Tinseltown Kate: How the elegant Duchess of Cambridge dazzled on the red carpet

By Tamara Abraham


Dazzling: The Duchess of Cambridge shone as she took to the red carpet in Los Angeles, wearing a full-length Sarah Burton gown in the palest lavender, with a sparkling silver belt and full skirt


When you have Alexander McQueen's Sarah Burton on your speed dial, expectations are always high, but the Duchess of Cambridge dazzled last night at Bafta's black tie dinner in Los Angeles.

Though we saw a glimpse of the gown in a garment bag carried by Canadian soldiers on Thursday, it seems only Catherine could do it justice.

The dress, in palest lavender, was typical of the 29-year-old's recent style.


Like her wedding dress, it appeared to be a custom creation, as it is not a part of any recent collections for the label, though it does bear some of the hallmarks of the fall/winter 2011 line.

The high neckline made it demure, while the sparkling silver belt and full skirt added the required amount of drama for the high-profile, formal event.

Catherine wore more accessories than usual, though if there was ever an occasion to wear a pair of diamond chandelier earrings, borrowed from the Queen, this was it.

She also wore a diamond bracelet, while the clutch bag and shoes, both from Jimmy Choo, completed the celebration of British design.

The label's strappy silver Vamp sandals, £450, had five-and-half-inch platform heels, making them higher that the classic courts she normally wears.

The clutch, in silver and gold glitter, was the Ubai design, £275.

But the look was not as much of a surprise to fashion-watchers as it normally is, after photographs of what was was believed to be Catherine's gown emerged on Friday.

Fashion bloggers went into overdrive after a transparent dress bag containing the Alexander McQueen creation was captured on camera as Canadian soldiers loaded suitcases onto the Royal plane.

Though little could be seen of the dress, many likened it to the Jenny Packham gown Catherine wore to the ARK gala in London last month.

Dramatic additions: Catherine wore more accessories than usual, including this £275 silver and gold glitter clutch, by Jimmy Choo, and these strappy silver sandals with five-and-a-half inch heels, by the same designer

Cat out of the bag: A Canadian soldier inadvertently revealed Catherine's gown as he loaded up the Royal plane


In reality, however, it was very different, the only similarity being the high neckline.

While the figure-hugging Packham gown had been heavily embellished with sequins and crystals, the Alexander McQueen creation, with its full skirt and sculptural pleats, was more akin to the Grecian-inspired gowns that Sarah Burton sent down the runway.

It is the second time Catherine has chosen to wear McQueen on the nine-day Royal Tour. She chose a 2006 design from the label for a visit to Prince Edward Island in Canada last week.


source:dailymail