David Emanuel, the man who co-designed Princess Diana's wedding dress, has shared his thoughts on the type of bridal gown Pippa Middleton should choose for her big day. Pippa, 32, is set to tie the knot with fiancé James Matthews next year, and this week David was asked how he would dress the Duchess of Cambridge's younger sister for her nuptials.
"I personally would put her in something very soft, perhaps chiffon, with a train of course because it's dramatic," he told the Mail. "Possibly a little lace bodice, soft and fluid. I mean, she's got a great shape.
Pippa Middleton and James Matthews are set to tie the knot next year
"And I would say the complete opposite of Kate just so she makes her own statement really. Soft and pretty."
Pippa and James announced their engagement on 19 July – and already the bride-to-be is thinking about her dream dress. According to friends, Kate and Pippa have sat down together to discuss potential designers, with Jenny Packham top of the list.
Pippa and her sister Kate have already discussed potential dress designers
David shared his thoughts on Pippa's gown while promoting the new series of his TLC show Say Yes To The Dress. The programme, in which he helps engaged women find their dream gowns, has been a big hit in the US, and is now being filmed using British brides. "It's a job I am passionate about and I love doing it," he said.
On the subject of weddings, David also spoke creating Diana's gown for her 1981 marriage to Prince Charles. "She was simply young and fresh and I wanted to dress to reflect that," he said. "But at the same time, she was going in as Lady Diana Spencer and coming out as the Princess of Wales.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDavid helped create Diana's wedding dress for her 1981 marriage to Prince Charles
"And every girl in the country had a vision of what a princess should look like, and of course the location, St Paul's Cathedral, was very grand. So if you did a subtle little number it's not going to work to an audience of 700 billion people! So you had to give it a lot of consideration."
He continued: "As long as she was happy, I was happy. It's very flattering that the rest of the world liked it, but it's the client, as long as she was happy – it was a pleasure to do!"
