Cut-price copy-Kate
Beautician who recreates duchess’s iconic looks for just a fraction of the cost
SHE’S called Kate and she’s from Berkshire – and the similarities don’t end there.
Kate Urbanska prides herself on replicating the Duchess of Cambridge’s style – and for a fraction of the price.
The 29-year-old has built her own royal wardrobe, featuring some of the Duchess’s most iconic looks, for £7,000 — no mean feat given that just one of the real Kate’s dresses can cost more than £3,000.
Her secret? Hunting out discounted versions of Kate’s clothes, and hiring a tailor to make them fit. The beautician says: ‘I check eBay and online auctions daily so I can get the exact pieces Kate Middleton has worn without the hefty price tag. Whenever I have a spare moment, I’m checking the different sites. The key is to regularly keep track of Kate’s outfits and be quick once they are reduced in the sale as they sell out quickly.’
Her obsession started the day after the royal wedding, when Kate wore a £49.99 Zara pleated dress which Mrs Urbanska quickly bought. ‘There was something about the duchess’s style that instantly struck a chord with me,’ she said. ‘She picks clothes that are comfortable, elegant and classic.’
Her savvy shopping has helped her secure bargains such as the green Hobbs suit the duchess wore to visit a children’s hospice in Norwich in January, which she bought for £65 from designer outlet Bicester Village.
She also picked up a £325 silk LK Bennett dress the duchess wore to welcome Barack and Michelle Obama to Kensington Palace last april, which has a flattering belted waist and long sleeves, in the sale for only £150.
She found £44.95 Gap trousers, which Kate Middleton wore in Cornwall in September last year, for just £20 on eBay, where she also got £101 off a Smythe navy blazer.
When she can’t get her hands on the real item, she’ll track down a cheap copy and have it tailored to fit – such as a replica of the striking £3,192 Naeem Khan embroidered dress the duchess wore to the Taj Mahal on a tour of India last april, and a £640 red alexander McQueen dress, which the duchess has worn on many occasions.
The only item she’s ever paid full price for is Kate’s £450 Gianvito Rossi 105 heels – in four different shades. Mrs Urbanska, who lives in Slough with her husband, said: ‘By being tenacious, anyone can recreate Kate’s closet without breaking the bank.’