The young British royal couple, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, may have taken the trip to India and Bhutan last week, but it was the world that was taken on a veritable journey through British fashion, through the wardrobe of Duchess Catherine (aka Kate Middleton) on the weeklong sojourn.
As has been customary in her relatively short stint as a royal, the young duchess once more played a sort of Brit fashion emissary to the world on this diplomatic trip to the East, wearing largely British designers and brands.
And, justifiably, the world followed avidly every image of her that circulated on mainstream and social media, donning outfits as colorful as the cultures of the two countries she and her husband visited.
Arriving in Mumbai, she set the tone in a red paisley print peplum top and matching skirt by Alexander McQueen, her trusty nude L.K. Bennett pumps, Cassandra Goad Temple of Heaven earrings, and Russell and Bromley minaudière—all British labels.
In a sartorial diplomatic move, she later picked a maxi dress from Mumbai designer Anita Dongre, and chose from UK high-street brands Monsoon and Accessorize for her shoes and jewelry.
She ended the day with a blue bespoke Jenny Packham for their Bollywood gala. The dress was hand-embroidered in India. She topped it off with earrings by another Indian brand, Amrapali.
All-British
Leaving Mumbai for Delhi, the duchess opted for another all-British day, with a dress from Emilia Wickstead, pumps from Rupert Sanderson and a clutch from Mulberry. She went for a two-piece embroidered cream-and-black Indian-inspired number by Temperley London for that evening’s party.
On Day 3, she picked a £50 maxi dress from British company Glamorous and Rupert Sanderson flats to meet and play with homeless children. She later changed to a jade-green, high-neck lace dress by Temperley London to have lunch with the Indian prime minister.
The duchess also managed to squeeze in non-Brit and non-Indian designers in her tour wardrobe, with pieces from Tory Burch and Anna Sui.
For that reenactment of Princess Diana’s iconic photo at Taj Mahal, her daughter-in-law chose a white dress with blue prints by Indian-American designer Naeem Khan.
Known for mixing high-low fashion, the duchess donned a printed smock dress from Topshop and even a pair of skinny jeans from Zara for their trip to the Indian safari. And while she wore £3,900 Kiki McDonough earrings with her traditional Bhutanese skirt and Paul & Joe capelet, she was also seen in a pair of £6 earrings, a market find.
