Kate braves London snow in Victorian-inspired Orla Kiely dress for Portrait Gallery exhibition1/3/2018
The Duchess of Cambridge braved the London snow last night and stepped out for an engagement at the National Portrait Gallery.
Kate was at the gallery to preview of the Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography exhibit in her role as patron.
Despite the freezing temperatures, Kate didn't cover up with a coat. She instead revealed a new black patterned dress by Orla Kiely. The piece is the designer's Leith X Orla Kiely 'Margaret' Smock Bib Floral Print Dress (£490). It is from the L’Orla Resort 2018 capsule collection, done in collaboration with stylist Leith Clark.
Cut to a flattering figure-skimming fit and constructed from mid-weight viscose fabric, the dress features an eye-catching floral print throughout. It has Victorian-era elements such as a high neckline with a soft velvet band, and a smock front panel with ruched detailing and a soft velvet trim. The velvet trim continues around the ruffled long sleeves. A duster hemline finishes the design. It was an apt choice for tonight's exhibition focused on Victorian art.
Kate picked up on the blush coloured accents on the dress and opted to accessorize with her Gianvito Rossi Gianvito 105 Praline Suede Pumps and recently acquired Jimmy Choo 'Celeste' Suede Clutch.
Kate finished the outfit with her dazzling Kiki McDonough pink tourmaline and green amethyst drops. Coincidentally, Kate first wore the £8,900 earrings at the Portrait Gala in March last year which was also held at the National Portrait Gallery.
There's no slowing down for the Duchess next week. She has two engagements, one on Tuesday where she will visit the Pegasus Primary School in Oxford, and on Wednesday Kate will officially open the Place2Be's new London headquarters.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were joined by Prince Harry and his fiancée Meghan Markle today at the inaugural Royal Foundation Forum in London. It marked the first time the four had appeared at an official engagement together.
The Royal Foundation was set up by Prince William and Prince Harry as the main vehicle to pursue their charitable interests. The Duchess of Cambridge became a Patron in 2011, and Meghan will soon become the fourth Patron. The foursome took part in a panel discussion to talk about how The Foundation was founded and their ambitions for its future.
Kate opted for a familiar look today, repeating the royal blue Seraphine 'Valerie' maternity dress we first saw her wear for an event at Roe Green Junior School in January.
The Duchess teamed it with her trusty Stuart Weitzman 'Muse' Clutch and Jimmy Choo 'Georgia' Pumps. She also wore her Cartier Ballon Bleu Bracelet Watch.
The only new addition to her ensemble was a pair of earrings.
The earrings belong to The Queen and were given to her by her parents King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1945 when she was only 19 years old. Below is a photo of Her Majesty wearing the earrings and a matching brooch set while holding an infant Prince Charles.
We will see Kate again tonight when she visits the National Portrait Gallery to view the exhibition ‘Victorian Giants: The Birth of Art Photography‘ in role as Patron.
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The Duchess of Cambridge added two new patronages to her portfolio today. Kensington Palace announced that Kate would become patron of The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), and the Nursing Now campaign ahead of her visit to both organizations today.
Kate stepped out for the engagements in an all-blue ensemble. She debuted a mod-inspired contrast trim coat and a tonal blue maternity dress. According to The Mirror, both pieces are bespoke from Jenny Packham.
Here's a look at the coat from the side and back.
Kate complemented the outfit with her G. Collins Tanzanite Pendant Necklace & Earrings.
We will see the Duchess again tomorrow when she joins Prince William, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at the first annual Royal Foundation Forum.
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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited Sunderland in northeast England today to get a flavour for the city's arts scene and engineering heritage.
Kate stepped out in a new forest green coat by Dolce & Gabbana. The coat appears to be a bespoke piece from the Italian fashion house. Some of the design features are similar to the plum Dolce and Gabbana coat Kate wore during the recent tour of Norway.
The coat appears to be constructed in two pieces; the first part is the main body of the coat consisting of the back, sleeves, and side panels to the front. The second piece is a front panel with large shiny buttons on each side which gives the illusion of a double-breasted design. The coat is fashioned with besom side pockets, and top stitch detailing on the front panel.
Underneath the coat Kate wore a new patterned dress her go-to maternity brand, Seraphine.
