Meghan Markle finally put an end to months of intense speculation when she stepped out in a Givenchy-designed gown to marry Prince Harry at St George's Chapel in Windsor. Fashion fans were stunned by its elegant simplicity, clean lines and flattering silhouette, as well as the exquisitely embroidered five-metre long veil which bore the national flowers of all 53 commonwealth states. However, don't let the seemingly simple design fool you. Although it may not have boasted the intricate lace of the Duchess of Cambridge's 2011 wedding dress, its designer has revealed it sill took a painstakingly long time to make.
The beautiful gown is deceptively simple-looking
Clare Waight Keller, artistic director of the Parisian couture house, has revealed to American fashion industry bible Women's Wear Daily that the dress took an incredible 3,900 hours over the course of four months to make. She did not state whether this included the hand-embroidered veil or not. A team of 50 people worked to create the dress, veil, bridal shoes and bridesmaids' dresses.
Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller, who designed the dress
Although it sounds like a long time, it's actually not unheard of for custom couture gowns to take this many hours. Keller is famed for her attention to detail and razor-sharp tailoring, and a large amount of time would probably have been spent perfecting the off-the-shoulder style and flattering figure-skimming silhouette.
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Even though the overall look was simple, Meghan's dress was filled with special details that added extra meaning to her outfit. As well as the hand-embroidered national flowers, the veil also featured a Californian poppy to represent Meghan's homeland. She also wore the stunning Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara, loaned to her by Harry’s grandmother the Queen, which was first created for the Queen's grandmother Queen Mary back in 1932. It features a detachable brooch, given to Mary as a wedding present in 1893 by the County of Lincoln.
