Millions around the world were wowed by the graphic bateau neckline of the impeccably tailored silk cady gown, including one half of the design duo that designed the late Princess Diana’s iconic wedding dress, Elizabeth Emanuel, who told Us all of her opinions about Meghan Markle’s choice.
Naturally, Emanuel, like the rest of Us, thought that Markle looked positively amazing. “I thought the look was stunning,” she says. “I was at first surprised that there were no frills or embellishments on the dress, the clean, streamlined look was incredible and a risk in itself, but I thought it looked perfect with the scenery.”
Given that Emanuel worked closely with Lady Di, we had to know what she thought the Princess of Wales would have thought about the look. “Diana would have loved this dress because it was perfect for the occasion and perfect for the bride. I think anything frilly with big sleeves — it would have looked wrong, it was so elegant and so youthful because of the neckline. I liked that she was just almost showing the shoulders but it was demure all the same time.”
For her own 1981 nuptials, Princess Diana wore a bespoke ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown with a 25-foot train decorated with hand embroidery, sequins and 10,000 pearls.
Emanuel also remarked on Markle’s ability to balance the formality of the affair with her own no-fuss aesthetic. But of course, the now Duchess knows how to set herself apart from the crowd with the tiny details, like the train of her gown. “The train on the dress was square not round like my royal wedding dress and most others. I liked that she opted for a different shape on the train for a modern and personal touch.”
The dress was dramatic in Markle’s own way, simultaneously classic, blending the perfect amounts of traditional elements with her own contemporary savoir faire. She combined the perfect amount of traditional elements with dramatic ones and her choices were really perfect for the surrounding of the wedding.
Lady Diana may not have been present in the flesh, but her son’s new wife certainly did the icon proud.
