The story behind Kate Middleton’s see-through dress

Even the future queen is not immune to the temptation of fashion trends. Kate Middleton and Prince William first became firm friends when they were students at Scotland’s prestigious St. Andrew’s University. But there was one pivotal moment that turned their college friendship into a timeless love story.

It all happened because of a charity fashion show and Very Sheer dress. In March 2002, 19-year-old Kate walked gracefully on the T stage wearing a bandeau bikini and a transparent dress. The moment reportedly prompted Prince William to lean over his friend Fergus Boyd and yell, “Wow, Fergus, Kate is hot!” according to another classmate at the time, Ben Duncan. ) said the handsome royal, sitting in the front row with “eyes like stems” staring at the “daring” dress, suddenly saw Kate in a whole new light.

More than 20 years later, this iconic dress remains one of her most memorable. Here’s the story behind this pivotal piece of clothing in royal history.

Why are fashion shows so important?

New York advertising executive Lorna Ruane, who has amassed an online following for sharing royal-related fashion stories, believes this pivotal moment in British history is one of the first to be played out in the internet age , in this day and age, instant news is so accessible. It gave the world a front-row seat to how an “ordinary girl from an ordinary family” attending an “ordinary college charity event” became one of the most recognized faces in the world.

“It definitely adds a level of relatability to their story and creates the idea that any girl can do anything, kind of like a Hallmark movie,” explains Ruane of William and Kate’s Flames That the show was set alight in something as casual as student fashion, rather than at a grand royal event or being matched by grandmothers (as some believe happened to Charles and Diana), makes it more relevant.

What is Kate wearing?

This moment is also remembered for the dress worn by Kate Middleton: a number that has since found its place in history. Charlotte Todd, who was studying for a degree in fashion and textiles at the University of the West of England, paid just £30 for his creation. The design comes from her project “The Art of Seduction” and was originally a skirt. However, Kate chose to wear the piece as a dress and paired it with 2000s-inspired tight curls, makeup and frosted mani.

“When their relationship became public, the media had access to very few photos of Kate, but they did have access to photos of Kate at this fashion show, so they were printed multiple times, and each time they were printed they served as a reminder of the event. ,” Ruan said.

She added that while that dress was actually just one look she wore, it’s also undoubtedly the most iconic because of its risqué element. “Kate wore several outfits on the catwalk that night, but the most famous and widely reported one was the translucent dress,” Ruhn explained. Woman in revealing dress dates and marries direct heir. This is the opposite of what a royal or public figure would wear expected Get dressed.

Eventually, the couple married nearly a decade later, with Middleton becoming the Duchess of Cambridge and the future Queen of England. It’s fair to say that the dress did change the course of history – and the person in on the joke was Kate herself. In 2012, a decade after that fateful night, the fashion star teased the memory at a benefit dinner for her alma mater. She reportedly told an attending undergraduate student: “I wish you weren’t involved in this fashion show. You never know what you’re going to be asked to wear!”

Where is this dress now?

When the couple finally got engaged in 2010, designer Charlotte Todd remembered the dress hanging in a closet at her mother’s house and decided to auction it off. In 2011, a buyer snapped it up because of its Royal Society status, and it sold for a staggering £78,000 (equivalent to more than $100,000).

Twenty years later, the public is still fascinated by the “penny drop” interaction, with Prince William looking at his future bride in a new way through the dress. Recently, this interaction has returned to the news again, thanks to Season 6 crown, Starring actors Meg Bellamy and Ed McVeigh as young Kate and William. The moment was recreated in the fashion show, with costume designer Sidonie Roberts creating a replica of the dress.