Duchess Kate debuts Dolce & Gabbana to showcase British creative culture to Chinese President

21/10/2015

This morning, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge met the Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Madame Peng Liyuan at Lancaster House to view the "Creative Collaborations" exhibition, as part of the Chinese state visit to the UK.

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The event was a celebration of the cultural ties between the UK and China and was an opportunity for the foursome to meet a range of UK and Chinese companies working in creative collaboration.

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My favorite photo of the day is of Kate walking past the TARDIS and a Darlek! Yes, I'm a Doctor Who fan :)

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Kate surprised us today by debuting a new frock from Dolce & Gabbana. The Italian design house isn't a brand we would normally associate with the Duchess. In fact, this is the first piece she has ever worn from D&G.

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Kate choose a deep purple Guipure lace dress designed with a high neck. The sheer lace dress comes with a silk-blend slip for coverage. It retails for US$3,495 and is currently available from Net-a-Porter, My Theresa and Luisaviaroma.

In addition to D&G, Kate premiered another Italian designer. On her feet were the Gianvito Rossi 'Gianvito' pumps. A huge thanks to @YourLoveMoments for the ID! The 'Gianvito' model is Rossi's signature pump and the style comes in a range of colours, fabrics and heel heights. I emailed Gianvito Rossi and they have confirmed that Kate wore the 'Gianvito 105' (105 mm heel height) in Royale Burgundy suede.

Kate completed her outfit with a couple of familiar pieces. Kate wore her Mappin & Webb 'Empress' earrings and carried her Mulberry 'Bayswater' clutch in cranberry suede. You may recall that Kate also owns this clutch in black suede.

The black suede version is one of her go-to clutches but we have only seen Kate carry the cranberry 'Bayswater' clutch on one other occasion. It made its debut on Christmas Day in 2011.

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I'll be back on Friday to cover William and Kate's visit to Dundee, Scotland where they go by the titles, The Earl and Countess of Strathearn. They have five engagements planned while there, including a walkabout and participation in an anti-bullying workshop.

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