The Bravo sphere is no stranger to scandal, but reality stars are emerging to embrace the moment in new ways.
What is one of the visible revenges of rejected women?Revenge dresses.
The term “Scandoval” was coined in 2023 when Tom Sandoval was arrested for cheating on his longtime girlfriend Ariana Madix with mutual friend Raquel Revis, and Madix went from Vanderpump Rules cast member to Love Island USA host to Broadway star to Dancing with the Stars runner-up to series writer.
Earlier this year, another love triangle formed when Amanda Batula and West Wilson announced their shocking romance, this time on the show Summer House in the Hamptons. The relationship was kept hidden from Batula’s estranged husband, Kyle Cooke, and Wilson’s ex (and Batula’s best friend) Ciara Miller — not to mention the rest of the cast, who had interactions.
Although their situations are completely different, Miller followed Madix’s strategy. The “Summer House” star will compete for the mirror ball on “DWTS” this fall, will co-host “Love Island” companion show “Aftersun” with Maddix, and the two have even appeared in commercials together, poking fun at their personal struggles.
Another thing they both have in common is the designers they turn to to create dresses that make a statement when the time comes.
Maddix debuted on Love Island wearing a gold Di Pezza dress, while Miller wore an abs-baring dress by the same designer to confront her ex-girlfriend and friend at the Season 10 Summerhouse reunion.
Miller’s “Unraveling Silk Dress” was “inspired by the natural patterns left behind when the ocean meets sand,” designer Dimitra Pezza exclusively tells Page Six Style.
“The sculptural drapes reflect the flowing lines, ripples and movement of water, capturing a sense of freedom, fluidity and connection to nature.”
Meanwhile, Madix’s “Wet Look” dress is inspired by “Venus, the goddess of beauty, love, and femininity, rising from the sea.”
One of Pezza’s signature styles, her “wet” designs (actually dry) are created using secret techniques that involve precise draping and stitching to fool the eye.
“This design uses flowing drapes and movement to evoke the moment you emerge from the water. It celebrates beauty as something innate, powerful, and deeply connected to nature,” Pezza said.
“Together, both dresses explore the relationship between women and water. They embody themes of fluidity, transformation, and empowerment, honoring the body’s natural beauty through ocean-inspired shapes.”
Madix, who wore a red mono dress that exposed her abs at the season 10 “Vanderpump Rules” reunion, knew she needed to maximize her next career with her outfit choices.
“I was so determined to come in there and create a moment because I felt like I had to show the world that I was worthy of hosting the show,” Maddix told Paper of the moment, adding that it unleashed “this mermaid, ultra-glam pop star, legendary version of me.”
“Di Pezza is one of those designers who creates pieces that make you feel confident and powerful as soon as you put them on,” Miller told Vogue about the abs-baring reunion dress she wore in Summerhouse Season 10.
She added: “For me, it wasn’t so much about the dress itself, it was about how I felt walking into the room and just being completely confident in myself.”
And Miller and Maddix aren’t the only ones expecting a major rebrand from Di Pezza. Hilary Duff wore a drenched gown by the designer earlier this year for a performance on “The Tonight Show” that kicked off her return to pop music, while Shakira wore a gold minidress in the music video for Karol G’s 2023 breakup anthem “TQG.”
“These designs work really well for women entering a new phase in life because they inspire confidence and self-expression,” says Pezza.
“Whether someone is recovering from a breakup or trying to rebuild their personal brand, these pieces will inspire them to step into their divinity and inner beauty and enter a more empowered, centered, and spiritually connected version of themselves.”
