George Boyle
Kate Middleton's wedding dress has become one of her most famous outfits of all time. The dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was worn by Kate when she wed Prince William in an elaborate ceremony at Westminster Abbey in 2011. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with fashion experts noting that the design was largely traditional and inspired by dresses from the 1950s. The dress also featured intricate lace details, with the bodice, skirt, and underskirt trim created out of English and French Chantilly lace. The dress's train, made using Ireland's 19th-century Carrickmacross lace-making technique, stretched nearly nine feet.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Wedding date | 29 April 2011 |
| Wedding location | Westminster Abbey |
| Wedding dress designer | Sarah Burton |
| Dress designer's brand | Alexander McQueen |
| Dress designer's role | Creative Director |
| Dress designer's nationality | English |
| Dress designer's team | Mandy Ewing |
| Dressmaker's technique | Carrickmacross lace-making technique |
| Dressmaker | Royal School of Needlework |
| Dress fabric | English and French Chantilly lace, silk tulle, satin gazar |
| Dress colour | Ivory, white |
| Dress details | Long sleeves, V-neck, fitted, lace overlay, 58 buttons, 2.7m train |
| Dress cost | N/A |
| Dress display | Buckingham Palace |
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What You'll Learn
Kate Middleton's wedding dress designer was Sarah Burton
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with speculation about Middleton's choice of dress in the months leading up to the wedding.
The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends. It was described as a mix of "edgy fashion and tradition" and was said to pay tribute to the United Kingdom through its lace embroidery. The dress featured a lengthy train, spanning nearly 9 feet, and was made using ivory and white satin gazar with a lace overlay. The lace bodice echoed that worn by Grace Kelly for her marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956. The technique used in the dress was influenced by the traditional Carrickmacross lace-making technique, with floral motifs cut out of lengths of lace produced on large 19th-century machines and stitched to machine net.
Burton's work first came to Middleton's attention in 2005 when she attended the wedding of Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Burton had designed the bridal gown for the bride, fashion journalist Sara Buys. Burton was the odds-on favourite to create Middleton's dress, and the choice was kept a closely guarded secret until the wedding day. In a statement, Burton said, "It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it."
The original dress was on display at Buckingham Palace from 23 July 2011 until 3 October 2011 during the annual summer exhibition, breaking royal records. Replicas of the dress were also produced and sold.
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The dress was designed for Alexander McQueen
The dress worn by Catherine Middleton for her wedding to Prince William on 29 April 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media. It was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends.
The dress was largely traditional and inspired by dresses from the 1950s. It featured a Victorian-style bodice with a long-sleeved lace overlay, and the lace bodice echoed that worn by Grace Kelly for her marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956. The ivory and white satin gazar skirt was designed to resemble the opening of a flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats that pooled in a train measuring nearly nine feet. The train was appliquéd using Ireland's 19th-century Carrickmacross lace-making technique. The lace motifs included roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, representing the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively.
The lace for the dress was not specially commissioned but was chosen from stock patterns. Three companies produced lace for the dress: Sophie Hallette and Solstiss in France, and the Cluny Lace Company in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The majority of the dress was made using Solstiss lace, specifically for the skirt and train. The styles of machine lace included "English Cluny" and "Chantilly".
The choice of Alexander McQueen as the designer of the dress was not announced until the bride arrived at Westminster Abbey just before the service. In a statement, Buckingham Palace explained that Middleton chose the British brand "for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing." The statement also noted that Middleton wanted to "combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work."
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The dress featured a long-sleeved lace overlay
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton on her wedding day on 29 April 2011 was designed by English designer Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress featured a long-sleeved lace overlay, with a fitted white V-neck gown. The lace bodice of Middleton's dress echoed that worn by Grace Kelly when she married Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956. The lace was not specially commissioned for the dress but was, in fact, chosen from stock patterns. Three companies are known to have produced lace for the dress: Sophie Hallette and Solstiss in France, and the Cluny Lace Company in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The majority of the dress was made using Solstiss lace, specifically the skirt and train.
The dress was designed to pay tribute to the United Kingdom through its lace embroidery. It was also noted that the design was largely traditional and inspired by dresses from the 1950s. The ivory and white satin gazar skirt was made to resemble the opening of a flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with replicas of the dress being produced and sold. The dress was on display at Buckingham Palace from 23 July 2011 until 3 October 2011 during the annual summer exhibition.
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It had a nearly nine-foot-long train
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton at her wedding to Prince William on 29 April 2011 was designed by English designer Sarah Burton, creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was designed to combine "tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work".
The dress featured an impressive train that was nearly nine feet long, stretching two metres and 70 centimetres. The train was designed to echo an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats that pooled at the bottom. The lace used for the train was influenced by the traditional Carrickmacross lace-making technique from the 19th century. The lace motifs were cut out and rearranged, then stitched onto silk net.
Three companies are known to have produced lace for the dress: Sophie Hallette and Solstiss in France, and the Cluny Lace Company in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The majority of the dress is made using Solstiss lace, specifically the skirt and train. The styles of machine lace are called "English Cluny" and "Chantilly". The lace was chosen from stock patterns, and the particular pattern used for the bodice is now known as "Kate's lace".
The dress was very well-received by fashion experts, who noted its traditional design inspired by 1950s fashion. Karl Lagerfeld commented, "the dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot." Antonio Marras of Kenzo also observed, "the choice of the label and the style of the dress was a very clever mix between edgy fashion and tradition — all in a very British way."
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The dress was influenced by traditional Carrickmacross lace technique
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton on 29 April 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media. It was noted that the design was largely traditional and inspired by dresses from the 1950s.
The dress was influenced by the traditional Carrickmacross lace technique, which originated in County Monaghan in the 1820s. The lace appliqué on the skirt and bodice was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace-making technique involved cutting out floral motifs from lace produced on large 19th-century machines and stitching them to machine net. This modern technique was used to create a design that incorporated the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock, representing each of the countries in the United Kingdom.
Three companies produced lace for the dress: Sophie Hallette and Solstiss in France, and the Cluny Lace Company in Ilkeston, Derbyshire. The majority of the dress was made using Solstiss lace, specifically the skirt and train. The styles of machine lace are known as "English Cluny" and "Chantilly", distinct from older handmade bobbin laces with the same names. The lace was chosen from stock patterns, with Sophie Hallette's "950264" lace being renamed "Kate's lace" after the wedding.
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Frequently asked questions
English designer Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen.
Yes, Kate Middleton commissioned Sarah Burton to design her wedding dress.
The dress was designed to combine "tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work". The dress featured a long-sleeved lace overlay, a sweeping train, and a blue ribbon sewn into the interior of the dress to serve as her "something blue".
