Penny Lancaster, the model and television personality, has offered her son Alastair Stewart's girlfriend, Mell-Nicole Ratto, a significant gesture of family approval by lending her the wedding dress Lancaster wore for her own marriage to Sir Rod Stewart. Ratto, a 22-year-old law student from California, showcased the vintage garment in recent photographs taken during a holiday in Spain.
Ratto posted images of herself wearing the backless, heavily embellished minidress on Instagram, captioning the post with a lighthearted "Monday sweatpant vibe. something light." Lancaster responded to the post, commenting, "You look beautiful in my vintage dress, certainly doesn’t fit me anymore." Ratto replied, calling Lancaster her "fairy godmother."
Lancaster, 55, originally wore the dress in London in August 2007, at the age of 36, for a celebration of her marriage to rock star Sir Rod Stewart, now 81. The couple, who began their relationship in 1999, had officially married in Italy two months prior to their London reception at the InterContinental Hotel.
The dress is characterized by its low-cut back, embellished straps, and silver and white detailing. Lancaster paired it with silver strappy heels when she wore it, while Ratto opted for white pointed stilettos for her summer outing.
Ratto's use of Lancaster's dress comes as her relationship with Alastair, 20, appears to be solidifying. She recently joined the Stewart family, including Sir Rod and several of his eight children, on a boat trip in Ibiza. Alastair, the elder of Lancaster and Stewart's two sons, is also father to Aiden Stewart, 15.
Alastair Stewart has pursued a career in modeling, following in his mother's footsteps, and had a campaign with the Italian fashion label Palm Angels as a teenager. Last year, he revealed he had shifted his focus from a fashion degree to aspirations in the film industry, having left his undergraduate course at the JCA London Fashion Academy. He has stated his ambition to write scripts and create short plays.
Mell-Nicole Ratto is a fourth-year undergraduate studying political science at the University of California, San Diego. Her relationship with Alastair places her within the extensive blended family of Sir Rod Stewart, who has eight children from five different relationships over more than 45 years. His eldest daughter is Sarah Streeter, 62, followed by Kimberly Stewart, 46, and Sean Stewart, 45. Ruby Stewart, 39, is from a previous relationship, while Renee Stewart, 34, and Liam Stewart, 31, are from his marriage to Rachel Hunter. The Stewart children maintain close relationships, frequently gathering for holidays and public events with their father and Lancaster.