Ahead of the CURVE
Ashley Graham sizes up high street fashion
THEY came, they saw, they consoled lost toddlers... and one of them wore more than £100,000 worth of clothes.
After 16 glorious days of meeting and greeting, nose rubbing, bouquet receiving, memorial observing, games and giggles; the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal tour Down Under is all over.
But what a few weeks it has been for royal watchers?
Beginning, as it did, with the announcement that the newlyweds are expecting their first child in the spring, the tour of New Zealand, Australia, Tonga and Fiji could not have got off to a better start.
And, from the selfies with kids to touching moments with elderly fans, the pair have not put a foot wrong.
In fact the biggest disaster of the trip seems to have been Meghan leaving a label on one of her frocks. Ah, Meghan’s frocks! With 16 days, four countries, 76 engagements, changing climates and a baby bump to consider, I can’t begin to imagine the level of planning that has gone into packing the 37-year-old’s suitcases.
As someone who is freaking out about what to pack for a four-day wintersun jaunt to Tenerife, the mere thought of it is making my teeth tingle.
Then again, Meghan doesn’t have Ryanair’s new baggage rules to contend with.
Over the past couple of weeks we have seen the former actress in maxi dresses, cocktail dresses and sun dresses. There was even a £35 maternity dress from Asos – surely one of the cheapest items she packed.
Unsurprisingly, her luggage was stuffed with designer labels including her go-to brands of Givenchy and Stella McCartney.
And, like Kate with her LK Bennetts, Meghan never goes anywhere without her trusty Aquazurra heels.
Hello! magazine calculated that Meghan’s clothes cost a whopping £117,109.19 and included £64,893.86 of new buys and almost £60,000 of jewellery.
My personal favourite was the Oscar de la Renta fairy tale ball gown she wore to a gala in Sydney.
But Meghan is not one for simply picking something because it looks nice. Whether she is recognising the country she is visiting by wearing a homegrown designer or showing off her eco credentials in vegan trainers, she loves to send a message with her outfits.
She wore a ‘Husband’ shirt during the early days of her courtship with Harry and the day after she announced her pregnancy, she stepped out in a ‘Blessed’ dress by Queensland-born designer Karen Gee.
Naturally Karen’s website crashed within hours.
When the Duke and duchess of Cambridge undertook their Australasia tour in 2014 – with baby Prince George in tow no less – Kate introduced the world to a little-known Aussie designer called Zimmerman (I can still see her on the sand in that gorgeous white sun dress). Fast forward four years and Zimmerman is one of the most lusted-after brands on the planet.
Before last month I’d never heard of Karen Gee, nor did I know who Martin Grant was, but now I need a trenchcoat from the Melbourne designer after seeing Meghan’s.
Who cares if they cost more than a grand?
Of course, the worst thing about a long holiday is having to deal with all the laundry when you get home.
I don’t picture Meghan sweating over a hot spin cycle any time soon though.