Kate Middleton is undoubtedly a royal style icon. I mean, I'm always raving about how elegant she looks.
But if there's one thing the Duchess of Cambridge is not, fashion-wise, it's "particularly daring"—especially not these days.
Now, when I see a vintage pic of her in a sparkly party outfit or low-waisted jeans in the mid-noughties, I have to pinch myself to make sure I'm not imagining things.
I'm not imagining things, though. The duchess really did wear this incredible sequined turquoise halter with bright yellow athletic shorts and Barbie pink knee-high socks. Honestly, I kinda wish royal protocol allowed for a little more of this.
Anyway, back to the point, which is that the duchess always looks fabulous, all while typically opting for midi-length dresses, often with mid- or full-length sleeves and a high neckline.
But one of her new favorite designers, Alessandra Rich, has revealed that even her most conservative designs always have a more daring detail—and that includes the dresses worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at such events as Wimbledon or Ascot.
"All my pieces are like this—they cover the arms or the legs but there’s always a split somewhere, or a body chain underneath," Rich told the Telegraph in a recent interview. "It is good to be a bit naughty."
The duchess has worn many an Alessandra Rich creation over the past couple of years, which includes her whole polka dot phase.
The duchess in Alessandra Rich at Wimbledon 2022
The duchess in Alessandra Rich at Wimbledon 2022
The duchess wears Alessandra Rich at Royal Ascot
She also wore a yellow dress from the label on departure from the Bahamas earlier this year (psst, that dress is still available at Matches Fashion, and it's on sale).
The green dress the duchess wore to meet the Irish President in March 2020 and the red houndstooth dress she wore at the V&A in May 2021 were also Alessandra Rich originals.
Interestingly, though, the label is also favored by a bunch of celebrities that you wouldn't normally associate with Middleton.
"Not everything I make is long dresses," Rich told the Telegraph. "If you see Dua Lipa or Hailey Bieber wearing my brand, you will see there are many different types of women and clothing."
Still, the designer is really happy that the duchess loves her designs. "I am super grateful," she said. "The buyers know the collection is bigger so it is fine that the public mostly knows the more conservative pieces. The Duchess of Cambridge is such a style icon, I can’t ever say I’m not thrilled she likes my clothes."
Sold? Alessandra Rich is available from Matches Fashion and Net-a-Porter.
