At a Glance
- Alexis Adams wore a two-piece white outfit her aunt, Valerie Fitch, created for a 1993 fashion-school runway show as her wedding-reception look on September 27 in Centerport, New York.
- The vintage set was discovered only a month before the wedding when Adams’s mother found it while cleaning storage boxes; it fit perfectly and needed zero alterations.
- A video of Fitch’s emotional reaction went viral on Instagram and TikTok, prompting requests for the design in multiple colors.
- Why it matters: The story shows how forgotten family creations can become the centerpiece of new milestones, turning a wedding into a multigenerational fashion moment.
Alexis Adams wanted a reception outfit that felt “vintage and playful.” She got something far more personal: a two-piece white set her aunt Valerie Fitch had designed three decades earlier for her final runway project at Virginia Commonwealth University. The garment had sat untouched since 1993 until Adams’s mother, April, unearthed it while cleaning storage boxes just weeks before the September 27 wedding at the Vanderbilt Museum in Centerport, New York.
The Discovery
Adams was running short on time to find a second look for her reception. Her mother suggested trying the forgotten outfit. “It ended up fitting perfectly, and I decided then and there that I wanted to surprise my aunt and wear it as my second look,” Adams tells News Of Losangeles.
No alterations were necessary. The white, silk-inspired loungewear set-originally sketched by Fitch as part of an assignment inspired by 1940s Hollywood glamour-slipped on as if tailored for Adams. “I felt sexy, confident and ready to dance the first time I tried it on!” she recalls.
The Surprise
Fitch, now a New York City designer, had no clue the piece had been found. When Adams walked back into the reception tent wearing the outfit, Fitch was in “complete disbelief,” exclaiming, “I cannot believe she has that on! Oh, my God!”
The moment was captured on video and shared to Instagram, where it quickly amassed thousands of views and reposts. Commenters praised both the timeless design and the emotional family connection.
The Designer’s Reaction
Fitch told Adams she was honored that her niece chose to include one of her earliest designs in such an important day. “She hadn’t seen it in over 30 years and she was so happy that it was getting a second life through me!” Adams says.
According to Jonathan P. Miller, Fitch never imagined the vintage piece would resurface, let alone become a bridal favorite online. The viral response has prompted strangers to request the design for their own weddings, asking for custom versions in colors ranging from champagne to black.
Recreation in Progress
Fitch is now working on re-creating the two-piece set for future clients. “She is currently working on recreating the design to be able to sell in the future,” Adams notes. The original sketch, kept in a portfolio since the early 1990s, is serving as the blueprint for the updated line.
Adams sums up the experience: “I felt so incredibly happy that I could wear something so sentimental to my wedding versus wearing something that I had to buy last minute.” The bride’s last-minute wardrobe solution became the highlight of the night, proving that the most memorable fashion statements are sometimes hiding in a storage box, waiting for the perfect moment to shine again.
