PHOTOS: Karl, Vera, And More Sketch Ideas For Kate’s Dress

by Verena von Pfetten | 10:15 am, December 15th, 2010

The royal engagement is barely a month old and already the wedding dress speculation is in full force — so full, in fact, that WWD managed to wrangle wedding dress sketch suggestions from 29 different designers and brands, including Karl Lagerfeld, Vera Wang, new-kid-on-the-bridal-block J.Crew, and Christian Lacroix. Notably missing from the list is current gown frontrunner Bruce Oldfield, which only adds fuel to the rumored fire.

We’ve compiled a gallery of our favorites, but you can view the rest (sans paywall) here.

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1.Chanel

“The Victorian wedding dress, with a twist — high boots and open in the front.” -- Karl Lagerfeld

2.Christian Lacroix

“Something old: Victorian skirt. Something new: patchwork gown. Something borrowed: Queen Elizabeth’s veil. Something red: Elizabethan top, as red was the wedding color until 1900!” — Christian Lacroix

3.Nina Ricci

“Light as a feather, layers of lace and organza…a dress fit for a princess.” — Peter Copping, Nina Ricci

4.Valentino

“We designed a ‘blossoming’ dress because we imagined her as a new Botticellian Venus.” — Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pier Paolo Piccioli, Valentino

5.Gucci

“I admire the balance Kate Middleton strikes between elegant and contemporary with her unmistakable style. For her wedding dress, I had in mind clean lines, soft shapes and classic touches such as the boat neckline and distinctive train.” — Frida Giannini

6.J.Crew

“I think that there will be so many comparisons to the late Princess Diana that her dress should almost be the opposite of what Diana’s was — modern, simple and very elegant.” — Tom Mora, vice president of wedding and special occasion, J. Crew

7.Monique Lhuillier

“The royal wedding will be magical. Kate’s dress should be a modern mix of the traditional and contemporary.” -- Monique Lhuillier

8.Missoni

“This dress was designed to enhance Kate Middleton’s beauty through precious fabrics. The clean and contemporary lines, never redundant and beyond all specific stylistic periods, give her an eternal image of grace and elegance.” — Angela Missoni

9.Nanette Lepore

“A patchwork lace dress reminds us all that a true princess can mend and make do!” — Nanette Lepore

10.Rachel Roy

“For Kate I would showcase the British tradition with a wonderfully beautiful, yet modern hat worn under a full-length veil with a deconstructed cascade train balancing the formality.” — Rachel Roy

11.Vera Wang

“The tradition of intricate hand-pieced lacework in the high-necked bodice with elbow-length sleeves, together with the voluminous skirt of a mixture of stiff and soft silk tulle, feels regal, yet poetic.” — Vera Wang

12.Alberta Ferretti

“I imagine a wedding dress that is romantic but not flamboyant, an embroidered, fluid silhouette dress in precious fabrics that will help her make an everlasting impression.” — Alberta Ferretti