Apr 232013
 
Kate was greeted by children waving St. George’s flags when for her visit to the Willows Primary School in Wythenshawe, Manchester. It is St. George’s Day in England, he is the country’s patron saint.
Splash News

Splash News

Kate was visiting the school to help launch a new counseling program, M-PACT. The project is a partnership between two charities that Kate is a Patron for, Action on Addiction and Place2Be. She was just named as Patron of Place2Be last week.
Paul Ellis/PA Wire

Paul Ellis/PA Wire

Comic Relief is also part of the project. Below we see the Duchess chatting with British comic John Bishop, he is an ambassador with Comic Relief.
Comic Relief Twitter

Comic Relief Twitter

Willows Primary has been working with Place2Be since 2010. Here we see a ‘portrait’ of Kate made by students.

Rebecca English The Daily Mail/Mail Online Twitter Feed

Rebecca English The Daily Mail/Mail Online Twitter Feed

Kate previously watched the M-PACT program in action when she visited Stockton last October. The Daily Mail offers this on today’s event:

The Willows Primary School on Manchester’s deprived Wythenshawe estate – which is used as a backdrop for the Channel 4 comedy drama Shameless – has been held up as a beacon of hope and is now rated by Ofsted as Outstanding.

M-PACT (Moving Parents And Children Together) is designed to provide support for children affected by parental drugs or alcohol abuse.

Comic Relief Twitter Feed

Comic Relief Twitter Feed

Kate made another speech today, one with significant import, following is a portion of the text:

But those who are addicted are not the only victims. I have been struck by the profound and deeply damaging impact it has on the children of affected parents.

“Last year, I asked The Royal Foundation, which I share with William and Harry, to see what could be done to help these children.

“In partnership with Comic Relief, our foundation commissioned a piece of research to explore this issue. Today, it gives me an enormous feeling of pride and excitement to launch a programme that will bring this research to life.

Kate did a solid job, you can view the entire speech here at ITN’s site.  She also spoke with parents, administrators and others involved in today’s launch.

Comic Relief Twitter

Comic Relief Twitter

Following the events inside the school Kate and John Bishop helped plant a tree.

Comic Relief

Comic Relief

It looks like some of the children wanted to help plant the tree.

Comic Relief Twitter

Comic Relief Twitter

Many readers will recall that the school’s was destroyed by an arson fire last month, three teenage boys were arrested for the crime. The school is hopeful they can raise enough money for replacement equipment, they have launched a Go Fund Me effort to help collect funds for this purpose.

Go Fund Me Willows Primary School

Go Fund Me Willows Primary School

Click here to learn more or make a donation.

Kate arrived at the Wilmslow Train station wearing the UFO (Unidentified Fashion Object) previously seen at the March wedding of friends in Switzerland, Tuesday Porritt shared this photo on Twitter.

Tuesday Porritt Twitter Feed

Tuesday Porritt Twitter Feed

Kate chose the Sophia dress by Erdem for today’s engagement.
Splash News

Splash News

The frock is most definitely not a maternity dress. Described as as a “fitted shift,” I can’t imagine many expectant mothers would look at it and say, “Hmmm, that will work when I’m seven months along.”  The dress showcased a square, scoop neckline and elbow-length sleeves.
Net-a-Porter

Net-a-Porter

It certainly worked for the Duchess, the vertical lines created by the print were slimming and drew attention away from Kate’s midsection. From a retail description:
For flawless, ladylike dressing, look no further than fashion darling Erdem. The label’s signature Visconti-blooms work their way across a demure, fitted shift – its square neckline reminiscent of the 50’s classic. Unashamedly feminine; work this dress as an elegant alternative to the LBD.
One interesting note, the front of this piece is 1″ shorter than the back.  Below you can see the back kick vent, the dress also has a hidden zipper.
Splash News

Splash News

The frock is shown at Matches Fashion for $1514, they have most sizes for sale as of this afternoon. It is still shown as available at Net-a-Porter in most sizes, at Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in all sizes, it is $1880 at all three stores.

