It’s a royal dress debacle!
A designer who submitted sketches to the Duchess of Cambridge has begun a legal pursuit against fashion house, Alexander McQueen, claiming that her drafts were used to help produce the stunning dress worn by Kate Middleton at her 2011 wedding to Prince William.
Christine Kendall, a London-based designer, is suing the high-fashion brand for alleged breach of copyright, due to what she deems to be similarities between her design, and the final gown worn by the Duchess on her big day.
In a video Christine uploaded to YouTube in December 2013, she says: “I believe without my sketches the royal wedding dress would not have looked as it did.”
The British designer claims Kate’s wedding gown would not have looked the same without her sketches.
Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, has vehemently denied the claim, with a representative for the brand even calling it “ridiculous”.
“We are utterly baffled by this legal claim,” the spokesperson said.
“Christine Kendall first approached us at Alexander McQueen almost four years ago, when we were clear with her that any suggestion Sarah Burton’s design of the royal wedding dress was copied from her designs was nonsense.”
The stunning, lace detailing had fashionistas around the world talking.
“Sarah Burton never saw any of Ms Kendall’s designs or sketches and did not know of Ms Kendall before Ms Kendall got in touch with us – some 13 months after the wedding,” the rep went on.
“We do not know why Ms Kendall has raised this again, but there are no ifs, buts or maybes here: this claim is ridiculous.”
Catherine’s incredible gown, which at the time was estimated to have cost around £40,000 or $AUD75,000 , was hand-crafted using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique.
A team of embroiders reportedly wore gloves to touch the dress, and were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes in order to keep the lace and thread in pristine condition.
The team of seamstresses were allegedly unaware of the identity of the dresses designer, until the announcement was made on the day of the royal wedding.
The bridal gown which featured an ivory satin bodice decorated with floral patterning onto fine silk and lace, was first viewed the moment the Duchess stepped out of the car on April 29, 2011.
It was a fairytale wedding with a dress fit for a princess!
