John Galliano 4 Kate Moss

So it’s been confirmed. Renowned, (even among the recent controversy) British designer John Galliano is the mind behind Kate Moss’ wedding dress. Alongside Sarah Burton designing McQueen for Kate Middleton, there is absolutely no doubt that this year will ultimately be the Battle of the Kates.

See my articles on Kate Middleton’s dress here and here.

Galliano fits easily into my list of Top 10 Designers. Below Vivienne Westwood and Erdem but above Issa and potentially even Alexander McQueen, with which Galliano shared a British Designer of the Year Award in 1997. I’ve done reviews of their collections before – which you can see by clicking on the names.

But back to the wedding dress. John Galliano is known for his extreme elegance, class and theatrical designs and has played the role of head designer for both Givenchy and Dior. Kate Moss has been one of Galliano’s muses almost since time began, so it only seems fitting that she has chosen him to come up with her frock of a lifetime.

The final design is very simple and elegant – and very Kate Moss – as can be seen in the photo above. Ivory in colour and covered top-to-toe in embellishments, it’s almost hard to tell the difference between the bride’s wedding gown and her evening disco number. Although it really is a beautiful creation – it’s hard to label it outstanding after Kate Middleton walked down the aisle in THAT McQueen gown mere weeks previously. To be honest, I’m not entirely certain that I don’t prefer the bridesmaids’ dresses…

Fashion Statement 9 – ISSA

Block colouring, royal tones, strong shapes and lady-like lace and drapes are what Issa’s 2011 collection swear by. Red is clashed with green, blue with beige and purple with navy in a bold amalgamation of textures, lengths, twists and turns. Issa has a way of draping fabric to create flattering and exciting silhouettes – so much so, future queen and Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton chose to wear one of Issa’s designs to her engagement interview. See here. This purple lace cocktail dress is perhaps one of my favourites out of the current collection – the deep shade of aubergine-come-plum purple is intriguing and sophisticated, and would no doubt look even more eye-popping against my own fair skin tone.

But the Issa-love doesn’t stop there. Take last week’s episode of America’s Next Top Model (S16E11) where the final 4 girls had to model Issa’s latest collection on the streets of Marrakesh. The emerald green dress pictured here is what contestant Molly was given to wear. They had her pair the dress with some vibrant blue palazzo-style trousers. Tradition shouts that blue and green should never be seen – but I think Issa is the best exception to this rule. The girls of the competition even got to meet Daniella Issa Helayel herself! Wearing an evening gown with a turban, as in this photo, may not be everyone’s cup of tea –  but you certainly can’t deny it made you look twice.

Visit http://www.issalondon.com to see the S/S and A/W 2011 collections.

Princesses, McQueens and Future Kings

Kate Middleton – now Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge – continues to raise the royal fashion bar.

It all began with that blue Issa engagement dress (which I gave 10/10 for in my previous blog post here). Not only did she have a bespoke Alexander McQueen wedding gown (perhaps the long-awaited tribute McQueen himself deserved), Kate then went on to wow us all with this SECOND Sarah Burton ivory floor-sweeper. Complete with jewelled waistband, fitted bodice and a cute cardi – this ‘evening reception dress’ is almost as beautiful as the filigree daytime number.

Several official photographs were taken of the newest additions to the royal family by the talented photographer Hugo Burnand. These include some enormous family shots featuring the adorable bridesmaids and one with the Queen Elizabeth II herself (who donned a fabulous daffodil-yellow outfit for her new grandaughter-in-law’s big day).

Among the official photographs are pictures of Prince William and Kate walking around the grounds of Buckingham Palace. In these photos, Kate is wearing a beautiful cornflower-blue (almost casual) chiffon dress: the second Issa frock we’ve seen in recent weeks. No doubt this one will sell out just as quickly as the first.

On the theme of Royalty, check out my Union Jack cushion design here!

And then we come to those who made some SERIOUS fashion faux-pas. Oh Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, what were you thinking? While Princess Beatrice opted for top-to-toe Vivienne Westwood and Eugenie for Valentino couture- there is something seriously wrong about this combination. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE both of these designers. I think the peacock blues and neutral pastels are stunning. Perhaps it’s the Philip Treacy hats the pair are wearing that just tip them that little bit too far over the line of fashion vs disaster. Maybe these outfits are a little TOO haute couture for a wedding in an abbey built 1000 years ago. It makes me slightly morose to think that these 2 outstanding designers could make anyone look so very, very wrong. If you’re listening Dame Vivienne, Mr Valentino – send your garments to me first next time, yeah?

The Royal Look – Kate Middleton

Alright – so there’s no way I was going to let the Royal Wedding of the Century pass by without any comment. Let’s face it, Kate Middleton is quite the princess, whether you care to admit it or not. She’s young. She’s pretty. She’s marrying a real-life prince. And through all of this, she maintains such great style. I suppose you have to look pretty fantastic when you’re representing the United Kingdom for a living – whether that means being plastered across the 180-page-pullout-keepsake-edition of The Sun or on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. And yes, I’m sure there are certain rules about how many inches ones hemline may fall above ones knee, or what shade of Chanel lipstick is most appropriate for which ribbon cutting event – but I think Kate can easily pull it off without looking middle-aged.

Take the dress she wore to her engagement interview, pictured above. The royal blue (no pun intended) was obviously chosen to match her sapphire engagement ring, but it complements her eyes beautifully too. The dress is by design-house Issa and sold out instantly after Kate was photographed wearing it. You can still buy similar styles online at net-a-porter.com - but without that regal shade of blue, is it quite the same? I believe Tesco have their own knock-off version of the dress too, but I feel this is a bit half-hearted, and something like buying a fake engagement ring by collecting tokens out of the newspaper – oh wait. You can do that too.

Of course I will be celebrating the Royal Wedding in style (albeit at work) with my Wills & Kate flag. And of course I’ll be reviewing the eagerly-awaited wedding dress once it goes live. My money’s on a Vivienne Westwood number. Place your bets now girls (and guys).