Erdem Sophia Dress in Visconti Bloom

This piece is from Erdem’s Resort 2013 collection, shown below left. On the right we show the Sophia in a blue print.
Erdem/Lyst

Erdem/Lyst

The ‘Visconti’ print is something of a signature for Erdem, above we show it scaled down and rearranged for a Silk Scarf at Neiman Marcus.
Erdem Visconti Bloom Scarf

Erdem Visconti Bloom Scarf

The Duchess wore her navy suede pumps and carried her Stuart Weitzman navy suede ‘Muse’ clutch from Russell and Bromley.

PA Wire

PA Wire

She also wore her Anoushka pearl drops and Asprey pendant.

Annoushka/Asprey

Annoushka/Asprey

One of the day’s entertaining moments had to be when Kate was given a book, more from from Victoria Murphy of the Mirror:

Victoria Murphy, The Daily Mirror

Victoria Murphy, The Daily Mirror

Kate’s next engagement is tomorrow night, she attends an evening reception at the National Portrait Gallery in her role as Patron of the The Art Room.

LINKAGE:

Mar 022013
 

Kate and William have been in the Swiss Alps the last two days, today they were at the wedding of Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mark Tomlinson.

James Whatling / Splash News

William was an usher at the wedding, so Harry escorted Kate to the ceremony. Mr. Tomlinson is an old friend of both Princes, having played polo with them for years. His parents are good friends with Prince Charles, they own the Beaufort Polo Club where Harry, William and the Prince of Wales have played many a match.  The bride is an Olympic medalist in equine events, specializing in dressage.

The Telegraph has more on the day’s events:

The hour-long ceremony took place in Arosa’s Protestant Church before the reception at a hotel owned by Bechtolsheimer’s grandfather, the billionaire Karl-Heinz Kipp, 88, who owns the German department store chain Massa.

The wedding service was conducted in English and German….

Almost everything Kate wore has been seen previously.

Splash News

We see just a touch of the dress in the photo above, more than enough to know it is the MaxMara Studio dress worn by the Duchess when she visited Cambridge with William last November, seen below.

Splash News/The Telegraph

Many will recognize the hat, Lock & Company’s ‘Betty Boop’ style, first worn for the Shamrock Ceremony with the Irish Guard March 20 of last year, seen lower right.

James Whatling-Splash News/Lock & Company/Awar Hussein-PA Wire

Kate wore her Valerie pump from Emmy Shoes and carried the matching Natasha bag, both in chocolate; she also carried brown suede gloves.

Emmy Shoes

In the jewelry department we saw Kate’s Annoushka pearls hanging from Kiki McDonough hoop earringss. Kate wore the gold band that generated so much buzz when noted on her hand during the engagement at Hope House in February.

James Whatling/Splash News

The ring appears to be set with small rubies, Kate had it on yesterday as well. Some have noted that rubies are July’s birthstone; of course, that is when the baby is due.

Unfortunately we have not yet been able to determine who made Kate’s coat.

SplashNews.com

This looks to be a “new coat,” new in the sense I don’t recall seeing Kate ever wear it before. It looks like wool or a wool/cashmere blend, and the silhouette is fitted with strongly defined shoulders. The piece is single breasted with 7 or 8 buttons, concealed buttonholes, besom pockets, and front darts.

I am not convinced the “collar” is actually attached, it may be an entirely separate piece. It looks like a faux fur “infinity scarf” or “collar,” they were very popular this winter. Below, a poor example in the wrong color, shown merely to convey the idea.

Nordstrom Halogen Scarf

Following are a few close-ups, hopefully they will aid in identification of the garment. The top photo is of the hem/lining, the other two simply show the tortoise shell buttons and besom pocket detail.

