"Fights over her earrings. The £650 trench coat that sold out within in a day. The red twinset that caused a stampede in a shop.
With waiting lists for her outfits, how Waity Katie took on a whole new meaning...
When Kate Middleton wore a Burberry trench coat last week, designer Christopher Bailey — the brains behind the label — must have been rubbing his hands with glee.
For within hours of her appearance, the trench coat had sold out across the country — proof that Kate’s fashion star is on the rise. And Burberry isn’t the only one to enjoy the benefits of her seal of approval.
Ever since Kate appeared on the scene as Prince William’s girlfriend at St Andrews University, interest in her has been feverish — and that includes her sartorial selections.
Kate’s fashion influence became clear as far back as 2007 when a dress she wore for her 25th birthday (a £40 Topshop tunic) sold out within 24 hours.
It was a turning point for Kate who, until that point, had been criticised as being frumpy in a ‘lamb-dressed-as-mutton’ way.
Before long, Waity Katie — as she was dubbed before her engagement — started being braver with her fashion choices.
Gone were the knee-high suede boots, pashminas, cashmere cardies and knee-length skirts and dresses that were once her wardrobe staples.
In their place have come fitted, nipped-in jackets, silhouette-hugging dresses and timeless accessories that are elegant and regal, yet age-appropriate to boot.
Now, her style is much coveted — Kate has the power to spark a fashion stampede simply by wearing something once.
She often plumps for British designers such as Temperley, Mulberry and Burberry, meaning her choices have been a good blend of patriotic and classic.
But Kate’s fondness for the High Street stores Reiss, Jigsaw and Topshop also show she’s a girl who’s not afraid to mix and match affordable pieces with designer labels.
She is fast becoming the most famous woman in the world, with a figure that looks great in clothes, so it’s no wonder that designers are desperate for a little sprinkling of Middleton magic.
Below, you can see the rise and rise of Kate’s fashion successes and the resulting effects on the lucky labels she has chosen.
BURBERRY TRENCH
Kate looked effortlessly chic when visiting Belfast, choosing a classic Burberry signature trench coat for the occasion. Within a day, all sizes of the double-breasted beige wool model with a frilled, flared hem had sold out online.
Not only that, a far more purse-friendly Asda version — at £22, a snip of the original’s £650 price tag — saw sales soar by 300 per cent.
LIBELULA COAT
Kate attended a wedding in January, wrapping up against the winter chill in a velvet black Dulwich coat, £310, by British label Libelula.
Within hours of the picture being published, the coat had sold out and the company had thousands of hits on its website from around the world, with interest from the U.S. particularly high.
There is a waiting list of 300 for the coat, and Libelula is expecting a bumper delivery of stock in the next week.
ISSA DRESS
The label Issa has become a name synonymous with Kate — who has worn its dresses since 2005 — so it was no surprise she chose to wear its signature style silk Sapphire dress, £385, for her engagement photo call.
The dress sold out within 24 hours of the appearance, with Harvey Nichols’ buying director Averyl Oates saying: ‘Issa is one of our bestselling brands . . . since the announcement of the royal engagement, we have been inundated with requests.’
The High Street was also flooded with imitations — from Tesco to LKBennett — which have also sold out.
HUDSON JEANS
Kate was ahead of the fashion pack when, in 2008, she was photographed wearing flared jeans — this summer’s must-have style — from the celebrity’s favourite jeans label, Hudson. Actresses
Sienna Miller and Jessica Alba are both celebrity fans of the brand.
She teamed the Reilly five-pocket flare, £170, with a variety of fitted knits, perfecting the country
casual look in the process.
Kate shops for her jeans at Trilogy, and after the picture was published, sale s of the style increased dramatically in the store. Though the label is based in Los Angeles, there is a Union Jack on the logo — how patriotic of Kate!
TEMPERLEY DRESS
When Kate was photographed wearing the Temperley Titan dress (£295, bought from the discounted Bicester Village store) to a charity event in Norfolk with William in December — their first public outing since announcing their engagement — the dress sold out within two days.
And, unfortunately for fashion lovers, many were left disappointed because the dress wasn’t re-stocked, though you can find similar designs at Temperley year-round.
Happily for designer Alice Temperley, there is continued speculation that the label is designing the royal wedding dress.
LUISA SPAGNOLI SUIT AND AQUATALIA BOOTS
Kate chose to wear a pillar box red skirt suit (Sushi jacket, £335, and skirt, £160) by Italian designer Luisa Spagnoli when she revisited St Andrews with William last month.
In doing so she caused a stampede at the Knightsbridge boutique Hollie de Keyser (a favourite
shopping haunt of Princess Diana), which stocks the label. The outfit sold out within a day, with Hollie saying: ‘We have re-ordered 100 suits — that’s £50,000 worth of stock. Since Kate wore the suit, we have been inundated.’
Not only that, Luisa Spagnoli has chosen red as the key colour for her autumn/winter collection on the back of the popularity of the suit.
Kate teamed her red suit with these smart boots by Aquatalia by Mavin K.
Ever since, the stockists Russell & Bromley have been inundated with calls for what have been dubbed the ‘Kate Middleton boots’.
At £395, they aren’t cheap (and Kate has them in black and brown), but that hasn’t stopped royal fans buying them up.
VIVIEN SHERIFF FASCINATOR
On Kate’s first public outing as the royal-bride-to-be, when she and William visited Anglesey, she teamed a knee-length tweed coat with a pretty brown feathered hair accessory from Vivien Sheriff.
Kate’s design was bespoke, but you can get something similar for £150 to £190. Interest in the brand has doubled since Kate’s appearance. As with everything else to do with Kate, the Americans in particular have been putting in their orders.
PENELOPE CHILVERS BOOTS
Who can forget the moment when Prince Williams’ then girlfriend Kate was photographed in 2004 looking huntin’, shootin’, fishing chic in a short skirt teamed with chunky brown riding-style boots?
The Penelope Chilvers boots have proved a real favourite for Kate. Sales are up 73 per cent alone since the royal engagement was announced, making the brown tassel boots, £443, the most popular style in the collection.
REISS DRESS AND LINKS EARRINGS
Kate chose a cream silk Reiss dress for her official engagement photographs by Mario Testino, which looked as chic as any designer number.
It was from the autumn collection and had sold out before the pictures were even released.
Keen to cash in, Reiss relaunched the Nanette dress, £159, which has been selling like hot cakes ever since.Another delighted brand was Links of London — Kate wore its Hope white topaz earrings, £275, for the official engagement picture.
In the New York Links store, a fight broke out between two women over the last pair. The earrings were launched in 2006 and have been a bestseller for the brand, but with Kate’s seal of approval, sales have doubled."
Source:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1365950/Kate-Middletons-fashion-impact-Burberry-trench-coat-wore-sold-day.html#ixzz1f1y30hYu
