WEDDING FLOWERS: Henrik Hviid
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Showing posts with label Henrik Hviid. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Henrik Hviid. Show all posts
Royal Outfit of the Day: January 6

Royal Outfit of the Day: January 6

Many of you were just as enchanted as I was with Crown Princess Mary's evening cloak from the other night (and many of you were not, fair enough, more cloaks for me), which brought up some of the cloak's previous wearings. The concert for Queen Margrethe's jubilee in 2012 is one example; another is the same New Year's Court event from 2008:
Which reminds me, we should talk about this purple dress. It's an interesting one, that's for sure. Not necessarily in keeping with Mary's current style, but that's because it dates from the days before her style was fully defined.
The gown was first worn in 2004 during a state visit from Romania, shortly before Mary and Frederik were married (hence her lack of orders above), and was made by Henrik Hviid from fabric purchased by Mary at a market in her hometown in Tasmania. You can actually see her buy the fabric in a documentary filmed after the couple's engagement (video link).
Based on the dress alone, you might guess it came from the closet of then-Princess Alexandra, now Countess of Frederiksborg, Prince Joachim's first wife. And with good reason: Hviid was one of her favorite designers. But despite my love for Alexandra's over the top early princess style, and despite my love for a purple gown, this one has never been a favorite. I think it mainly leaves me glad Mary went on to develop a style of her own, if you know what I mean. What's your verdict?

(By the way, there was also quite a bit of discussion about what color that evening cloak is, exactly. It's dark velvet, so that's naturally going to take on a few different shades. Given that Mary paired it with a purple purse this year, purple earrings in 2012, and a purple dress in 2008, I'm going to guess it's more purple in person.)

(And also by the way, the daytime New Year's Courts are happening in Denmark, and we'll check back in later this week to discuss.)

Photos: Julian Parker/UK Press via Getty Images
Royal Outfit of the Day: June 30

Royal Outfit of the Day: June 30

Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg (formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark, first wife of Prince Joachim) turns 50 today! (Or so her 1964 birth date would have us believe; the lady herself hasn't aged in, well, ages.)
Not passing up any occasion to feature the Alexandrine Drop Tiara, today's outfit is a late model Princess Alexandra gem, if you will. Worn in the later years of her marriage as well as during the period after her divorce when she was still attending state occasions, the design is a bit more sleek than some of the enormous gowns she sported at the beginning of her marriage. But in keeping with the example set by her former mother-in-law Queen Margrethe, it still features a nice train. (The train is best seen on video, below.) The blue silk gown with swirling embroidery and floral embellishment is from Henrik Hviid, a favorite designer.
Video: State banquet for the President of Bulgaria, 2006. Alexandra enters at 1:55, and there are plenty of other royal sighting in there too - including one of my favorite Mary gowns. Part 2 is here.
She's long since ditched the big princess gowns, but she hits 50 elegant as ever. Happy birthday to her!

Photo: Antony Jones/UK Press via Getty Images

Royal Outfit of the Day: May 13

Alexandra (then Princess Alexandra and the wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the Crown Prince's younger brother; now the Countess of Frederiksborg) attended Frederik and Mary's 2004 wedding.
I adore Alexandra's style - during her marriage, she was the epitome of princess style, never afraid to go big. But this...is an exception to my love. The pink silk duchess satin gown from Henrik Hviid is maybe just a touch too Barbie for my taste, between the particular color of pink and the embellishments (what are those supposed to be, anyway? Close up above) on the bodice. She used a matching bolero-style capelet to cover her shoulders for the ceremony, but as you can see in the video below, it seemed to be a bit of a hassle on the way in.

Video: Arrivals at the church, including Alexandra at 2:10.
On the other hand, her jewelry game is basically flawless: the amazing Alexandrine Drop Tiara is on full display, and she wore a massive necklace with matching earrings. (If I recall correctly, the necklace and earrings may have been a loan for the day, since it wasn't a set seen again and wasn't a known royal heirloom.) And you know I'll award all sorts of bonus points for that.

What say you: too Barbie? Just right?

Photos: Getty/DR1

Flashback Friday: Princess Alexandra's Gowns

So many Princess Alexandras out there - today's about the one in Denmark, the one that used to be married to Prince Joachim and is now known not as Princess Alexandra but as the Countess of Frederiksborg. Today's about her princess days, though, specifically those majestic ball gowns she used to trot out. She had the fairytale look down pat, which makes her perfect material for a little Friday dress delight.

She married the second son in the family, but she did so in 1995, nine years before Crown Prince Frederik would marry and provide Denmark with a crown princess. Alexandra, by default, played a big role. She also married into a family headed by the dramatic Queen Margrethe, herself no stranger to a lush fabric and a big skirt. Add those things together, and you begin to see how enormous gowns with major trains came to fit right in.

And oh, did she love a train - and oh, how I love her for that. Several of these memorable frocks came from Jørgen Bender, Danish royal couturier extraordinaire. Bender also designed Alexandra's royal wedding gown. Others came from Henrik Hviid, who would design the dress for her second wedding, plus a selection of additional designers. She paired them with the Alexandrine Drop Tiara, which is her only one (and also a favorite of mine). Do I need to tell you that the purple one is my favorite? I hope not.

Sure, not every one was super successful - is that tartan? - and some are starting to look dated. Those that have followed her after her divorce know that her style is much updated now; in addition to the change in time, there's been a change in partners (both she and Joachim seem happy with their second spouses and on good terms with each other) and a change in status, making it all the more clear that she was dressing distinctly for her princess position. Which incidentally happens to be exactly why I loved her style, as I'll forever appreciate the effort.

Which is your favorite Alexandra look?

Photos: Polfoto/DR/Corbis/Scanpix

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