Splash News

We will update the post if we find out the coat maker. This was a nice look for Kate, understated but elegant, with no loud or distracting elements that would take attention away from the bride.

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As many readers already know, Kate, William and Harry arrived in the area yesterday, we return to the Telegraph story:

The royal party arrived in Arosa on Friday, with the Princes going skiing as the Duchess rested. Prince William later joined the Duchess and other wedding guests at a mountain restaurant, the Tschuggenhutte.

Splash News

Underneath the LK Bennett Darwin jacket it looked like Kate was wearing another Temperley Honeycomb Tunic sweater, this time in black. (Click here to see the Duchess wearing it in white.)

Temperley London Honeycomb Tunic

Kate also wore skinny jeans and black Mukluk-style après–ski boots.

Splash News

We saw the return of Kate’s Givenchy ‘Obsedia’ sunglasses, previously seen at Wimbledon last July.

Splash News

The glasses are available at UK retailer Eyewear Brands for £155, about $240 USD.

An UPDATE about the bag Kate was carrying for Rosie Meade when walking on base of the ski slope Friday, it is the ‘Cristina‘ by Bill Brown.

'Cristina' by Bill Brown Bags

This item is £30, about $45 USD.

Bill Brown Bags

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Our other item today, a bit more info about Kate doing some shopping last week, Us Weekly has a report about a maternity dress she is said to have purchased.

“…she picked up a sweet flowered frock by U.K.-based clothing concession Lovestruck, a rep for the company confirms exclusively to Us Weekly….

…(she) purchased the brand’s Deirdre dress, a delicate spring sheath with a mandarin collar, a cross-over neckline, and a elasticized waist — to accomodate the first-time mom-to-be’s growing baby bump! The price tag for such stylish garb? A very affordable 37 pounds, or $55.

This is the frock shown in the magazine’s story, it is not shown on the Topshop site.

LoveStruck Deirdre

Sold in S/M or M/L sizing, here is the description from Lovestruck’s site:
Our delightful Deirdre dress is back for another season, this time in a delicate spring floral print. It has a forties tea dress feel, with a little mandarin collar and a cross over bust line. Fully elasticated at the waist. This dress is available in two colours, Cream and Purple
The one downside is the fabric content, 100% polyester. It is always fun to see designers react to news Kate has purchased or is wearing one of their creations, back to the Us story:
“It’s so exciting that the Duchess of Cambridge bought one of my designs,” Lovestruck designer Erika Shaw tells Us. “I think it’s great that Kate wears high street brands.”
Perhaps we’ll see Kate wearing the dress when it is much warmer.

Dec 162012
 

Kate’s made an unexpected appearance tonight, taking part in the BBC’s annual Sports Personality of the Year awards.

BBC via The Daily Mail

It was the Duchess’s first official engagement since being released from the hospital on December 6th, word of her appearance at the event was only released this morning.

In this screen shot shared by Paul Harrison of Sky News you can see the Duchess with David Beckham, he also took part in this evening’s show.

BBC via Sky News Royal (Paul Harrison)

Kate presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Lord Sebastian Coe, a four-time Olympic medalist and Chair of the London 2012 games.

The BBC via The Daily Mail

It was a full house at tonight’s festivities.

BBC via the Daily Mail

Red carpet arrivals included two-time Olympic champion Mo Farah and his family, all doing the ‘Mobot.’

The BBC

Heptathlete Jessica Ennis also brought home a Gold Medal for Team GB, she was in a deep red gown.

The BBC

Paralympics swimmer Josef Craig was named Young Sports Personality of the Year, he was the youngest Paralympic gold medalist at the London Games.

12 athletes were in contention for Sports Personality of the Year, tennis ace Andy Murray, cyclist Bradley Wiggins and golfer Rory McIlroy were among those on the short list.

BBC Sports

Click here to see the entire group of twelve. When votes were tallied the winner was Bradley Wiggins.

The BBC via Huffington Post

The runner-up was Ms. Ennis.

