When a garment is dubbed the ‘next biggest thing’, do you believe the hype? Generally, I try not to.

Sure, when Fleabag’s knockout, cleavage-flaunting black jumpsuit was found online, and subsequently sold-out by hundreds of Phoebe Waller-Bridge fans, I was tempted. And, when I heard that ASOS had dropped an animal-print dress that had the fingers of every influencer in the land moving at hyper-speed to bag themselves one before it was gone forever, I wondered whether I should get myself a slice of the action.

Usually, though, my thought process is that, if everyone’s wearing something, I don’t want to be. Why would I want to arrive to the office to find myself twinning with half the women on my desk?

But then came the Kitri Studio Pink Cotton Check Midi Lenora dress (£125).

The Lenora dress is joyful, in an unashamedly-bright pink hue that feels like everything my summer dreams are made of. The only problem? I’m not the only one who loves it.

As many fashion addicts will know, the dress first dropped on Kitri’s website at the end of March, and the reaction was explosive. It sold out online within 24 hours and then curated a 500+ person waiting list until it was restocked on 26 April. The same thing happened again. In fact, the only sizes currently still in stock are six and eight, with the rest being promised to a dress-hungry audience by mid-June.

I’d had my eye on Kitri Studio ever since Stylist included the plain, baby pink version of the dress in the fashion pages earlier this month. So, naturally, the sudden attention around the checked style piqued my interest. I’d also heard that the brand was a small creative studio in London and genuinely cared about its customers, showing it with extra little details like beautiful packaging and thank you notes in deliveries. Plus, we shouted out to the Kitri Studio Eliana polka dot dress earlier this week, hailing it as a wedding season staple and solidifying the brand as one to watch.

So, fellow slaves to fashion, I did what any recently paid person would do and this time, I clicked the ‘buy now’ button. And let me tell you, it was not a mistake.

Skipping off into the office in my new purchase, it didn’t occur to me how well the Lenora dress would go down – but as it happens, there’s a reason this baby is sold-out. It’s an absolute crowd pleaser.

“Oh my god, I love your dress,” said my co-worker Lucy, as she settled down beside me.

“Wow you look so summery!” chimed in actual editor-in-chief Lisa Smosarski (the ultimate seal of approval). “Yes, Megan!” exclaimed associate editor Anna, with a combination of excited hand gestures. “I love the checks, are you going somewhere special?” asked digital editor Kayleigh, peering at me from behind her screen. “Great dress” smiled Billie Bhatia, our all-knowing fashion news editor, before dropping me a knowing wink to acknowledge its sold-out status. 

And things were no different in the outside world. One woman tapped my shoulder in a coffee shop, so that she could ask me where I got my dress. Another looked me up and down with a beaming grin. And I even thought I spotted another lucky owner of the Kitri Lenora dress in the distance, looking resplendent in her own pink-and-white checks (I’m sure she’s having a similarly great day, wherever she is).

So far, I’m at 100% success rate. That’s right – pretty much every single person I have seen today has complimented me on what I will now be referring to as The Best Dress Ever.

My whole life suddenly makes sense, and I’m unshakable in the knowledge that I can take on anything in this, The Best Dress Ever. Fine, that may be a slight exaggeration… but you get the gist. First date? No need to panic, I’ve got just the thing. Summer wedding? Give me a pair of heels and a cute bag and I’m set. Big meeting? I know the dress that’s guaranteed to give me a confidence boost.

And Billie, for one, sees where I’m coming from. “Kitri have become synonymous with limited runs of hugely desirable dresses, which of course makes them even more desirable,” she tells me. “The Lenora check midi is such a success because it’s an easy shape to wear to all occasion office, summer parties, holidays, weddings ticking the difficult to dress for ‘smart casual’ box. The fuchsia pink checked print is feminine without being overly girly and makes wearing a print much easier than you ever imagined.”

This may not be a story that will help solve the gender pay gap or contribute to the fight against period poverty, but an exploration into believing the fashion hype has made this woman very happy. Question is, what will be next?

Images: Kitri Studio / Noor-u-Nisa Khan