Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's India trip is high on fashion radar and the royal has charmed everyone by mixing her British aesthetics with distinctive Indian colours and prints
New Delhi: Duchess of Cambridge Kate Middleton's India trip is high on fashion radar and the royal has charmed everyone by mixing her British aesthetics with distinctive Indian colours and prints.
Kate's sartorial choices came in for praise on Monday from Indian designers, who have hailed her for respecting Indian traditions, as the 34-year-old Duchess, known for her understated style, seems less conservative in choice of her clothes and accessories for this outing.
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Kate Middleton in bright red Alexander McQueen outfit. Pic/Satej Shinde
For her maiden appearance in Mumbai on Sunday from where her husband and Duke of Cambridge Prince William commenced the week-long trip, she opted for a bright red Alexander McQueen outfit, featuring paisley motifs with a slight slit in the front with a peplum detail.
Kate in Anita Dongre ensemble. Pic/PTI
She soon changed into a colourful printed maxi by Indian designer Anita Dongre, which was an apt choice considering the humid Mumbai weather. Kate teamed her Mughal-prints inspired outfit with a dangler from Accesorize and mink coloured wedges as she played cricket with kids in the company of her husband and cricket great Sachin Tendulkar.
"Her team contacted us, but I never knew she chose one of my outfits. Watching her pictures wearing my creation was a really proud moment for me. She carried it off beautifully. I have always admired her and loved the way she dresses. She has a strong sense of style," Dongre told PTI.
Blue sequined gown by designer Jenny Packham with oval shaped Amrapali earrings. Pic/Yogen Shah
For the grand Bollywood charity gala, the royal, who met the who is who of the Indian film industry like Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt opted for a caped blue sequined floor-length gown by one of her favourite designers Jenny Packham. She teamed up the outfit with a stunning diamond double oval drop earrings by Indian jewellery brand Amrapali. It was an interesting melange of Indo-British sensibilities as the gown by the British fashion house had Indian embellishments.
The Duchess of Cambridge in Emilia Wickstead's cream collared dress. Pic/AFP
For her Mumbai event in the morning, the Duchess opted for her go-to designer British designer Emilia Wickstead's collared cream dress with large pockets. She flew in to Delhi in the same outfit and paid homage to martyrs at India Gate. During a visit to Gandhi Smriti, located at Old Birla House, she put a 'Tiranga' stole over her dress.
'Bajirao Mastani' designer Anju Modi said her style has been 'really nice' so far. "I like how she is taking an effort to make her clothes look inspired by Indian motifs and colours. That's the respect she is showing for our country and its fashion sensibilities. She is carrying off the outfits beautifully. I am curious about her upcoming dresses," Modi said.
Designer Rina Dhaka said Kate has a perfect style sense. "She is the perfect modern royal. She knows exactly what to wear where without losing the essence of her style. She has been thoughtful enough to put colours, which represent India, paisley pattern." When asked about Kate's blue beaded number for Bollywood gala last evening, Dhaka said, "That's probably because she realised she has to be a little more demure in India in comparison to other countries."
Designer Ashima said, "She has always been a great fashion inspiration. She knows how to hit the right cord. I loved her Alexndar McQueen red dress, it had right amount of tradition and right amount of style."Ashima said she would like the royal to wear a lehenga skirt with a badhgala that will have the right amount of Indian culture but in a contemporary way.
The royal couple is on a week-long visit to India and Bhutan which kicked-off yesterday afternoon from the financial capital of the country.
They paid tributes to the victims of the 26/11 attacks, played cricket with under-privileged children and attended a glittering reception and dinner alongside some of the biggest names in business and Bollywood.
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