What’s behind Kate’s new high-fashion look?
FASHION INSIDERS
are always obsessed with the Duchess of Cambridge’s latest outfits, but would they care to admit it? Not always. Last Tuesday night, though, social media was alight with pictures of Kate visiting the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin wearing a shimmering £1,595 emerald dress by The Vampire’s Wife. Founded by ethereal-looking former model Susie Cave, it’s a label loved by Kate Moss and Margot Robbie for its vintage-ladylikewith-a-kick frocks. Cheerily holding up her pint, Kate looked more like an It girl at a fashion week party than a duchess on duty.
But what does an on-duty duchess even look like any more? Now that Meghan is carving a new path outside The Firm and Kate is stepping up her duties and profile, there’s a sense that she’s taking her style in a bolder, more modern direction.
Kate’s sophisticated style streak began earlier that day, as she disembarked her Aer Lingus flight to Dublin. Yes, she’d diplomatically opted for a head-to-toe Emerald Isle green look, but rather than sticking to her usual plain, polite silhouettes, she wore a Catherine Walker & Co coat with crystal buttons, layered over an Alessandra Rich tea dress, finished off with one of the padded velvet headbands that Kate has phased in to replace the fussy fascinators she used to rely on.
On Wednesday evening, she took it to the next level in a vintage fuchsia Oscar de la Renta gown that immediately drew comparisons to a Donald Campbell dress twice worn by Princess Diana in the ’80s. And which, incidentally, we’ve been reminded of recently after seeing Emma Corrin (who plays Diana in the new series of The Crown) in a recreation of the look.
If this all felt very fashion, then by day Kate offered up reminders that she was still just the girl who loves a high-street bargain, wearing a Reiss coat she’s owned for 12 years (though it had been cleverly tailored for a more flattering fit) and £29.99 Zara jeans. Though she couldn’t resist throwing in a pussy-bow blouse from Alexa Chung’s latest Barbour collaboration. Whatever happened to the duchess for whom a tweed skirt-suit was once seen as daring ?
Perhaps with these constant outfit changes Kate was trying to say something like, ‘Just because I’m a mum-of-three with the huge pressure of keeping love for the monarchy alive on my shoulders, doesn’t mean I can’t finally have fun with fashion after years of being on my best behaviour. Actually, I know all these fancy frocks are going to create great pictures and give more for everyone to write about too – winning!’
Kate is still relying on the advice of Ginnie Chadwyck-healey, the former Vogue retail editor and university friend of the Cambridges, who has gently guided her in updating her look over the past 18 months. Although Ginnie has just had a baby, she is thought to have worked with Kate and her team (including PA Natasha Archer) on strategising her Ireland look.
Two outfits sum up just how clever Kate’s current wardrobe approach really is. The pink polka-dot dress – Kate’s first experiment in wearing vintage – and the Reiss coat rewear both reflect the current eco-conscious mood, but in different ways. The Oscar de la Renta (thought to be sourced from a vintage specialist like William Vintage) was something strikingly bold that had the fashion crowd swooning, but Kate’s long-time fans seemed far more excited about seeing a coat she used to wear on the party circuit as William’s girlfriend. It’s a delicate balance between being relatable and being a style icon. And right now, Kate’s striking it perfectly.