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The Duchess of Cambridge has been spotted in a truly stunning Alexander McQueen gown. It has raised eyebrows, not just because of its beauty (and the beauty of Kate in it) but for two other reasons. Firstly, when did you last see Kate in black? She normally opts for bright blues and reds, or muted camels and creams. Secondly, it bears resemblance to the dress worn by Princess Diana right back in 1971 to her first public engagement.
Let’s start with the colour, because quite frankly I find that more interesting. My most vivid memory of Kate is in THAT blue Issa dress. She loves a bit of Issa does Kate. She also loves Sarah Burton, the creative director behind Alexander McQueen, designer of her wedding dress and also designer of this lavish frock. So the designer she was familiar with, it is the colour and shape which is more of a statement. In rich black velvet, full length and strapless, I think there is no better word to describe this gown other than scrumptious. Or sumptuous. Kate rarely shows her shoulders, nor wears black, so is this a sign of her increased maturity? A clear signal that she is now a woman of the world?
The dress was very similar to one worn by Diana thirty years ago except Diana’s was made of satin rather than velvet, both accessorised with diamonds. Princess Diana wore her gown for a fundraiser at the Royal Opera House. It was designed by Elizabeth and David Emmanuel, who designed her wedding dress, and sold at auction last year for a staggering £192,000.
The Daily Mail quoted fashion director Liz Jones: “Comparisons will inevitably be drawn between this dress and the 1981 black satin strapless gown by the Emanuels worn by Diana, but the difference is Diana then was not woman enough to carry it off. She still looked like a little girl. You need to be womanly to carry off black, and this dress tells me there is something different about Kate already. She has matured, and she looks sexy... probably for the first time.”
Kate’s dress can’t have been cheap. The Alexander McQueen style pictured here is very similar, but with chiffon inset skirt. It was selling on net-a-porter for £3995.
