With the British royal wedding just over, it was interesting to see how those not interested in the pomp, circumstance and perpetuation of hereditary monarchy became engaged with the ceremony. For those interested in a touch of celebrity spotting, there was a guest list full of famous names, and perhaps not-so-famous dignitaries from around the world. But for many people, particularly those with an interest in fashion, but not necessarily in the royal family, thoughts turned to custom made wedding dresses. From the middle of the 20th century, the choice of dress for royal weddings had become a major talking point for those with an eye on fashion. The designer of Kate Middleton's dress became a point of speculation across Britain, with office sweepstakes springing up and the style pages of the newspapers buzzing.
No surprises
In the end, anyone who knew anything about custom made wedding dresses would have guessed right. In fact, anyone who didn't know anything about them would have it called it correctly, as the house of the late Alexander McQueen was revealed to be the team responsible for Kate Middleton's dress. Following McQueen's death, Sarah Burton had taken over the creative direction of his studio, and it was widely expected that they would produce the dress. This didn't stop the creators from surrounding themselves in a fog of secrecy. The nature of the dress meant that it required several different parties to be involved. Workers at the Royal School of Needlework were told that the dress was being produced for a television costume drama, and that money was no object.
The all-important details
Custom made wedding dresses give the bride a chance to make a statement about themselves and the ceremony. Kate Middleton was reportedly closely involved in the process, and desired a mix of tradition and modernity. The general consensus of the fashion world is that this was exactly what she achieved. Like many custom made wedding dresses, Kate's dress combined many traditional elements and details within it. The dress combined symbols of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom, cutting out lace roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks, to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
No surprises
In the end, anyone who knew anything about custom made wedding dresses would have guessed right. In fact, anyone who didn't know anything about them would have it called it correctly, as the house of the late Alexander McQueen was revealed to be the team responsible for Kate Middleton's dress. Following McQueen's death, Sarah Burton had taken over the creative direction of his studio, and it was widely expected that they would produce the dress. This didn't stop the creators from surrounding themselves in a fog of secrecy. The nature of the dress meant that it required several different parties to be involved. Workers at the Royal School of Needlework were told that the dress was being produced for a television costume drama, and that money was no object.
The all-important details
Custom made wedding dresses give the bride a chance to make a statement about themselves and the ceremony. Kate Middleton was reportedly closely involved in the process, and desired a mix of tradition and modernity. The general consensus of the fashion world is that this was exactly what she achieved. Like many custom made wedding dresses, Kate's dress combined many traditional elements and details within it. The dress combined symbols of the constituent parts of the United Kingdom, cutting out lace roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks, to represent England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.