BBC via the Daily Mail

More on tonight’s appearance from the Daily Mail:

Her decision to honour the engagement after being forced to cancel her last four public appearances is a sign that the 30-year-old is slowly recovering after spending several days in hospital with hyperemesis gravidarum earlier this month.

Kate’s role as an official ambassador of Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic teams made her the perfect choice to make the presentation, below we see her at the Paralympics.

L-London 2012, R-Channel 4/The Paralympic Broadcaster

She also attended multiple events with William and Harry.

London 2012 Website

Kate wasn’t well enough to attend the entire 2-1/2 to 3 hour show. William has returned to Anglesey and is continuing his shifts with the RAF.

Kate chose the Alexander McQueen Bell Sleeve Floor Length Gown, shown below in black. I believe Kate’s dress is the ‘bottle green’ colorway.

Alexander McQueen

The gown is described this way:

Black crepe wool floor length gown with bell-sleeves, deep v-neck, trompe l’oeil belt waistband and sweeping central thigh-high slit.

Kate’s dress originally sold for $4,325, it is now on sale at $1,739.00. Below, the short version of the dress, it better shows the details.

Alexander McQueen

Kate accessorized with her Jimmy Choo Cosmic Pumps.

Jimmy Choo 'Cosmic' Pump in Black Suede

The shoe runs £435, I believe it is becoming an exclusive for Net-a-Porter. Currently it is still available in a few sizes at Jildor, on sale at $347.50. 

For jewelry Kate wore her Kiki McDonough Blue Topaz earrings.

UK Press Association/Rebecca English, The Daily Mail

And brought back her Asprey Button Pendant.

Asprey

We’ll update with more photos when they are available.

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A few other items that may be of interest, beginning with the Queen’s Christmas Party tomorrow at Buckingham Palace: Kate was originally expected to attend, I imagine that will be contingent upon how she is feeling. Another expected engagement is Christmas Day, The Telegraph has more:

Spending Christmas with the Queen at Sandringham is one of the traditions of marrying into the Royal family, but the Duchess of Cambridge will miss the experience this year.

She is to spend Christmas Day with her family at their house in Berkshire as she copes with her difficult pregnancy. The Duke of Cambridge faces a dilemma over where he will spend the day.

Obviously speculation on this topic changes almost hourly, if not more often. It is doubtful any decisions will be made until much closer to Christmas Day. Those decision will be driven by how the Duchess is feeling, with proximity to a hospital also a likely influence on where she spends the day.

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Also, LK Bennett is taking email signups for its upcoming collection by Caroline Issa (no relation to the clothing label), the line launches February 19.

LK Bennett

More from the LK Bennett website:

This vibrant, chic capsule collection of shoes and bags, features statement sandals, ankle-strap stilettos, shoe boots, the kitten heel, and a loafer as well as catch-me-if-you can clutches.

Anyone interested in being updated via email about the collection can email customerservices@lkbennett.com with the subject line ‘L.K.Bennett London by Caroline Issa’.

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Although it’s not even Christmas yet, fashion brands are showing their Pre Fall 2013 styles, a season that has become increasingly important on the fashion calendar.  We share a brief look at Temperley London’s Pre Fall collection, beginning with several looks that could be ideal for someone beginning to show. The dress in the center would need careful tailoring, it could look lovely on Kate.

Courtesy Photos via Women's Wear Daily

Obviously these are pieces unavailable to the general public, but I am guessing Alice Temperley would be happy to make them work for Kate.

Three more styles, I thought the sweaters below left and far right might be perfect right about now. The longer, tunic style top in the middle could work for someone with Kate’s slender form.

Courtesy Photos

And a final few styles suited for after the baby is born.

Courtesy Photos via WWD.com

LINKAGE:

  • the BBC’s story on tonight’s award to Bradley Wiggins, it’s story on Lord Coe’s award is here 
  • the Daily Mail’s story on the evening is here
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