Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress
Even if you’re not fascinated by the fairytale of the royal engagement, you're bound to be just slightly curious as to what style, silhouette, cut, or colour the future Queen Catherine will choose! We speak to renowned British designer Natalie Gladman of Madeline Isaac-James for the inside scoop on what we can expect, and we speculate over which catwalk competitor will win Kate's commission...
Following the news of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s engagement, speculation surrounding who will design her dress has been a hot topic. Whilst David and Elizabeth Emmanual were the masterminds behind Princess Diana’s dress, Kate is unlikely to emulate neither the design nor the style of William's late mother, despite the Prince's decision to mark the proposal with her old engagement ring.
Whoever is commissioned to design Kate Middleton’s wedding dress must stick to two basic principals — it must be traditional in style and it has to be British. It must also be grand to complement the venue and the scale of the occasion.
The couture gown is likely to be hand-embroidered and 100% bespoke, and fashion experts are predicting that a fishtail gown is likely to be favoured over a full skirted dress.
We spoke to renowned British designer Natalie Gladman at Madeline Isaac-James on the type of wedding dress we could expect to see Kate Middleton choosing for her forthcoming 2011 wedding.
Natalie commented; “Kate has her own innate sense of style and carries herself with a fabulous understated elegance. She is able to combine traditional elements (as is required of a Royal wardrobe), with youthful, on-trend exuberance; a great combination!”
“Her chosen designer will be British through and through and whose creations will reflect that certain, unique British style,” she added. “With her stunning figure Kate would look fabulous in a slimmer silhouette that shows off her superb figure whilst maintaining a dignified and appropriate look.”
There has been a flurry of bets on which designer Kate will commission to create her gown. Bookmaker Paddy Power recently suspended betting after receiving unanimous traffic for British designer Bruce Oldfield. A spokesman from the bookmaker told Vogue.com; “We suspended betting on November 26th — there is no point in taking bets when all the interest is in one person.”
Bridal trends for 2011 range from vintage 1950s and 60s inspired dresses, to Grecian goddess style gowns, and Victorian lace detailed frocks. Many 2011 collections also feature beading, bows and ball-gown style skirts, but Kate is expected to avoid the latest trends, and opt for something more timeless.
The most likely candidates are thought to be either Brit Bruce Oldfield, or leading bridal designer Phillipa Lepley. Amongst the popular foreign contenders are Oscar de la Renta and Vera Wang.
The future Queen is also expected to complement her bridal gown with some elegant royal jewels that will ensure that she really shines on her big day.
A dress such as Madeline Isaac-James’ Charlotte gown would suit Kate’s slim figure
Kate Middleton's wedding dress is likely to be complemented with some exquisite royal jewels.