When it comes to fashion, Katy Perry is known as a California girl with a penchant for kitsch that verges on cosplay. She’s as likely to turn up at the Met Gala dressed in a chandelier as she is to cruise down a red carpet in a sequined Bob Mackie number. While on the ground in London for King Charles III’s coronation, though, the hitmaker turned to Vivienne Westwood to create a custom wardrobe for her with a distinctly British edge.
Having made a viral appearance at Westminster Abbey in a bespoke lilac suit paired with elbow-length gloves and jumbo-sized pearls on May 6, Perry leaned into the gilded mood of the overall coronation celebrations in a custom Vivienne Westwood gown while performing at the coronation concert.
Katy Perry at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, during the coronation of King Charles III
The corseted 18th-century silhouette, made using gold metallic leatherette, was designed to “exude baroque grandeur,” according to the brand. Specifically, the draping is inspired by a bridal look from the British house’s spring-summer 2006 Gold Label collection.
Among the fans of Katy Perry’s performance at Windsor Castle? Princess Charlotte, who happily sang along to “Roar” while Prince George waved his Union Jack flag in time with the beat. (Prince Louis, to the devastation of royal fans everywhere, skipped the concert in favor of an early night.)
It’s the king, however, that Perry chose to dedicate her song “Firework” to, thanking His Majesty for “bringing out the firework in so many young people” through his various charitable initiatives.
