It’s the question the whole fashion world will be asking – how will the Duchess of Cambridge dress her bump? If, that is, she’s well enough to go outdoors and brave the paparazzi. Rescu. shares our predictions…
It’s the royal baby we’ve all been waiting for.
And now fashionistas are asking the most important question: how is the Duchess of Cambridge going to dress her pregnant body?
One thing’s for sure: she’ll be continually compared to Diana, whose own maternity wear was famously 80s, with huge tents and muu-muus (and a huge Jenny Kee jumper).
Maternity wear has come a long way in thirty years, so here are RESCU’s predictions for a fabulous royal-bump wardrobe. Sarah Burton will obviously have a huge hand in the pregnancy – Kate’s first outing while pregnant, before she officially announced it, was in a McQueen tartan dress, flatteringly loose around the stomach.
We’re predicting Burton will keep making the Duchess’s favourite, long-sleeved coats and dresses – but with empire lines rather than nipped waists, to accommodate the growing prince or princess.
Burton is pregnant too – with twins! – so we imagine they’ll swap tips. Burton is keeping it simple in lots of black, gorgeous cropped jackets and (sensible) heels. So don’t expect the Duchess to suddenly swap to flats.
Another woman’s maternity style she might steal? Victoria Beckham’s. Beckham famously turned up to the royal wedding far along in her pregnancy in a brilliantly draped cape and skirt, with vertiginous Louboutin heels. Talk about making a statement while refusing to compromise your style.
Kate’s favourite designers, Reiss, Issa and Whistles, don’t indulge in maternity lines, but we suspect they may whip up custom pieces if the Duchess sees a particular design she’d like to wear over her bump.
And don’t expect to see the Duchess abandon her favourite skinnies, either. Elite denim brands like J Brand and Citizens Of Humanity make maternity jeans for the chic mum-to-be. We’re predicting a few more flats, though – perhaps some child-friendly Marc Jacobs mouse ballet flats.
When the baby’s born, Rescu. will check out the best baby wear. We might have another Suri Cruise or baby Beckham on our hands!
Image: The Duchess in one of her signature coats.
They made a splash last year by selling a $39,000 backpack – which promptly sold out.
Now Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have gone a step further, with a collaboration with British artist Damien Hirst to make the most expensive accessory yet.
Hirst’s design for them – a backpack covered in small pills, after one of his previous works – costs a whopping $US50,000. And the fashion world is divided about whether it’s art or just going overboard.
Hirst’s art is some of the most expensive in the world, regularly selling for millions of dollars, and shows no signs of going down – so buyers for The Row’s Hirst backpacks won’t just be couture fashionistas, they’ll be art collectors seeking a new addition.
In that sense, it’s a very wise move by the Olsens – and means they have a whole new market open to them.
Collaborations between artists and fashion lines are becoming an increasingly popular way to reach new audiences. Most famously, Louis Vuitton had a charmingly dotty line designed by Yayoi Kusama, the Japanese artist who lives in a mental institution and has been producing abstract dot art since the 60s.
One thing’s for sure – Hirst’s work is so expensive that these backpacks will probably be locked in a vault the second they’re bought, so don’t expect to see them on the front row at fashion week.
They’re selling out fast, so what do you think of the backpacks – over the top or interesting?
Image: Hirst’s backpack for The Row.
You know you’ve got something special when Nicholas Kirkwood, king of the catwalk shoes, calls you ‘one to watch’.
But his protege, Sophia Webster, is handling the hype well – and we’re loving her debut range.
Webster trained with Kirkwood, who’s famous for his huge stilettos and provides the catwalk shoes for Erdem, Meadham Kirchoff and Peter Pilotto, for two years, and is now stepping out on her own. And the results are sure to be a sell-out.
Webster calls her look ‘feminine and delicate’, and there are a lot of pinks and yellows, with neon punch – but also some very Pop Art and cutting-edge details. One red shoe is balanced on a heel of black and white balls; another is covered in neon yellow and orange cut-outs.
Her inspirations? Bows, beads, the flamingo and the colours of Brazilian houses – so these aren’t shy and retiring shoes. They’re perfect for making a splash in the Australian sun.
They’re whimsical, almost Tim Burton confections – and she’s also produced a line of clutches that Rescu. loves. Our favourite? The see-through speech bubble clutch with ‘HOLD ME’ printed on it in bright bubble colours.
Kirkwood is stocked by various online boutiques in Australia, including ShopStyle, and by Net-a-Porter, and it looks as if Webster will be heading that way too.
However, if it all takes off, she might be snapped up by big buyers like Cosmopolitan Shoes. For the meantime, browse online and put her on your Christmas wishlist – she’ll be big news soon.
Image: Sophia Webster shoes.