A GOWN FIT FOR A STAR… IN JUST FOUR DAYS
In March 2012 Kate was top of my must-dress list and I was prepared to pull out all the stops for the gown she would wear to the Royal Albert Hall premiere of I had just four
days. A dress of this kind would normally take weeks or months. Luckily, Kate would be in town in the lead-up to the premiere and available for a fitting. To be able to have just one fitting with a celebrity client is rare, even with a bespoke piece. Early on Saturday morning we arrived at Kate’s hotel in Covent Garden. She slipped into one of the sample garments we had made overnight – a black stretch crepe gown with a plunging neckline. As soon as she tried it on, we knew it was the one. My head
pattern cutter Simon then nipped and tucked the dress while Kate kept a watchful
eye on her reflection. She is a professional and knows only too well that
every detail is crucial. Three machinists worked that evening to finish the dress ready for the final
fitting, while Simon fastidiously checked the
pieces against Kate’s dress dummy. On the day
of the premiere as I unfastened the gown ready for Kate to try, you could have heard a pin drop. But as I glanced at her reflection in the mirror Kate looked good, very good. However, it’s never guaranteed that a star will wear your design, even at
this stage. Later, we waited in the roped-off area, watching the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall. I saw her golden hair first, the cherry lips and her sparkling smile, then the reassuring glimpse of a silvery sleeve and a dash of black – Kate was wearing my dress!