On the 17th March 2017, William and Kate attended a reception at the British Embassy in Paris, France.
The event was a welcome celebration called “Les Voisins” (“The Neighbours” in English).
It was held to champion the cultural ties between the UK and France.
Prince William gave a short speech during the reception, remarking that “it is a pleasure for Catherine and me to be here this evening, in this beautiful, elegant, and global city”.
The couple visited the city for two days at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. You can read all of our Paris coverage here.
Kate’s outfit:
For the reception, Kate wore a black calf-skimming dress by Alexander McQueen. The dress featured a v-neckline, thick straps and a slim bodice that opened out into a fluted skirt.
It appears to be a bespoke piece, made especially for the Duchess, though it does share some similarities with this dress from the designer’s current season collection:
Kate accessorised her dress with a black leather belt that features a bow.
Unfortunately, we do not have an “ID” for the piece at this time.
Kate chose her Balenciaga pearl clip-on earrings for the occasion. It’s worth noting that Balenciaga originated Spain but now the company is headquartered in Paris.
They’re also owned by a French parent company. Kate first debuted the earrings at the Trooping of the Colour parade in London in June 2016. She’s worn them on a number of occasions since.
The earrings were made from silver-tone palladium and they’re made with simulated pearls and glass “diamonds”. They did retail for $795, though they’re now totally sold out. NOTE: You can find a number of copies at all different price points on this page.
It appears that Kate wore a matching ring too. You can just about make out the matching “diamond” detailing around the silver setting below:
Plus, she wore a coordinating statement necklace with four large pearls suspended from silver chains. You might notice the necklace doesn’t have the same “diamond” detailing around the pearls.
My friend Anna pointed out that the necklace appears similar in design to the mystery brooch Kate wore to Trooping the Colour in June 2014.
The necklace and ring (and brooch!) remain a mystery at the moment. Initially, I assumed they were all by Balenciaga, to match the earrings, but I cannot find any photos online to confirm this.
For the reception, Kate debuted a new pair of Gianvito Rossi pumps. They’re the 45 d’Orsay style in black suede. They feature a block heel, a pointed toe and an ankle strap.
If you’d like to copy Kate’s style and buy the pumps, you’ll be pleased to know they’re available at Barneys New York and Spring for $775. (That’s around £625 GBP).
Finally, Kate wore her silver stainless steel watch by the French company, Cartier. It’s the 33mm Ballon Bleu style. Kate regularly wears the watch. You can read more details about the watch on this page.
Click here for all our Paris coverage.
