Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dress Is Alexander McQueen

Fashion Industry Delight at the Duchess’ Choice

Photo - SAC Gareth Little

As Kate Middleton stepped out of the car at Westminster Abbey the fashion commentator on the BBC coverage let out a little squeal of delight, but this was no girlish excitement at the fairytale element of it all. Rather it was the delight of a seasoned fashion observer that Miss Middleton had chosen the fashion industry’s designer of choice.
Widely regarded as fashion’s best kept secret the Duchess managed to keep the designer of the dress under wraps until that moment, although it was hotly tipped to be McQueen all along. The appearance of a mystery woman, bearing a resemblance to McQueen’s creative director Sarah Burton, at the Goring Hotel on the eve of the wedding all but confirming it. 

The dress, which echoed that worn by Grace Kelly for her marriage to Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956, was met with widespread approval  and consisted of a white  lace appliqué on an ivory bodice and skirt along with a 2m 70cm long train. The lace featured details of a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock representing the four constituent nations of the United Kingdom and was created with traditional Carrickmacross craftsmanship by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace where needle workers washed their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine.

They were not aware, tough, that they were working on the Royal gown, instead believing that they were working on a gown for a costume drama.  Staff at Alexander McQueen were in possession of little more information, only Ms Burton and trusted senior designers were aware that they were designing a gown for the future Queen and even those were told to flat out lie and deny if asked if Kate Middleton was their client.

Burton also designed maid of honour, Pippa Middleton’s, dress, which is reportedly streets ahead of her sister’s in terms of popularity, a reworking of a pre-fall 2009 dress originally worn by Cameron Diaz to the Golden Globes in January 2010. The bridesmaids’ dresses were designed by children’s designer Nicki MacFarlane and the Duchess’ look was finished with the 1936 Cartier ‘Halo’ tiara loaned to her by the Queen, surprising many who expected her to wear the Russian Fringe tiara that the Queen had worn on her own wedding day.