New Engagements for Kate, Poppies Update, and More

Hello-hello, today we have two new engagements for Kate’s Calendar, a look into the fall fashion picture, along with a few other updates.

Kate’s new engagements are both in Margate, a seaside community in Kent on the English Channel, about 90 minutes by car from London.

• Wednesday, March 11: The Duchess visits the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery to view the Self: Image and Identity exhibit. The show is a partnership with the National Portrait Gallery, of which Kate is patron. A prize piece in the exhibition is Sir Anthony van Dyck’s last self-portrait. Kate will meet artists, Gallery patrons, and also view the Mr Lion 14 exhibit created by the Gallery’s community group, Blank Canvas.  The Gallery is located in Margate, a seaside community on the English Channel in Kent. The Turner is considered a major element in Margate’s rebirth and rejuvenation, it is named for the artist JMW Turner, who frequently stayed/lived in Margate. 

• Wednesday, March 11: Kate’s second engagement is also in Margate, where she will visit Resort Studios, an arts organization located in a restored Victorian warehouse that offers “individual studios, shared facilities, workshop areas and exhibition space.” The Duchess will meet artists, tour the studio facilities and see works created at the studios.

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Next on our agenda, the Temperley London collection for autumn/winter 2015.  There were some stunning colors in the lineup. For the show Ms. Temperley used a blend of models, not all of them über-young and stick thin. More from Grazia UK’s review:

…Sophie Dahl returned to the catwalk for the first time in over ten years. Backstage Alice Temperley said of casting Sophie in her show: “She’s a friend and I wondered why on earth she wasn’t on that catwalk. She’s so unbelievably beautiful. It’s been about ten years.”

Alice also cast Caroline Winberg and Jacquetta Wheeler in her show, who are both pregnant. Alice said backstage of having two bumps in her show: “They are beautiful and friends, so why not show them when they’re pregnant? We all get pregnant.

Speaking of Kate and this collection, we share a portion of The Telegraph’s review:

In a move that will disappoint the Duchess of Cambridge and delight stylists, Alice Temperley has turned a savvy, sexy and bohemian corner. Less chiffon and more sheer, the A/W ’14 collection muses on the ornate detail of Spanish cathedrals and Byzantine architecture.

More reinforcement this isn’t a collection with items suitable for Kate comes via Grazia UK:

Alice said of the look for AW15: “In reality can’t wear floaty dresses all the time – I like the trouser suit and I like feeling tailored when I’m at work. We were known for doing dresses, but now we do lots of leather, knitwear and suiting.”

Of course, just because few runway pieces look ideal for the Duchess doesn’t mean she won’t be wearing Temperley in the future, not at all. There are separates that could work well for more casual times, and there is always the likelihood of a bespoke creation for Kate. 

As fun as it is to think about autumn apparel and accessories, many of us caught in winter’s frigid grip have one simple mantra at this point in the calendar: bring spring. Below, a few of the Temperley designs from the designer’s spring collection.  From left to right: the Long Francine Tattoo Dress; the Long Klara Dress in ice blue showcases sheer tulle panels awash in beading and crystals; the Long Angeli Lattice Dress is shown in French navy but it also comes in green, ice blue and black; and the Long Faye Wrap dress, a slinky number that is also offered in a variety of colors; we show it in black, and kelly green on the model.

The Marino Structured Dress has the fit and flare silhouette Kate likes, done in an elegant navy/black jacquard. There is also a Midi Marino Coat in the same fabric as the dress; it isn’t difficult to picture Kate in the coat, which also comes in solid black.

For those fond of lace, there is lots to love. Below we show the Coco Strappy Dress in both coral and ivory, its more covered-up counterpart is offered in coral, black, ink and ivory.

We leave our Temperley coverage with a few separates (l to r): the Marni Lace Yoke Top in a wool/silk/cashmere blend; the Jacques Top is a bit dressier, done in a laser-cut satin (there is a matching skirt); and the a more casual look, the Marquis Knit Top in rayon and nylon.

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We have a few quick product updates to share, starting with the Really Wild Claret Shawl Kate wore Christmas Day of 2013, and again at the wedding of friends Libby Keir and Tom Eaves in December of last year. Really Wild has the wrap back in stock.

The claret and navy tartan wrap is a blend of wool and cashmere, and very, very snuggly according to those who have purchased it. Our thanks to Sandra for letting us know on the WKW Facebook page about the piece being available again.

Our other update involves Kate’s Aquatalia Rhumba boots. They remain on sale at Nordstrom, priced at $449, a healthy discount from their original $698 price tag.

Surprisingly, they still seem to be well-stocked in a variety of sizes in the black suede Kate wears.

And it appears that Stuart Weitzman has restocked Kate’s Corkswoon Wedge in all sizes…

As well as the Minx.

A sign of springtime, perhaps.

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Also today, a quick progress report for those who ordered ceramic poppies from Historic Royal Palaces. Many in the USA have yet to receive their poppies, but there’s no cause for alarm – the majority haven’t been shipped yet.

I sent an email over the weekend checking on the status of my order, and HRP promptly replied. Here is a portion of their response:

…we can confirm that your poppy is still being cleaned and packaged and is not yet ready for collection by the couriers.

International orders have not yet begun to be dispatched, but will begin shortly. We have not dispatched any international deliveries at this point as they make up the smallest number of orders (approx. 2%).

Allowing the bulk of the orders to be delivered before dispatching the international orders will allow our customer care teams to co-ordinate on international deliveries which requires the use of a different courier for each country.

Using your order number, you can get an update here. (I believe you can also submit an inquiry at this link even if you don’t have your order number handy.)

We will see you again shortly!

LINKAGE:

• The Turner Contemporary’s website is here, you can learn more about the Self: Image and Identity exhibit here, Mr. Lion exhibit info may be seen here, the charity’s Facebook page is here and  its Twitter feed is here
• Resort Studios website is here, its Facebook page is here, its Instagram page is here, and its Twitter feed is here
• Jonathan Lorie did a stellar piece in The Guardian last September about the Turner and Margate, you can read it here
• Some may recall the recent film Mr. Turner, about the last 25 years of; it received four Academy Award nominations, and also took the Best Actor award at Cannes