Does The Duchess Of Cambridge Have A New Stylist?

Arriving in Northern Ireland for a surprise trip with her husband, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a red Carolina Herrera coat (previously seen in 2016) over skinny black trousers and L.K.Bennett boots. So far, so to be expected. When the time came for an evening reception in Belfast, however, Kate seemed to make what is, for her, a rather left-field choice of outfit: foregoing her usual favoured British designers like McQueen and Erdem, she wore a mint green, metallic lurex midi dress designed by Missoni.

This comes just a couple of weeks after the Duchess wore a beautiful Gucci gown to the 100 Women in Finance Gala. With its V-neck bodice, delicate shades of pink, sheer chiffon overlay and plum velvet belt, it certainly felt like a departure from Kate’s usual choice of formal gown. And, given that Gucci’s designer Alessandro Michele is known for his eccentricity of design, as well as his fluid approach to gender, it feels like a edgier choice for the Duchess. Interestingly, she has worn Gucci once before, also to the V&A museum in London, where the Gala took place two weeks ago. This was in 2017, when she chose a tweed dress with Gucci’s famous red and navy piping with button details. Since then – and until now – she has stuck to her firm favourites, including McQueen and Catherine Walker.

The Missoni dress is £1,590 and almost completely sold out on Net-a-Porter, suggesting that the Kate Effect still holds as much influence as ever. In theory, the idea that the Duchess would wear a lurex metallic number to an official event seems highly unlikely, which is why it feels as though she has slightly changed her approach to her wardrobe. Natasha Archer, the stylist who has been working with Kate for many years, gave birth in December last year, suggesting that Kate could be working with someone new while Archer is on maternity leave. Rumours did start to circulate about the fact that Archer may not return to her role at all, as she was made a member of The Royal Victorian Order at the end of 2018, which is an honour usually given to members of the Royal Household who are set to depart from their position.

Whomever the current stylist may be, there’s no doubt they’re doing a brilliant job. And regarding the question of what Kate’s going to wear next – it’s anyone’s guess.