Kate In LK Bennett Separates & Much Shorter Hair for ICAP Charity Day

Kate wore LK Bennett for a charity fundraising engagement this afternoon.

The Duke and Duchess were taking part in the annual ICAP Charity Day when UK brokerage house ICAP donates all proceeds from the day’s trading to a variety of charitable organizations.

William took part in the 2010 Charity Day, and both Cambridges were slated to take part in the 2012 event but were forced to cancel when Kate was hospitalized with hyperemesis gravidarum.

ICAP offices all over the world take part in the fundraiser, it is a fairly lighthearted fundraiser, with employees and guests in costume. Below, William greeting a few traders who opted for pink today.

Kate meets one of The Simpsons and William.well, I’m not sure who that is on his left. With thanks to Alexa, Harriet, Cat, TiffaNella, Emily, and Anu I now know Krusty the Clown is another character from the Simpsons.

Celebrities help boost the day’s volume because customers call in hoping to speak with one. The well-known folks have proven adept over the years at “closing deals,” with a little assistance and guidance from ICAP brokers. All of the proceeds from today’s trades go to charity; more than 90 organizations around the world will benefit from the event.

The Daily Mail’s Rebecca English noted that “William’s pretty brutal on the phone when it comes to sealing a deal. Kate very polite and chatty.” Below, is something you don’t see every day.

It turned out William wasn’t the only one working with men in heels. I like The Daily Mirror’s caption: “Nice to meet you: The Duchess of Cambridge meets confident trader Nigel Hallagan.”

Kensington Palace also posted a video of Kate speaking with a customer on the phone.

The Duchess was fundraising for two organizations, SportsAid and Place2Be; she is patron of both. William was representing SkillForce, he is that organization’s patron. At times she clearly reveled in the action.

William and Harry’s uncle, Charles Spencer also took part earlier in the day, as did actor Jeremy Irons. Since its inception in 1993 Charity Day has raised almost £120 million. It looked like the Cambridges enjoyed themselves immensely at this year’s event.

On to what Kate wore. We begin with a look at the new haircut, it is several inches shorter.

The new look is somewhat polarizing, it seems most either love it or loathe it.

An interesting side note about the new look comes via Lynne Hyland’s column in The Mirror.

Richard is the soul of discretion when it comes to his most famous client (he can say he does her hair but not give away anything else, which is pretty wise considering we girls can’t resist telling our hairdressers EVERYTHING).

However I discovered he was due at the palace later that very same afternoon. And now, well, I can only assume I was the guinea pig for Kate’s new do.

(Okay so he didn’t actually do it on that exact same day. But I am totally betting he showed her my picture as royal hair inspiration. That’s my story anyway and I’m sticking to it.)

Those following the royal tresses recall that Mr. Ward was Kate’s hairdresser for years, including for her wedding day, and he accompanied the royal party on the 2011 North American tour. CORRECTION: It was James Pryce who traveled with that 2011 tour, not Mr. Ward. It was my impression Mr. Ward and the Duchess parted company late in 2011 or early 2012, when Kate switched to Amanda Cook Tucker. Even factoring the tongue-in-cheek tone of the piece, it seems Ms. Hyland is saying Kate has returned to Mr. Ward for at least some work, but that may not be the correct interpretation at all. I am trying to get in touch with Ms. Hyland as well as Mr. Ward and will update if I come up with any new information. UPDATE DEC 10:  I have heard back from the folks at Richard Ward who verify Mr. Ward is “hairdresser to the Duchess of Cambridge,” but they did not comment on Kate’s new cut. (As one would expect.)

Many will recall seeing Kate in the LK Bennett Davina dress and Jude jacket in 2012, a look most Kate fashion followers liked. Kate initially wore the pieces for a series of engagements in Leicester with HM and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The Jude jacket is 100% wool; it has a double neckline, with a stylized v-neck on the front and raised collar on the back of the jacket. The piece also has the peplum silhouette Kate is fond of, a nipped-in waist and self-belt.  

The Davina dress is constructed of a wool crepe, with ruching at the side, an asymmetrical collar and cap sleeves.

We also saw the Power pump by Stuart Weitzman again.

The shoe is no longer available in black suede. It is offered at 50% off in a fiery crimson at Stuart Weitzman ($178), in a nude shade called ‘aniline’ at 6pm.com (also 50% off, $178) and in aniline at Amazon, where it is $133-$250 depending upon the size you need.

The bag was familiar, Kate’s oft-carried Bayswater clutch from Mulberry. We show it in black leather, Kate’s version is suede.

Many will have recognized the Mappin and Webb Empress jewelry she is wearing.

One quick note – last night’s tiarafest will be updated shortly with a new photo or two. The images are much the same as all those previously published, they may simply offer an opportunity to zoom in on a few details.

Another look at the Duke and Duchess.

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A couple of quick retail notes to share, beginning with Kate’s Ralph Lauren Austin Shirt dress worn to the Anna Freud Centre in September. The dress is marked down from $1595 to $892 at Neiman Marcus. 

The slightly shorter version of the dress is much less than that at Ralph Lauren, available for $684. It is priced at $959, but an online promotion takes $275 off orders of $750 and more, bringing the cost down to that $684 price point. Use promo code DEC15 to receive the discount. Here you see the two dresses side by side.

Also today, Kate’s ‘Muse’ clutch by Stuart Weitzman is available once again in black suede at Russell and Bromley.

It turns out the sale on Kate’s Corkswoon and Minx shoes at Stuart Weitzman is still underway. The company continues promoting 30% off your first pair of shoes, and 40% off your second pair. At 30% off the Corkswoon is $279 and the Minx is $298.

We will see you tomorrow for Kate’s visit to the Action on Addiction Centre for Addiction Treatment Studies.

LINKAGE:

• Visit the ICAP website for a fabulous gallery of photos from today
• Rebecca English’s photo-laden Daily Mail coverage is here; Richard Palmer’s Express article is here; The Daily Mirror’s coverage is here & here; The Telegraph’s story is here,
• for a 30-second video of the couple arriving click here; it was shot by Royal Central’s James Brookes;
• Click here to see a video of Kate & William playing in a ping pong match with SportsAid partners; a brief SportsAid video also shows the table tennis game
• PopSugar’s oversized photo gallery is here; People magazine’s story is here; Hello! magazine’s story is here