JUNE 2018| The Australian Women’s Weekly 37
Soft, sculptural tailoring, modern
lourishes and pure, pristine white
silk with an ephemeral lustre were
the deining features of the most
ated gown of the year.
raceful, reined and chic, the pure
white Givenchy gown Meghan
Markle wore to wed Prince Harry
was an elegant triumph, created by
the irst woman to lead the French
fashion house, Clare Waight Keller.
The open bateau neckline revealed
a hint of shoulder and emphasised the bride’s slender
waist. Ms Waight Keller developed an exclusive
double bonded silk cady with a soft matt lustre to
perfect the sculptural look Meghan desired. With slim
three-quarter sleeves and a train that lowed in soft
round folds over an underskirt of triple silk organza,
the impeccably tailored gown was demure and chic.
Givenchy is perhaps best known for creating the
timeless dresses Audrey Hepburn wore in many of her
ilms, most notably,Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Hubert de
Givenchy also dressed Audrey for her own wedding
to Italian psychiatrist Andrea Dotti. However, the
present Artistic Director of the famed fashion house
is a British woman who was brought into the historic
haute couture atelier to modernise its timeless codes:
minimal elegance and expert craftsmanship. In that
respect, Ms Waight Keller’s inluence on the historic
fashion house relects the role the Duke and Duchess
of Sussex play in the monarchy.
The veil was ive metres of silk tulle trimmed with
hand-embroidered lowers that represented each of
the 53 Commonwealth nations, including Golden
Wattles for Australia. It was held in place by the
Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara of brilliant
platinum-set diamonds. The dainty bouquet
included lowers handpicked by Prince Harry.→
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