It is the ‘Phaedra Woven Maternity Dress‘ from the British label’s Luxe Collection. The £159 frock is made in soft woven fabric with a flattering A-line shape and a curved empire waist.
Kate accessorized with the following familiar pieces:
Her jewellery consisted of the:
During the visit, Kate changed into her Stuart Weitzman HalfNHalf Black Suede Boots for a stroll across the new £117million Northern Spire Bridge which is due to open later this year. The flat boots were an appropriate choice for the visit to the construction zone.
You can read more about today's events in Sunderland here. We will see the Duchess again next Tuesday when she visits St. Thomas’ Hospital to launch the Nursing Now campaign.
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It's London Fashion Week and The Duchess of Cambridge and The Countess of Wessex teamed up for the first time this evening to host a reception on behalf of The Queen at Buckingham Palace to showcase a new creative initiative - the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange.
The project pairs fashion design talent with artisan producers from across the Commonwealth’s 53 countries. It celebrates creativity, sustainable production and manufacturing, trade links and ethical supply chains across the fashion industry, from business and design to textile and fabric design and manufacturing, to craft and artisan skills. Kate and Sophie looked at several of the designs created as part of the exchange.
Image source: @RoyalFamily (via Twitter)
They also meet artisans from around the Commonwealth and heard stories about the design partnerships.
Kate also mingled with fashion heavy-weights Anna Wintour and Stella McCartney.
The Duchess showed off her fashion credentials tonight in a black and white floral guipure lace dress. She wore a custom version of the Erdem 'Suzi' Dress (SOLD OUT).
Kate's dress was modified to a midi length. The €2,520 off-the-shelf piece hits just above the knee as shown on the model below. The fit and flare 'Suzi' Dress is designed with scallop edging around the ¾ length sleeves, neck and hem and soft gently frilled detailing at the waist. The guipure lace overlays a nude crepe de chine lining and a deep V-neck finishes the flirty design.
Here is a closer look at the lace detail.
On her feet the Duchess wore her black suede Prada Wave Cutout Pumps.
She carried her black satin Alexander McQueen Heart-Clasp Frame Clutch Bag.
Kate completed the look with her Anita Dongre Kundan Pearl Drop Earrings.
Sophie looked equally glamorous in a black Burberry Contrast Topstitch Detail Crepe V-neck Dress (£850).
We will see Kate again on Wednesday when she joins Prince William on a visit to Sunderland.
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The Duchess of Cambridge joined Prince William on the red carpet this evening for the British Academy Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) awards ceremony at Royal Albert Hall in London.
Kate looked dazzling in a new deep green Jenny Packham gown, fitting her pregnant figure beautifully. The style is similar to her ink blue Packham evening dress, replicating the splice front and empire waist accentuated with a black velvet ribbon.
The ribbon continues down the back of the dress and is topped with a bow. The portrait neckline extends to the back which features a scoop cut and exposed zip.
UPDATE (15 NOV 2018) - Jenny Packham has released the gown in a green shade as part of her Pre-Spring/Summer 2019 collection. The style is called 'Lucerne' and retails for £2,240.
Tonight we saw the return of the emerald and diamond jewelry set Kate first wore in 2014 for the St. Andrews University fundraiser at the Met in New York.
This evening the Duchess added a matching necklace and converted the drop earrings to studs. The origin of the set is unknown but they are believed to be a wedding gift.
Kate paired the gown with familiar accessories. She carried her black velvet Mascaró bow clutch and on her feet were her black Prada wavy cutout suede pumps.
Kate bucked the trend tonight and opted for a hue other than black in support of the 'Time's Up' campaign. She faced a sartorial dilemma this evening and regardless of what colour she wore she would have been criticized either way. In my opinion I think the Duchess made a subtle nod to the movement with her choice of a muted palette and black accents. Furthermore, she may have chosen the dark green tone in honour of the Suffragettes, who used the colour to represent hope. I think Kate found the middle ground tonight and got the balance right.
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The Duchess of Cambridge was in Essex today to officially open a new, community-based treatment centre in her role as Patron of Action on Addiction.
The center provides nine-week treatment programs for those dealing with addiction. The Duchess was also there to promote the charity's new initiative called Clouds in the Community which aims to offer an effective alternative to residential treatment and an opportunity to provide services in more than one place.
