Meghan Markle needed eight fittings to make sure her beautiful wedding dress fit correctly, designer Clare Waight Keller revealed in a new interview.
Waight Keller, the woman to serve as artistic director for the legendary fashion house Givenchy, told Paris Match that she first met Markle in January to begin planning for the May 19 wedding. She also called Markle “a strong woman who knows exactly what she wants.”
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“We very quickly agreed on the perfect dress. I wanted a modern and fresh silhouette while respecting her style,” Waight Keller said, reports PEOPLE.
“You’re entering history at the same time as the Duchess of Sussex,” the 47-year-old designer continued. “It is an immense honor to have worked closely with Meghan and to have lived by her side all these special moments. Prince Harry came to me and said, ‘Oh my God. Thank you. She is absolutely magnificent.’ I am very proud. It’s a fairy tale. A dream come true.”
The major component of the dress was Markle’s 16-foot veil. It famously had flowers embroidered into it, to represent each of the 53 Commonwealth nations. Waight Keller took credit for the idea, saying it was like the counties “accompanied her to the altar. It was a moment of intense communion.”
The veil also referencedMarkle’s home state of California with the California Popper. The Wintersweet, a flower that grows on the Kensington Palace grounds, was also included. As a tribute to the late Princess Diana, Forget-Me-Nots were represented, too.
“To keep the veil immaculate until the ceremony, the embroiderers washed their hands every 30 minutes,” Waight Keller explained. “The silk crepe for the dress is double, which gives the silhouette its simplicity and its holding, while remaining supple.”
While the dress was instantly loved by most, there were a few critics. Emilia Wickstead, one of Kate Middleton’s favorite designers, told the Daily Mail she thought the dress was similar to one of her recent designs.
“Her dress is identical to one of our dresses,” Wickstead told the Daily Mail. “Apparently a lot of commentators were saying, ‘It’s an Emilia Wickstead dress.’”
On Sunday, Wickstead tried to walk back her comments, saying she has the “utmost admiration and respect” for Markle.
“I do not think that her wedding dress was a copy of any of our designs,” Wickstead wrote on Instagram. “I have the greatest respect for Clare Wright Keller and the House of Givenchy – a huge inspiration to me. I wish Their Royal Hignesses, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex a wonderful, happy and love filled life together.”
Prince Harry and Markle are now known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex since getting tying the knot. They made their first official appearance as a married couple on Tuesday during a special birthday celebration for Harry’s father, Prince Charles.
