Emily Bader's 'People We Meet on Vacation' Premiere Dress Would Make Her Character Proud
Anyone who knows Poppy knows it's a perfect pick.
On January 9, BookTokers finally get to meet Alex and Poppy, the best friends-turned-lovers in Emily Henry's book-to-movie adaptation, People We Meet on Vacation. A few days prior, Emily Bader, who plays Poppy, remixed her rom-com character's style in a semi-sheer David Koma dress for the Netflix movie's premiere.
Hollywood's Egyptian Theatre welcomed Bader on January 6 for the first and only People We Meet on Vacation premiere. She looked ready for a summer wedding (IYKYK) in a white David Koma midi, chosen by Jenna Ortega's stylist, Enrique Melendez.
The Resort 2026 dress began with a spaghetti-strap bra top and matching ankle-length skirt, before an illusion tulle waist married the set together. The stem of her bodice's floral appliqué stretched down the center, which popped against the sheer textile. The bottom-half wasn't your average pencil skirt. Alongside a hip-high slit, it featured a bubble-hem peplum.
Emily Bader looked every bit the book's Poppy in the peplum trend.
The colorless theme continued within Bader's accessories, including her pointy Le Silla pumps. Each triangular toe box remained white, while black petal-inspired heels decorated the stilettos.
Le Silla won over Melendez, Bader's new stylist, as early as 2018. The Italian brand's best-selling shoes joined Ortega at the 2022 Met Gala, as well as various Beetlejuice Beetlejuice press events.
Similar to Le Silla, David Koma is a household name among Hollywood's elite. In 2025 alone, everyone from Beyoncé and Lady Gaga to Jennifer Lopez and Taylor Swift sourced the London label's looks.
Kerry Washington, for one, wore a little white dress almost identical to Bader's, minus the sheer waist. The David Koma midi made Washington a best-dressed guest at InStyle's Imagemaker Awards last October. Thin sleeveless straps, the peplum trend, and slitted skirt remained the same, except with an opaque bodice. The Scandal star paired it with pointy white pumps, too.
See Kerry Washington in almost the exact same dress.
Emily Henry doesn't name-drop specific designers in her novels. And Poppy, for her part, is a noted collector of vintage and thrifted items. But if the character had the chance to source a brand-new dress for a Hollywood premiere, Emily Bader's adventurous David Koma midi would definitely land on her wish list.
