Engagement announcement dress of Catherine Middleton

Engagement announcement dress of Catherine Middleton

A full-body view of Catherine Middleton (left) in the blue Issa dress she wore at her engagement announcement to Prince William of Wales (right) at St. James's Palace.
Designer Daniella Issa Helayel
Year 2010
Type Blue long-sleeved silk-jersey dress

During the public announcement of her engagement to Prince William of Wales, on 16 November 2010, Catherine Middleton wore a blue Issa dress to coordinate with the sapphire engagement ring given to her by Prince William. The dress sold out within 24-hours of her appearance in it, and sparked a trend in "little blue dresses".

Background

Brazilian-born London designer Daniella Issa Helayel, known for her eponymous Issa London label, has designed her versatile, form-fitting dresses under that name since 2001.[1][2][3][4] A favourite of Middleton's for years prior to her engagement, she has been seen in Issa dresses through the years and has been called an "unofficial brand ambassador."[5][6][7]

Issa's designs have been seen on celebrities such as Naomi Campbell, Madonna, Jennifer Lopez, and Scarlett Johansson, as well as William's cousins, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie of York.[7][8] Middleton's sister Pippa has also been seen in Issa's clothing, including Kate's engagement dress design in a red colour, which she wore to an event in 2007.[9]

Design and Middleton's debut

The dress has been described in colour as "sapphire,"[3] "navy,"[5] and "royal blue".[10] The deep blue colour complemented Diana, Princess of Wales' sapphire engagement ring, which her son William presented to Middleton upon their engagement.[5][10][11] The long-sleeved, low-cut wrap dress[7] has been described as one of Issa's "classic silk jersey dresses", and along with the engagement ring, was paired with "simple black pumps" by Middleton.[5]

Designer Issa told People that she was elated that Middleton had decided to wear her dress for the engagement announcement, stating:

We are thrilled with the engagement news and I’m very happy that she has chosen to wear Issa today... [s]he is a very pretty and lovely girl.
—Daniella Issa Helayel, People[5]

Reception

The dress became an instant hit and sold out almost immediately in both the US and the UK after its debut.[12][13] Within 24-hours the dress (retailing at £385) completely sold out at London's Harvey Nichols store.[1] Averyl Oates, the boutique's buying director, told Vogue: "The dress worn by Kate sold out almost immediately. Issa is one of our best selling brands and the versatility of the pieces mean that they can be dressed down for the day and dressed up for special occasions."[3] In New York, where the dress retails for about $615, Monique Erickson, buyer for Issa retailer Beyond 7, was quoted as saying: "People are going crazy for this dress... We have a wait list growing by the day."[2] The dress's popularity helped boost sales by 45% for the Issa London label.[14]

For those with a lower budget, a short-sleeved cotton replica of the dress by designer Florence + Fred was released in British supermarket chain Tesco for £16.[2][15][16] The dress sold out within one hour of being placed on the Tesco website, and with limited stock available, the store expected to sell-out completely by the end of that week.[15] Tesco's buying director Jan Marchant said: "Kate Middleton looked extremely elegant in her choice of outfit and many women wanted to find a high street replica of this now iconic dress. The rate at which the dress sold out online is testament to how influential Kate's style choices are."[15]

A poll by celebrity style website MyCelebrityFashion.co.uk ranked the dress as the second most iconic outfit of 2010, beat out only by Lady Gaga's 2010 MTV Video Music Awards meat dress.[17]

"Little Blue Dress" trend

Middleton's blue dress sparked a trend in "little blue dresses," as a more colourful alternative to the famous little black dress. According to Glamour contributing style editor Tracey Lomrantz, "Women saw (Middleton’s iridescent Issa dress) and thought, 'I want to look like her.'"[18] The colour, with hues ranging "from iris to cerulean, navy to indigo and everything between," was spotted across the runways and retailers after the engagement announcement.[19] Celebrities such as Tia Carrere, Kristen Bell, and Amy Smart were all spotted in shades of blue on the red carpet during the Spring 2011 season.[19]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Moss, Hilary (18 January 2011). "Kate Middleton's Engagement Dress Sold Out 'Almost Immediately' (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 La Ferla, Ruth (24 November 2010). "Is Issa in Line for Throne?". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Milligan, Lauren (18 November 2010). "Kate Middleton's Issa dress sells out". Vogue (UK). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  4. ↑ Bumpus, Jessica (16 June 2008). "Daniella Issa Helyael brings elegance to the lives of women". Vogue (UK). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "Kate Middleton’s Royal Blue Issa Dress for a Royal Engagement". People Magazine. 17 November 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  6. ↑ Fisher, Alice (13 February 2011). "How royal bride Kate Middleton made Daniella Helayel's label Issa the star of London fashion week". The Observer. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Abraham, Tamara (17 November 2010). "How Kate's favourite designer became a fashion must-have". Daily Mail (London). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  8. ↑ Cooney Fitzpatrick, Beth (17 November 2010). "Kate Middleton Wears Issa for Royal Engagement Announcement". StyleList. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  9. ↑ McIntyre, Samantha and Zuckerman, Suzanne (16 May 2011). "Emerging fashion star: Pippa's Style". People Magazine: 216.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Moss, Hilary (16 January 2011). "Kate Middleton Engagement Ring: Diana's Former Ring Debuted By Future Princess (PHOTOS)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  11. ↑ "Prince William Gives Kate Middleton Princess Diana’s Engagement Ring". People Magazine. 16 November 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  12. ↑ "Buy Kate Middleton’s Exact Issa Engagement Dress!". People Magazine. 29 November 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  13. ↑ Goldwert, Lindsay (18 November 2010). "Kate Middleton dress is sold out in London; Sapphire blue Issa London dress starts fashion craze". New York Daily News. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  14. ↑ dos Santos, Nina (27 May 2011). "Kate, queen of shops, boosts Britain's retailers". CNN. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 Bergin, Olivia (23 November 2011). "Tesco replica of Kate Middleton’s ‘engagement dress’ sells out in an hour". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  16. ↑ "Tesco rush out affordable version of Kate Middleton's engagement announcement dress". Daily Mirror. 22 November 2010. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  17. ↑ Lee, Ann (2010-12-16). "Lady Gaga’s meat dress ‘most iconic’ of 2010". Metro (Associated Newspapers). Retrieved 2011-05-14.
  18. ↑ "A trend in dresses comes out of the blue". USA Today. Retrieved 8 June 2011.
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 "Little Blue Dresses". The News-Times. Retrieved 8 June 2011.