WEDDING FLOWERS: Jenny Packham
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Showing posts with label Jenny Packham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jenny Packham. Show all posts

Prince Carl Philip & Sofia’s Wedding: The Pre-Wedding Dinner

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The party is starting! Ready your jumpy claps!

This evening, wedding guests gathered for a short boat ride on the way to the venue for the pre-wedding dinner. Only a couple of the international royal guests were present, but the headline family members certainly did give us some things to discuss...

Prince Carl Philip and Sofia Hellqvist
I wondered if Sofia would continue the trend of wearing Elie Saab for her pre-wedding event, as her soon-to-be-sisters-in-law both did. And I was close: she wore Zuhair Murad, a.k.a. almost Elie Saab! (Also the groom was present. He wore a tux.)
Many of us have been hoping we’d see more of Zuhair Murad on the royal red carpet, and I think this couture dress certainly delivers. Just enough sparkle, and with a train (which looked like it was detachable) added to the back to give it a little extra royal oomph.
And the blue is divine on her, no? I love it. What a great start to the event!

The King and Queen
{SCREECH} Well, that escalated quickly. Let’s just say that something had to come in third place on the list of Silvia's best mother of the bride and/or groom pre-wedding outfits (it's a very specific list)...call it the sacrificial lamb?

Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel
Okay, this is better! Victoria’s sparkly, slinky number is perfect for this and also for her next Great Gatsby-themed party (I figure there’s no point to living in a palace if you’re not going to throw the occasional Gatsby party, right?).
Crown Princess Victoria wore Jenny Packham, the original model from a bridal collection (the Packham bridal collections always have dresses that are great more uses than bridal, though). She also had a brooch in back in her updo, and you know I luv her for that.

Victoria, Daniel, and Crown Princess Mette-Marit
With many royal guests arriving tomorrow, it was a lovely surprise to see Victoria and Daniel bring part of the Norwegian contingent: Crown Princess Mette-Marit, Princess Märtha Louise, and Ari Behn. Crown Prince Haakon joined the party by car a bit later. Mette-Marit repeated the Giambattista Valli dress she wore to Queen Margrethe’s birthday dinner earlier this year.

Princess Märtha Louise and Ari Behn
Apparently seeing that his wife was intent on a tasteful beige dress, Ari Behn decided someone had to shake things up and tossed a sash around his waist. Sure, man, why not?

Princess Madeleine and Chris O'Neill
Also skipping the boat ride in favor of arriving by car, Princess Madeleine breezed by in a basic but sort of ethereal maternity dress.

Lastly, a couple aunts and an extra international royal couple, just for good measure:

Princess Birgitta, doing her Birgitta thing.

Princess Margaretha, doing her Margaretha thing. (What more can you say?)

Prince Leopold and Princess Ursula of Bavaria...doing their thing. A very sequin-y floral thing, which is a curious combo.

All in all, not a bad start to a wedding weekend. This entry may be updated later on, and feel free to add more in the comments!

Photos: via Getty Images as indicated, Expressen video

Royal Trip of the Day: June 8

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The Swedish royal family celebrated National Day on Saturday. Before Crown Princess Victoria got to that, though, she embarked on a two day trip to Portugal that revolved around the Volvo Ocean Race and included a stint sailing with Team SCA in addition to other engagements. I'm going to say...tentatively...she's officially got her style mojo back. Celebrate! (While knocking on wood, come on now, don't jinx it.)

My love for this Preen dress is REAL, and I will tell you about it every chance I get. Take note.

MY LOVE FOR PURPLE DRESSES IS ALSO REAL. And this one is so, so great - so great she couldn't help accessorizing with lavender earrings.
More pieces for her collection of Shourouk costume jewels, which is going to grow at an exponential pace if matching gems to dresses is required.

And this one is the best use of her big Jenny Packham collar/necklace we've seen yet. Success at last! 

As they have done in past years, the family released a new picture of Princess Estelle as a greeting for National Day. (Photo: Kate Gabor / Kungahuset.se)
Victoria's trip lasted right up until National Day. A little too close to National Day, actually, because flight troubles in Denmark on the way back resulted in her having to travel overnight by car instead, cutting it close with a packed day of engagements waiting at home for her. That day began with a fun white look for Victoria at a citizenship ceremony and ended with the rest of the royal family at the annual concert.

The concert means national costume for everyone! Well, for the ladies. The gents don't play along. Sofia Hellqvist added to the blue and yellow festival this year, missing only the white kerchief which is for married women.

A very pregnant Princess Madeleine modeled a maternity version of the national dress, wisely opting out of the bumpy carriage the rest of the family took. Just a few more days left to hang in there...

