HRH by Elizabeth Holmes

Author:Elizabeth Holmes [Holmes, Elizabeth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Celadon Books
Published: 2020-10-14T00:00:00+00:00

2019

2018

CATHERINE

THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE

ON A BRISK NIGHT IN THE AUTUMN OF 2018, ROYAL FOLLOWERS WAITED for Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, to arrive at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Kate, as she is widely known, had returned to royal duties a week earlier after taking a few months’ maternity leave. Her first engagement back felt deliberately low-key, a casual stroll through a forest school in old knee-high boots to promote early childhood education and outdoor play.

This was her first evening appearance, her first visit as patron, and a chance to return to her sky-high stilettos. As soon as the duchess emerged from the SUV in the dark of night, the flashes from the awaiting press scrum popped—and jaws of fashion journalists dropped.

Known for her preppy sheaths, modest coat dresses, and Breton stripe tops, Kate stunned in an unexpected off-the-shoulder plaid frock by Erdem. The statement piece was made of bouclé tweed with an asymmetrical, shoulder-baring neckline, offering a glimpse of clavicle. It looked as if someone had reimagined a prim day suit as a sophisticated, sultry dress. Even Kate’s accessories had an unusual boldness to them, swapping her signature nude heels for a pair of bordeaux velvet pumps by Jimmy Choo. In lieu of her typical small earrings, Kate opted for topaz, crystal, and pearl statement pieces also by Erdem, on display with an über-chic tuck of her signature curls behind her ear.

“Is this Kate Middleton’s most fashion-forward dress yet?” headlined the write-up in Vogue. “We could get used to this more daring side of Kate,” declared InStyle.

The look was striking, fashion-wise, but also filled with symbolism. The plaid was the Prince of Wales check, a favorite of the royals and the title of her father-in-law, Prince Charles. But the most clever aspect, I thought, was a nod to the current Queen rather than the future King. The London-based designer Erdem Moralioglu had traveled to Windsor Castle to study the clothing of Queen Elizabeth II before creating the runway collection where this dress first appeared. The pearl-and-crystal embellishment at the gathered neckline held particular significance, its floral motif inspired by similar designs Norman Hartnell had embroidered onto the Queen’s coronation gown some six decades earlier. The dress garnered headlines for its flair, more so than for the connections to her grandmother-in-law. It was quintessentially Kate, subtle and sophisticated—a wink if you will—quite fitting of a future queen consort.

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