Junior Rasmussen
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with replicas of the dress being produced and sold. The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends. The choice of designer was kept a closely guarded secret before the wedding, with Burton telling Vogue that she didn't even inform her parents until the night before the wedding due to a confidentiality agreement.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Wedding | 29 April 2011 |
| Bride | Catherine Middleton |
| Groom | Prince William |
| Wedding Dress Designer | Sarah Burton |
| Dress Designer's Position | Creative Director of Alexander McQueen |
| Dress Designer's Nationality | British |
| Dress Style | Fitted white V-neck gown with a long-sleeved lace overlay |
| Dress Details | Victorian-style bodice, ivory and white satin gazar skirt, 9-foot train |
| Dress Cost | £250,000 |
| Dress Influence | Grace Kelly's wedding dress, Queen Elizabeth's dress |
| "Something Blue" | Sewn into the gown |
| Bouquet | Designed by Shane Connolly, included hyacinth, Lily-of-the-valley, myrtle, sweet William, and ivy |
| Second Wedding Dress Designer | Sarah Burton |
| Second Wedding Dress Style | White strapless satin gown with a sweetheart neckline and a soft mohair shrug |
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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 Alexander McQueen. Burton was chosen as the designer of the Princess of Wales' gown in 2011, and the dress was widely anticipated and commented on by fashion experts.
The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends. It featured a fitted white V-neck gown with a long-sleeved lace overlay and a lengthy train. The lace designs included roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, representing the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively.
Burton incorporated a trademark "exaggerated" flourish at the back of the dress, with a Victorian bustle detail that added a slight edge to the classic silhouette. The bodice of the dress also exemplified the traditional techniques of Victorian corsetry, narrowing at the waist with slight padding at the hips.
The choice of designer was kept a closely guarded secret until the morning of the wedding, with extraordinary measures taken by the palace and the design team to ensure that the groom and the public would be surprised.
In addition to the wedding gown, Burton also designed a second dress for Middleton, which she wore to the wedding reception. This dress was a white strapless satin gown with a sweetheart neckline, a wide silver crystal-embellished belt, and a soft mohair shrug.
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Burton is the creative director of Alexander McQueen
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, who was the creative director of Alexander McQueen at the time. Burton was McQueen's deputy for 14 years before she became the creative director of the Alexander McQueen label after his death in 2010. Burton's work came to Middleton's notice 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 Bowles' bride, fashion journalist Sara Buys.
Burton is an English designer who was born in 1974 in Macclesfield, Cheshire. She studied at Central Saint Martins, where she graduated with a first-class degree in fashion knitwear. After graduating, she worked with a number of prominent designers, including Giles Deacon and Alexander McQueen. In 1996, she joined Alexander McQueen as the label's right-hand design aide. She was appointed creative director of the brand in May 2010, following McQueen's death.
As creative director of Alexander McQueen, Burton has continued to showcase the brand's signature blend of edgy fashion and tradition. She has also expanded the product range and overseen the opening of new stores worldwide, including the first store in Beijing in 2011. Burton's designs have received widespread acclaim, with her first menswear show, "Pomp and Circumstance", receiving generally positive reviews.
In 2011, Burton designed Middleton's wedding dress, which quickly became iconic. The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and influence on Western bridal gown trends. It featured a lengthy train, spanning nearly 9 feet, and was made using Solstiss lace, with floral motifs representing the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with replicas being produced and sold.
In October 2023, it was announced that Seán McGirr would be taking over as Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, following Burton's final show for the brand.
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The dress featured a Victorian-style bodice
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton when she married Prince William on 29 April 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. The dress was designed to pay tribute to the United Kingdom through its lace embroidery, which featured the English rose, Welsh daffodil, Irish shamrock, and Scottish thistle. The dress featured a Victorian-style bodice, with a narrow waist and slight padding at the hips, inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry. This style of corsetry is a particular hallmark of Alexander McQueen. The bodice incorporated floral motifs cut from machine-made lace, which were then appliquéd onto silk net (tulle) by workers from the Royal School of Needlework, based at Hampton Court Palace. The lace used for the bodice, known as "Kate's lace", was produced by the French company Solstiss, and the styles of machine lace included "English Cluny" and "Chantilly". The dress was very well-received by fashion experts, who noted that it combined tradition and modernity in a very British way.
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It was made from Solstiss lace
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton, now known as the Princess of Wales, was designed by English designer 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 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.
The dress was made from Solstiss lace, a French company known to produce the highest quality of couture lace. The skirt and train of the dress were made from this lace, while the bodice was made from Sophie Hallette lace, also a French company. The lace for the skirt and train included floral motifs of roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks, representing the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
The lace for the skirt and train was not used as it came from Solstiss but was customised by workers from the Royal School of Needlework, who cut out the floral motifs and rearranged them to achieve the effect required by the designer. They were then stitched in place on silk net. This process is known as appliqué and was also used to apply lace to the bodice of the dress, which was made from silk tulle woven with shamrocks, roses and lilies.
The choice of Solstiss lace for the skirt and train of the dress added to its overall elegance and sophistication, contributing to its status as one of the most famous royal wedding dresses in history. The use of couture lace from a renowned French company also highlighted the attention to detail and the desire to create a gown that combined tradition and modernity, reflecting the artistic vision of Alexander McQueen.
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The dress was kept secret until Middleton's wedding day
The designer of Kate Middleton's wedding dress was kept a closely guarded secret until her wedding day. In January 2011, three months before her wedding, Middleton chose Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, to design her wedding dress. However, the decision was kept under wraps until the morning of her wedding on 29 April 2011, when Middleton stepped out of her car at Westminster Abbey.
Extraordinary measures were taken by the palace and the design team to keep the dress a secret. A spokesperson for the palace told People magazine:
> It’s Miss Middleton’s intention to keep the dress a secret for her bridegroom on their wedding day, as is every bride’s prerogative.
Mandy Ewing, a dressmaker on the team, recalled the secrecy surrounding the dress's creation:
> We had net curtains up and cleaners were not allowed into the room and the code on the door was changed. The dress was all in the news, but nobody knew who was doing it.
Burton even signed a confidentiality agreement, only informing her parents the night before the wedding. Despite the secrecy, there was much speculation about the designer of Middleton's dress. The Sunday Times reported on 6 March that Middleton had chosen McQueen designer Sarah Burton. The designer was also snapped by paparazzi entering Middleton's hotel room for a fitting the day before the wedding.
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Frequently asked questions
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen.
Yes, there was much speculation about the designer of Kate Middleton's wedding dress before the big day. Suggested designers included Phillipa Lepley, Victoria Beckham, Sophie Cranston's Libelula, Jasper Conran, and Stella McCartney.
Kate Middleton's wedding dress is estimated to have cost £250,000.
Yes, Kate Middleton worked closely with Sarah Burton on the design of the dress.
