In the four days since Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg announced on his Facebook page that he tied the knot with Priscilla Chan, his girlfriend of nine years, a lot has changed. He switched his status to married, posting a photograph of himself in a black tie and suit, standing alongside his new bride, who looked angelic in her Claire Pettibone laser-cut floral wedding gown and veil. So far, the post has turned Chan into an unwilling fashion star.

Call it the Priscilla Chan effect. The picture that marked the surprise nuptials sent thousands of brides-to-be into a frenzied search for the $4,700 wedding dress, known as Sky Between the Branches. The LA-based designer was bombarded with phone calls Sunday and Monday. Bridal shops tweeted that they had the Claire Pettibone gown, which is embellished with matte sequins lined in silk, in stock. Even more telling, the designer’s Web site experienced a surge in traffic, jumping from its average 1,500 unique visitors to 26,000 on Monday, reported WWD.

Why would women want to follow in Chan’s fashion footsteps? Her style sense, while sharper than her husband’s trademark hoodies, consists of basic T-shirts, skirts, flip-flops, and summery dresses. It’s not bad, just not remarkable. Perhaps it’s the contrast between Chan’s regular sartorial selections and her wedding day ensemble that intrigued the thousands who visited Pettibone’s Web site. She looked stunning at her wedding – exactly what every bride-to-be wants on her special day.

artinfo.com

Priscilla

Priscilla Chan wearing Claire Pettibone with husband Mark Zuckerberg.