Photos: via Kungahuset and Getty Images as indicated, Lyst

Royal Outfits of the Day: March 24

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It's time to spend a little quality time with Crown Princess Victoria, my friends.
Last week, she presented awards at The Royal Swedish Academy of Letters, History and Antiquities, which is another of those events for the Swedish royals where they do the whole gown + orders thing, but stop just short of a tiara (boo). And she was practically crying out to put a tiara on, donning this repeated Jenny Packham crystal headpiece. I do appreciate the effort, V.
Pronovias gown and Jenny Packham headpiece
As for the gown, it's a repeated number that turns out to be from Pronovias. If I recall correctly, it got a resounding meh from the peanut gallery the last time we saw it, but I'm sticking to my guns: I love it! Enough lace to be delicate, not enough to aggravate my ongoing case of lace fatigue. Gorgeous. (Click here for some more pics.)

Currently, she and Daniel are in South Korea for an official visit.
And OMG SHE WORE HER HAIR DOWN THIS IS BIG PEOPLE. It's seriously been a few years since we've seen her with her hair down in public, and as someone who is on Team Updo but is even more firmly on Team Variety, I am thrilled to see it. Nothing can bring this great moment down!
{SAD TROMBONE} Oh.
Having learned her lesson, that even black clothes can be see-through if you add enough flash photography, she was well and truly covered up for their next event.

Victoria's black blouse on arrival did perk my interest, though (for reasons other than transparency mishaps, okay). Crown Princess Mary, with the rest of the Danish royal family, attended the funeral of a close friend of Queen Margrethe's last week. Funeral wear is beyond critique as far as I'm concerned, but I'm just wondering...
...you think we could get the Duchess of Cambridge to don her black dress with the white Peter Pan collar this week so we could call it a hat trick?

Photos: via Twitter and Getty Images as indicated, Pronovias, Jenny Packham

Potential Royal Fashion of the Day: February 23

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It's Fall 2015 Ready-to-Wear runway time, so let's waste away our Monday looking at some pretty things and dreaming up a wish list for royal fashion to come. As always, click the designer names to be taken to the full collection...

I'd just like someone to wear that one up there on the left for me, please. Anyone. Thanks.

From pastels to orange tartans and back, there are a few things here that we could see pop up in one form or another on the Duchess of Cambridge or the Countess of Wessex. Probably not the black PVC numbers, but one never knows.

Mixed materials and patterns characterized the collection from Queen Letizia's new favorite designer (well, the designer I'm pushing until it becomes her fave, that is).

And a few more, for good measure:
  • Here comes a bunch of designers we've seen a time or two on the Duchess of Cambridge, starting with Temperley London.
  • Anything Mulberry for Kate this season? There's a poncho in there I wouldn't mind getting my hands on.
  • We haven't seen much Jonathan Saunders on the Duchess, but from what we've seen so far she'd probably go for only tamer pieces, and one at a time.
  • Some Boss, designed by Jason Wu, for Hugo Boss fans Crown Princess Mary or Queen Letizia, perhaps?
  • Here's some Diane von Furstenberg, whose classic wrap dresses are in many royal wardrobes.
  • I'm sad to say the first Oscar de la Renta collection without the master himself didn't flip my skirt like it usually does. (Sidebar: I did like the dress from this collection which appeared on Sienna Miller at last night's Oscars, though.) (Sidebar to the sidebar: Was fairly underwhelmed by Oscars fashion on the whole this year. Anyone else? Just...less than memorable. Meh.)
Photos: Style.com
Celebrity Style Swap of the Day: February 10

Celebrity Style Swap of the Day: February 10

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Some of you noticed something a little familiar on the red carpet at the GRAMMY Awards this weekend. Here's Taylor Swift...
Wearing Elie Saab and magenta shoes.

And here's our very own Duchess of Cambridge, in one of the outfits last year that most divided you all...
Wearing Jenny Packham and pastel pink L.K. Bennett shoes.

One mini/maxi skirt combo and a pair of accent shoes does not a solid connection make, in my opinion, but I'm up for the reaching challenge. And who wins the eternal Who wore it best? game? If you're going to do this skirt thing, you might as well do it at the Grammys and you might as well do it big time with the high contrast between the two skirt levels, so I'd call Taylor for the win there. On the other hand, Kate wins the shoe competition, if only for her significantly less chunky straps. Nobody's completely selling me on the overskirt as a fashion statement, but maybe if we mashed them up, we could get somewhere. Et toi?

Photos: Via Getty Images as indicated

Royal Trip of the Day: December 10

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been on a trip to New York City this week, culminating in the St. Andrews 600th Anniversary Dinner last night.
A trip full of new outfits (coats, mostly coats) and wouldn't you know - it's the repeat that catches my eye.
I liked this Jenny Packham the first two times we saw it, and now with added jewels and an updo, what's not to love?
The Duchess debuted new emerald and diamond earrings with a matching emerald and diamond bracelet. The pieces were private gifts. Based on new pieces given to other family members by Middle Eastern monarchies, I wouldn't be shocked to hear these have the same origin, but that's just guessing. They look pretty modern to me, and those are pretty big emeralds with a lovely bright color.
And there's that updo - aw, it's like she knew we'd demand a proper look at those earrings - with a bonus Princess Eugenie sighting! The NYC resident was kind enough to come and say hello to her cousins. A better look at her color blocked gown:
I really can't decide if all those angles help or hurt the situation, but I'm leaning towards a thumbs up. Et toi?

