Traditional but modern, simple but extravagant, classic but youthful, a homage to Diana but absolutely nothing like Diana’s at all… it seems like everyone has an opinion on what THE dress should be like. THE dress being (obviously! what else!) Kate Middleton’s wedding gown.
As you might already know, I am impossibly excited about the Royal Wedding – seriously, I’ve been welling up just watching the archive stuff in the documentaries that every channel over here is showing – and I can’t wait to see what Princess Catherine will be wearing down the aisle. It seems I’m not the only one though; there have been dozens of designers queuing up to offer their take on a suitable outfit – well, I guess it’s not every day you get to dress a real princess!
Two of my favourites by Alberta Ferretti and Valentino (inspired by a Botticellian Venus)
Since you know I’m also a fan of pretty things, dress sketches (like those gorgeous Robert Best Barbie ones), weddings and the idea of being a princess in general, these wedding dress drawings are like a culmination of everything that gets me cooing with pleasure. Some were done for a feature on WWD, others by Project Runway alumni for My Lifetime.com (the folk behind William & Kate: The Movie), others for The Times fashion section (scanned in thanks to the paywall, sorry for the quality) and Mad Men designer Janie Bryant (banner picture) seems to have done it solely for her own pleasure!
There were some wacky ones – black, yellow, red, Gothic, futuristic, Boudicca-inspired, denim, feathers, knitwear – and some interpretations of Princess Kate’s face leave a little to be desired but these are a collection of my favourites. Enjoy!
Series of three amazing gowns designed by Pronovias from Confetti.co.uk
From the WWD feature (see all dresses here)
Two of my favourites, J. Mendel and Jason Wu
Two of the most romantic designs by Nina Ricci and Lela Rose
‘A patchwork lace dress reminds us all that a true princess can mend and make do!’ Nanette Lepore
Yigal Azrouel, Tommy Hilfilger
Tory Burch, Lyn Devon (one of the more successful minimalist designs), Rachel Roy
Reem Acra, Rebecca Taylor
Monique Lhuillier
Doo.Ri, Vera Wang (whose bride looks angry! I found Vera’s a bit disappointing as she’s renowned for her bridalwear)
Prabal Gurung
Chado Ralph Rucci (‘NO GLITTER!’), Maria Grachvogel (from The Times)
From the My Lifetime.com feature (see all dresses here)
Simone Le Blanc, Ivy Higa
Irina Shabayeva (more of a runway dress but still stunning) and Carol Hannah Whitfield, which features a removable overskirt for the ‘par-tay!’
Mila Hermanovski with my favourite minimal design of the lot, Leanne Marshall (I love how it looks like a blooming flower or like it’s rising from the ocean froth)
Heidi Nora, Shirin Askari
Two of the more conceptual dresses that actually worked, even if I can’t imagine Kate actually wearing them! Gordana Gelhausen’s Maid Marian-esque gown and Michael Drummond’s fusion between ‘ancient folklore’ and two of his favourite British fashion houses, Marchesa and McQueen
Wesley Nault, Vincent Libretti (love that abstract drawing style, even if the design itself doesn’t amount to much!)
Daniel Franco, Christopher Collins (that skirt looks like a butterfly wing!)
Scanned from The Times
Suzanne Neville, Mark Fast (famous for his use of knitwear)
Viktor & Rolf: quirky and obviously not suitable, but too cute not to include!
Through The Looking Glass 
Crikey! Makes me wanna wear one of them gowns. Err, umm, err, it’s not what it sounds like!
Lol, I’m sure you’d look stunning. Not as stunning as Kate will obviously 😛
Rubbish! I’d be as stunning as Kate! I’ll have you know I’m 5 feet 10, a Size 6 and love Jimmy Choo’s. Err, umm, heck, I’ve overdone the disclosure compliance, haven’t I?
Any chance of an image of the ‘thenakedlistener’?