On the 20th of July 2011, the Duchess of Cambridge (Kate Middleton) visited Los Angeles, USA. During the visit, she attended a black-tie event held by BAFTA at the Belasco Theater. She debuted a lilac purple gown by Alexander McQueen.
About the gown:
Kensington Palace confirmed Kate chose British designer Alexander McQueen for the BAFTA black-tie event. We believe Kate’s dress is custom-made, perhaps based on this Grecian floor length gown from the designer’s 2011 ready-to-wear collection.
Like Kate’s gown, this Grecian gown features a floor-length skirt. The dress is pleated from top to bottom. It appears Kate’s had the top modified, adding a scoop neckline and cap sleeves to the bustier top. The dress is pictured here in with a fuchsia belt. Kate swapped this for a glittery silver belt instead.
© BAFTA/ Stewart Cook
Net-A-Porter.com described the piece as a “gorgeous Grecian floor length gown [that] will leave you feeling like a momodern-dayphrodite”. The ready-to-wear version of the dress retailed for $2,741 USD / £1,573 GBP.
Where to buy the gown:
As of the 21st of August 2017, there is a similar gown available at FarFetch in pink and lilac and at Stylebop in pink and green.
The two bustier dresses are very similar in design. While the gown from Net-A-Porter.com is made from 100% cupro (a silky soft cotton fabric), the newer dresses are made from 100% silk.
