A familiar face, but Camilla is still taking risk for crowning moment
When the Queen is crowned at the Coronation, the moment will symbolise her taking on the biggest job of her life at 75. So it seems fitting that the man who is reported to be dressing her will be a fellow 70-something putting the cherry on the cake of an illustrious career as one of British society’s most beloved designers.
In choosing Bruce Oldfield, Camilla will have the safest pair of hands for a gown which will be one of the most significant of her life, but she is also taking a risk; Oldfield is synonymous with Diana, Princess of Wales, for whom he made more than 100 gowns.
His aesthetic evolved along with Diana’s style with everything from frothy, glittery gowns to smartly tailored suits. In the late Princess’s Oldfield repertoire, you can see how deftly he is able to balance edginess with elegance, sometimes going off shoulder or backless, which meant she didn’t look out of step with the times.
He has created formalwear for the Queen for many years. He excels at neatly tailored dress coats for Royal Ascot and bling-tastic gowns for moments requiring a hefty dose of regal splendour; Oldfield was the man behind the crystal-encrusted pale blue dress that Camilla wore to the premiere of No Time To Die in 2021. .
But his design for Camilla won’t be as lavish as the late Queen’s coronation dress by Sir Norman Hartnell, with its gold beads, diamantes and pearls. She is a Queen Consort, not the monarch. It will be the grandest outfit we’ve ever seen her in though. This is more than just a dress, it is a historical artefact.
Oldfield will undoubtedly include symbolic embroidery which represents Great Britain and the Commonwealth and the materials used will be carefully chosen to reflect the finest British talent. The shape will be traditional and impeccably tailored, likely reflecting the silhouette which Oldfield has honed for Camilla.
Like so many design veterans, the fashion industry hasn’t always been kind to Oldfield. In July 2020, his business went into liquidation and his future looked uncertain. Instead of slipping gently into retirement, he came fighting back with a pared-back new operation which saw him turn his home into his studio and work closely with a select number of clients.
It’s a punt which will have paid off handsomely if he has now beaten competition from the likes of Anna Valentine, who made Camilla’s wedding dress, and won the once-in-ageneration commission to design the new Queen’s coronation gown.