The Duchess of Sussex's wedding dress designer Clare Waight-Keller has revealed that Meghan wanted her gown to represent a change in how members of the royal family dress, resulting in her now iconic dress. The Givenchy designer said they discussed a number of different ideas during the design process, including what Meghan's wedding dress would symbolise.
"We talked about the ceremony, the implications of her coming into the family and what her role was going to be in the future... what emotions she wanted to portray, how she wanted to carve out a new idea of a way to dress for a royal, and also the magnitude of it," Clare said in an interview with Grazia.
Meghan wanted her wedding dress to represent a change in how royals dress
The fashion designer also discussed the "unbreakable bond" she and Meghan had forged after working together closely for several months in the lead up to the royal wedding. "I think the magic of that being so intimate and so personal for so long felt incredibly special because it evolved from a designer and client relationship very quickly into a friendship, in that we’ve got such a comfort level with one another and shared so many special moments," Clare said. "I suppose we have a sort of unbreakable bond in that sense, when you’ve experienced something very few people have together, so it goes deep."
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Clare has previously admitted she was surprised by the impact Meghan's minimalistic gown had, and said she believed Instagram was to thank for increasing the attention it received – something that wasn't as widely used when Prince William and Kate married in 2011. "I had no idea how momentous it was going to be," the Givenchy designer said in April. "The last time there was a royal wedding there was no Instagram, really, or any of those huge social networks. So it really took me aback, actually."
Clare Waight-Keller said she has forged a close friendship with Meghan
Clare also said she felt the simple and elegant gown was not only perfectly suited to Meghan, but also very relevant and modern. "The idea of that purity was just really modern," Clare said. "I think it was right for now, and it was right for her."
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