Image source: @KensingtonRoyal (vi a Twitter)
Kate donned her favorite hue today, wearing the Goat 'Ellory' bow detail coat in Marine blue.
The piece is a new addition to her closet and features a high collar with a decorative bow at the neckline. Made in the UK from 100% wool, the $880 coat is designed with a concealed front fastenings on the front placket, and finished with diagonal front pockets.
Kate contrasted the vibrant blue with a black mini dress and black accessories. She carried her crocodile embossed Aspinal of London 'Blue Heart' clutch, and on her feet she wore her trusty Stuart Weitzman Power suede pumps.
Kate left her her down and tucked one side of her bouncy locks behind her ear to reveal the G. Collins Tanzanite earrings.
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The final engagement of William and Kate's Nordic tour took place in the beautiful setting of Holmenkollen, the snowy hills that overlook the city of Oslo.
The Duke and Duchess, accompanied by Prince Haakon and Princess Mette-Marit, joined some of Norway's top ski jumpers at the top of the Holmenkollen Ski Jump - one of Oslo's most iconic landmarks.
The royal couple also got a better understanding how Norwegians embrace the outdoors in the coldest of temperatures, and champion the importance of exercise and wellbeing.
Kate stood out against the snow white backdrop in a 'spicy orange' ski jacket by Kjus. The specialist sportswear brand was founded by Lasse Kjus, a former World Cup alpine ski racer from Norway.
She wore the label's 'Duana' two-tone quilted shell down jacket (US$900) designed with a figure-hugging silhouette made from shell that's filled with warm down. This piece has a neck gaiter for extra coverage, and a detachable hood.
We saw the return of her black John Lewis Faux Fur Trim Suede Gloves and the Sorel 'Torino' boots. Kate first wore both pieces for the opening event of the tour in Stockholm.
Kate topped off her look with a winter white Barts 'Jasmin' beanie. The hand-knitted beanie combines a soft acrylic wool shell with a warm fleece lining to create a chunky knit feel, and it is finished with a pom-pom detail on top. It is currently available at Barts (€29.99), Blacks (£25.00), Ultimate Outdoors (£25.00), Amazon UK (£25.00), and Cotswold Outdoor (US$34.00),
The final day of William and Kate's royal visit to Norway began at the Hartvig Nissen School, which was the location for the hugely successful Norwegian television programme Skam.
The Duke and Duchess, accompanied by The Crown Prince and Princess of Norway, meet the stars of Skam to hear more about the making of the drama series which highlights the many challenges teenagers can experience growing up. They also joined students and mental health support staff to chat about the impact of Skam, and the effect it had on bringing important issues out into the open.
Following the school visit, William and Kate enjoyed a private lunch with Crown Prince Haakon, Crown Princess Mette-Marit and their labradoodle Muffins Kråkebolle at Skagum, their official residence.
Image source: @KensingtonRoyal (via Twitter)
The Duchess opted for a new plum coat from the Italian luxury fashion house of Dolce & Gabbana.
We've been unable to locate it in the plum colour so below we show it in black from FarFetch. Crafted of luxurious virgin wool, the design is characterised by its two line button fastening, classic collar, piqued shoulders and slim long sleeves, drawing in at the waist with darts and falling with a gentle flare to the knee. The coat is complete with two flap pockets, and a rear central vent. Originally retailing for US$2,675, the coat has now been marked down by 30% at FarFetch.
The only significant difference in the design between Kate's coat and the off-the-rack piece above are the buttons. Kate's are metallic compared with horn or plastic on the ready-to-wear version.
Beneath Kate's coat we got a glimpse of a floral pattered dress.
Image source: @KensingtonRoyal (via Twitter)
ID wizzard @HeavenQRF was quick to let us know that it was by Norwegian brand, byTiMo - a favorite of Crown Princess Mette-Marit. The Duchess wore the label's Lace Trimmed Shift Dress (US$295). It's a classic shift dress with an A-line shape, a high neck and elbow length sleeves.
It has an oval-heckled lace detailing on the collar, on the shoulders and on the waistline which you can see in more detail below. The dress has sold out on the byTiMo website but is still available in limited sizes from Tuckernuck.
Kate finished the look with the following familiar accessories:
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