in a career-defining role), the “wedding of the century” blends opulence with emotional tension, drawing inspiration from a real-life historical figure often compared to Princess Diana.
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Set in the glittering yet cutthroat world of 1880s New York, the show thrives on sharp banter, social climbing, and extravagant fashion. Bertha, determined to elevate her family’s status from robber baron to aristocracy, pushes Gladys into a loveless marriage, mirroring the real-life story of Consuelo Vanderbilt’s 1895 wedding to the Duke of Marlborough.
Costume designer Kasia Walicka-Maimone leaned heavily on this historical event, crafting Gladys’s wedding gown with long sleeves, hand-stitched rosettes, and a cascading train reminiscent of Consuelo’s—and, notably, Princess Diana’s—iconic bridal look.
The gown, a centerpiece of the episode, was a global effort. Its fabric and floral embellishments were sourced from New York’s garment district, while the dress itself was made in Italy by Tirelli Costumi. The lace veil, crafted by milliners Camilla Chuvarsky and Rhyan Shipman, came from England, and Italian jewelry by Pikkio added the final touch of elegance. The bridesmaid dresses, worn by characters like Marian Brook (Louisa Jacobson), and the historically accurate suiting for guests further elevated the scene’s grandeur.
Walicka-Maimone cited Consuelo Vanderbilt as a key inspiration, noting her wedding’s influence on the gown’s design, the bridesmaid attire, and the overall aesthetic. Consuelo, like Diana Spencer, was a style icon whose marriage to a British peer brought fame but not happiness. Both women, linked by the Spencer-Churchill family, wore gowns with long sleeves, lace, and dramatic trains, a parallel that enriches the show’s historical resonance.
For fans of period dramas, The Gilded Age delivers a visually stunning and emotionally charged spectacle. The wedding scene, blending heartbreak and high fashion, solidifies the series as must-watch television, especially for those craving a dose of gilded glamour post-Love Island.
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