On 16 November 1936, King Edward VIII, after less than a year on the throne, abdicated in order to marry Wallis Simpson. At their marriage the following year, Wallis wore a gown by Mainbocher in her signature color, “Wallis Blue,” which was said to match her eyes. The gown is now in the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, though the blue has faded over the years.

There have been numerous portrayals of the couple on film and television over the years, several of which have reproduced the gown. The 2005 production Wallis & Edward did a particularly beautiful job of replicating the piece, which was worn by Joely Richardson. Several years later, when Madonna began work on her film W.E., the reproduction gown was part of an exhibit on “Marriage in the Movies,” and she asked if it might be loaned to her for use in the film, where it went on to be worn by Andrea Riseborough. You can read more about it here.