Queens of Archive
Queens of Archive is a London label with a quiet cult following. Designed by Nicola Orme, the brand turns vintage silhouettes into modern dresses, blouses and skirts in beautiful prints and natural fabrics. It is the kind of wardrobe that comes out for weddings, christenings and the events you want to remember.
We stock a hand-picked edit of Queens of Archive at Kiti as an official UK stockist. Pieces move quickly and we rarely see the same print twice, so browse the current selection below, or see our wider designer dresses edit if you are still deciding.
QUEENS OF ARCHIVE
About Queens of Archive
Queens of Archive was founded by designer Nicola Orme and has grown from a quiet London label into one of the most borrowed, rented and reposted names in British fashion. The clothes trade in a particular mood: antique florals, high-necked blouses, tiered skirts, puff sleeves and long sweeping hemlines, reworked with a modern eye. They feel like they could have come out of a family wardrobe, and they tend to get the same passed-down treatment once they join yours.
The brand works in small, considered batches, often in natural fibres like cotton, silk, linen and printed chiffon. Because prints rarely repeat, the appeal is partly about rarity, and partly about how easily each piece becomes the one everyone asks about at the party.
Signature Queens of Archive dresses
Most of the brand's following began with its dresses, and they remain the core of what we stock. A few of the silhouettes worth knowing before you start browsing:
The Rosie Dress
One of the brand's most searched designs and an instant Queens of Archive signature. The Rosie is a tiered, feminine midi with softly gathered details, usually released in seasonal florals and occasional block colours. Easy over boots in autumn, worn with bare legs and a sandal in summer, and a quiet workhorse of the brand's wedding guest reputation.
The Scarlet Dress
A longer, romantic silhouette with a Victorian-leaning neckline that tends to sell out first when it lands. It is the one people save a screenshot of and ask about months later. If you are looking for a Queens of Archive red dress, the Scarlet is usually the place to start, though the brand also runs the silhouette in yellows, blues and painterly mixed florals.
The Farrah Dress
A slightly more modern cut with a fitted bodice and a fuller, floatier skirt. The Farrah leans into the brand's printed chiffons and works well across summer weddings, christenings and party season.
Blouses, skirts and separates
Beyond dresses, Queens of Archive makes some of the best going-out blouses in the British designer space. High collars, ruffled plackets, soft bow details and sleeves that do the talking, cut generously enough to tuck into denim or pair with a long silk skirt. The skirts themselves follow the same logic: tiered, gathered, printed to match or deliberately clash. They are the kind of separates you can rebuild a whole wardrobe around.
Queens of Archive for weddings and occasions
If you are here looking for a wedding guest dress, you are in the right room. Queens of Archive is one of the most consistently requested labels for weddings, christenings, baby namings, races and milestone birthdays, and the prints photograph beautifully. They sit comfortably alongside our Rixo edit, which our customers often style from for similar events, and you will find more options across the wider designer dresses page.
A styling note from us: Queens of Archive pieces are easy to dress down as well as up. A printed midi works with a denim jacket and trainers for a christening lunch, the same way it works with gold jewellery and a heel for an evening reception.
Fit and sizing
Queens of Archive sizing runs to standard UK sizes and the fit is, for the most part, true. The dresses tend to have a little room through the bodice and generous skirts, which makes them forgiving across sizes and easy to layer. If a specific style runs small or large, we flag it in the notes on the individual product listing.
Fabric and craft
The brand is known for using natural fibres and for the depth of its prints, which are often illustrated in-house rather than bought in. Many of the pieces feature hand-finished details: covered buttons, silk tie belts, scalloped edges and trims that are more atelier than high street. They reward proper care, so we always recommend following the label's washing instructions closely.
An official UK stockist
Kiti is an official Queens of Archive stockist in the UK, based in our Cardiff boutique. We buy small and do not restock prints once they sell through, so if you have a particular style in mind and you can see it on our page, we would not leave it too long. The most wanted pieces tend to move in a week.
