We’ve got to hand it to Sarah Burton, that’s one hell of a poker face.
After being rumoured as the favourite to design Kate Middleton’s wedding dress for the best part of two months – a sentiment she strongly denied, the devil – Burton finally confirmed she was the designer of the highly anticipated dress when she was spotted entering the Goring Hotel, where the bridal party was staying, on Friday morning.
And now that the world has seen her Chantilly lace and silk gazar creation, Sarah Burton has finally opened up about what it was like to design the dress of a lifetime.
“It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every moment of it. It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created,” she said in a statement.
“I am delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship. Alexander McQueen’s designs are all about bringing contrasts together to create startling and beautiful clothes and I hope that by marrying traditional fabrics and lacework, with a modern structure and design we have created a beautiful dress for Catherine on her wedding day. The last few months have been very exciting and an incredible experience for my team and I as we have worked closely with Catherine to create this dress under conditions of the strictest secrecy.”
She goes on to explain why the house of McQueen repeatedly denied it had any involvement in the dress:
“Understandably, Catherine has been very keen to keep the details of her dress a secret, which is every bride’s prerogative, and we gave an undertaking to keep our role confidential until the day of the wedding.
“Catherine looked absolutely stunning today, and the team at Alexander McQueen are very proud of what we have created. The dress was just one component of a spectacular day, and I do not think it is appropriate to comment any further beyond saying that I personally am very grateful and honoured to have been given the opportunity to work on this project, and I wish TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge every good wish for the future.”
The ivory-white gown, combining the four emblems of the United Kingdom – the rose, thistle, daffodil and the shamrock – will now go down in history, both in the royal kingdom and fashion world alike.
[WWD]
