UNITED KINGDOM/ FILE: Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen announced as the designer behind Kate Middleton's much-anticipated wedding dress

Record ID: 899094

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM/ FILE: Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen announced as the designer behind Kate Middleton's much-anticipated wedding dress
  • Date: 30th April 2011
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (FILE - MARCH 8, 2011) (REUTERS ) VARIOUS OF ALEXANDER MCQUEEN FASHION SHOW
  • Embargoed: 14th May 2011 22:32
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA8LG91MK9AOKCBOYBG123NDZTR
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Ending one of the biggest mysteries in fashion, Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, royal officials confirmed on Friday (April 29).
    Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen "for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing", according to a press release by Clarence House.
    It added that Middleton worked closely with Burton to design a dress that combined both modernity and tradition.
    In a press release sent to journalists by the label, 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. It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created. I am delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship. Alexander McQueen's designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day."
    A woman dressed in a fur hunting hat, covering her face her hair, was seen arriving to the Goring Hotel on Thursday (April 28), with many fashion editors speculating whether it was Burton underneath.
    The dress is made with ivory and white satin gazar, English and French Chantilly lace, and features a lace applique for the bodice and skirt. Individual flowers were hand-cut onto the dress in the shapes of a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.
    The skirt echoes an opening flower while the train is two metres and 70 centimetres long, according to the press office at Clarence House.
    The veil is held in place by a Cartier "halo" tiara, lent to Middleton by The Queen.
    The shoes were also made by the team at Alexander McQueen while the The Royal School of Needlework (RSN), based at Hampton Court Palace, assisted the Alexander McQueen team in constructing the dress.
    Fashion commentators have said that Kate Middleton chose Alexander McQueen after seeing a wedding dress in 2005 designed for Sara Buys, the wife of Tom-Parker Bowles, Prince William's brother-in-law.
    Burton, who worked alongside McQueen himself for nearly 14 years, was named head designer of the label in 2010, shortly after his death.
  • Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
Register