Kate Middleton had a solo engagement yesterday as she went to the Victoria and Albert museum to see its new Photography Centre. She wore Erdem earrings and a tweed dress by the same brand, with an off the shoulder neckline that might remind you of her sister-in-law Meghan Markle, who is a big fan of a boatneck.
But it’s actually Queen Elizabeth, Kate’s grandmother-in-law who inspired the dress, in fact Erdem’s entire Spring 2018 collection was based on a meeting between the Queen and American jazz pianist Duke Ellington in 1958.
‘Her father [King George VI] had been a huge fan of [Duke Ellington]’s music, and when they met, he was so enamored with her that he wrote a piece of music called “The Queen’s Suite,”’ Erdem Moralioglu said, according to The Telegraph.
‘Thinking about The Cotton Club, and Harlem, and Dorothy Dandridge, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday,’ he added. ‘What if she went to New York, and what if Dorothy Dandridge ended up in Buckingham Palace?’ And so Erdem designed a collection inspired by their meeting.
Erdem is also one of the designers rumoured to be making Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress, with Kate wearing the label so close the Eugenie’s wedding – does this mean that the bride-to-be herself won’t be going with Erdem?
READ MORE: Princess Eugenie's Style Evolution
Princess Eugenie Style - Grazia
1 of 7The Serpentine summer party, June 2018
For the Serpentine's annual summer bash, Eugenie chose this one-shoulder gown in a bold floral print, which reminds us of one of Princess Diana's '80s ensembles (in the best possible way).
2 of 7Royal Ascot, June 2018
Eugenie nailed the complex Royal Ascot dress code with this sleek wrapover style by London label Osman and a structured M2Malletier handbag.
3 of 7The royal wedding, May 2018
A simple, structured dress in powder blue by London label Gainsborough that was worlds away from her 2011 royal wedding ensemble.
4 of 7A night out at Annabel's, May 2018
Clearly Eugenie has a thing for florals. This off-the-shoulder gown is a ditzier print that we usually see the young royal wearing.
5 of 7The Queen's 92nd birthday concert, April 2018
Though it was Meghan Markle's Stella cape dress that gained the most attention, let's give Eugenie's simple MaxMara shift some appreciation.
6 of 7Official engagement photos, January 2018
For her official engagement photoshoot, Eugenie stuck with one of her favourite designers, Erdem.
7 of 7A Vogue event, December 2017
Another Erdem moment for Eugenie, this time for a Vogue party in London (she's since re-worn the dress a handful of times, too).
Eugenie wore the label in her official engagement pictures, but we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see if she goes with Erdem on her and Jack Brooksbank’s big day.