Photos: Pool and Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images; Jenny Packham

Royal Outfit of the Day: October 24

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So, this is puuurrrty:
Victoria's dress, I mean. Specifically speaking. Not that they aren't a good looking group overall. But - the DRESS! Very Jenny Packham-esque (I don't know whether it is or is not for sure, at the time I'm writing, though I'm sure it will turn up), with certain similarities to the Packham/Tadashi Shoji dress we've seen time and again. This muted teal color looks fantastic on Victoria and the delicate lace adds a lot of interest to an otherwise plain number.
If I could quibble - and you know me, that's what I do best - the beaded tassel earrings are not quite right. They are, however, from Oscar de la Renta, and of course this is being interpreted as a special gesture to the late designer's memory. Big statement earrings are definitely Victoria's style, special gesture or not. But as we can see in the video below, they're just a touch overpowering. There's a lot of swing happening there.
Anyway, I'm taking the earrings out of the equation and calling this a win for Victoria. Agreed?


Photos: Oscar de la Renta/Kungahuset video

Royal Return of the Day: October 22

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The Duchess of Cambridge yesterday returned to the royal stage for the first time since the announcement of her second pregnancy. It was a two-event day, and she returned to two of her favorite labels, Alexander McQueen and Jenny Packham. Getting back to your favorites is a bit of comfort for when you're feeling poorly, right? Sartorial chicken soup, in a way.

First up, she and William greeted the President of Singapore and his wife as they kicked off their state visit. The Cambridges were filling in for the absent Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall, who usually take care of this part of the visit. Outfit #1 was a new McQueen coat dress with a repeated gray Jane Taylor hat. I do enjoy a bit of Prince of Wales check.

The couple did not attend the state banquet in the evening (but you can discuss those that did over at the Vault). Instead, Kate headed to the National History Museum in a new Jenny Packham dress and repeated L.K. Bennett shoes.
If this double skirt situation doesn't come with a built-in solution for when you hit a Whitney/Mariah VMA moment, then I don't know what it's all about. (Am I the only one having that particular flashback? Probably.)
Also, I really need these shoes in my closet. You never know when it's going to be a bows-on-shoes sort of day. Best to be prepared.

Photos: WPA Pool via Getty Images, L.K. Bennett

Style Speculation of the Day: October 3, Plus a Programming Note

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The Spring 2015 Ready-to-Wear fashion shows are wrapping up in Paris, and prior to that in New York, London, and Milan. Will we see any of these fresh looks on our royal favorites? Time to make your wish list! Just a few from some royal favorites... (Click the designer names below to see the whole collection.)

This collection includes a few psychedelic turns on Crown Princess Mette-Marit's favorite prairie girl dresses. So...watch out for that. Valentino fans are all over the royal sphere, so we're bound to see some of this at one point or another.

Not my favorite Elie Saab collection, but the abundance of options that are not overly embellished (which is a hallmark of his couture stuff, and less so of his RTW collections) should make some of you happy. Keep an eye out for the ladies of Luxembourg and Sweden.

Jenny Packham's not about to let that fern pattern she used for the Duchess of Cambridge go to waste, no sir! Potentials here for the aforementioned Duchess, and maybe for Crown Princess Victoria.

More:
  • Pinstripe formal shorts and rainbow boots at Chanel. So that's what we'll be seeing in Monaco, then.
  • Akris is trying to make visors happen, heaven help us. Charlene, resist the pull. (It's an otherwise boring collection, in my opinion.)
  • A lotta fringe business happening at Giambattista Valli. Right up Mette-Marit's alley, and she has worn this designer before.
  • By the time we see Alexander McQueen on the Duchess of Cambridge, it's pretty far removed from anything shown on the runway. I did like the collection, though, and it's hard not to see those higher waists and be tempted to translate it to maternity gear.
  • Prada's collection is going to increase the coat section of Crown Princess Mary's closet.
  • Kind of a plain collection from Emilia Wickstead. Reason to hope the Duchess of Cambridge and the Countess of Wessex keep up the bespoke stuff.
  • Princess Madeleine's been spending time with Zac Posen (per his Instagram). The man does know how to do a serious ballgown, perfect for the Nobel time of year...

Programming note: Stop back on Sunday for a new post! Same time, same place.

    Photos: Style.com

    Royal Outfit (and News) of the Day: September 9

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    Cambridge baby #2 is on the way! You probably hadn't heard. (Breaking news is all part of the service here. You're welcome.) Congratulations and such are in order. Okay, let me dig some fabulous maternity fashion out of the pile for our daily outfit...
    The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge attended the service marking the 60th anniversary of the Queen's coronation last year.
    Yes! Here we go. This Jenny Packham ensemble tops my list of Things I Would Like To See Repeated Unless She's In The Mood For All New Stuff Because That's Even More Fun. (Good thing there's not a character limit for list titles.)

    Here's Harry's reaction. Spoiler alert: He's happy.

    And possibly most happy of all about being knocked down one more rung on the succession list...? Slow claps for that awkward question.

    Photo: WPA Pool via Getty Images

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