Kate Middleton's wedding dress went down as one of the most iconic bridal style moments of all time. The Duchess of Cambridge opted for a long-sleeved lace gown by English designer Sarah Burton, and a very notable fashion face played a part in her decision: Alexandra Shulman.
SEE: Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal wedding photo album
Kate visited Vogue's centenary exhibition in May 2016
Speaking to You Magazine, the former Vogue Editor said: "As Editor-in-Chief of Vogue, my advice was called on. Naturally I was hugely flattered and scrambled together a list of designers that I thought might be appropriate, bringing pictures of their work to Clarence House. I remember the Duchess arriving in the large, gracious room and thinking her so much taller and slimmer than I had imagined."
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Apparently, Prince William's then bride-to-be held Alexandra's opinion in high regard. "She was keen to listen to what I had to say," Alexandra added. "Asking questions as we went through the candidates. It was clear that the chosen name should be British but it was less clear whether it should be a fashion designer or somebody who specialised in bridal wear.
Alexandra recommended Sarah Burton as a designer for Kate's wedding gown
"We sat on a sofa and discussed the various options, piles of pictures scattered on the floor. As we talked, I began to realise that my favourite was Alexander McQueen, a label which at that point, shortly after McQueen's horribly untimely death, was newly in the hands of Sarah Burton. I thought that the level of extraordinary craftsmanship and their tradition of working with symbolism would be up to the task, that Sarah and Catherine would get on as women, and that it would be terrific to have a relatively untraditional fashion house given this privilege. And then I left. I didn’t mention the meeting to anyone and I didn't hear anything more."
Sure enough, a few months later in April 2011, Kate Middleton arrived at Westminster Abbey wearing a wedding dress by Sarah Burton, the exact designer Alexandra had proposed.
Ever humble, Alexandra concluded: "I lay no claim to being anything other than one of many sources of that decision, but all the same I was thrilled at being a small speck in the picture of this particular moment in history."
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