UPDATED MAY 2: Trousers ID confirmed.
I promised a post this weekend about the tour; that has been pre-empted by news that the Duchess of Cambridge posed for British Vogue’s June issue.
Josh Olins/British Vogue
From the magazine’s story about the photo spread:
HRH THE DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE is today unveiled as the cover star for Vogue‘s centenary issue. Photographed by Josh Olins in the Norfolk countryside, the Duchess appears in a 10-page shoot within the June 2016 issue, the first magazine shoot that she has ever consented to.
Josh Olins/British Vogue
The shoot was done as a collaborative undertaking with the National Portrait Gallery, currently running an exhibition in tandem with British Vogue’s 100th anniversary. From the NPG:
The National Portrait Gallery and British Vogue have collaborated on a very special series of photographic portraits with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge. Two of the images are now displayed in the Vogue 100: A Century of Style exhibition and the full portfolio of eight photographs including the cover will appear in the centenary June 2016 issue of Vogue.
British photographer Josh Olins who works frequently with Vogue was chosen for this landmark shoot. His work is known for its quiet elegance, the character he captures from his sitters and a degree of relaxed understatement.
A banner from the Vogue 100: A Century of Style show.
National Portrait Gallery
Of course, Kate is the Portrait Gallery’s royal patron. Below, a Gallery employee works this afternoon on the addition of Kate’s two photographs to the exhibit.
Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal)
And the pictures chosen for the exhibition.
Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal)
As many readers know, the Duchess has never posed for a fashion magazine. More from Tom Sykes in The Daily Beast:
Alexandra Shulman, Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue commented, “To be able to publish a photographic shoot with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has been one of my greatest ambitions for the magazine.
A portfolio of seven photographs, are to appear with an accompanying article (sources say that although Kate has provided some original quotes for the piece, she has not broken the habit of a lifetime and given a sit-down interview).
Josh Olins/British Vogue
Kate’s thoughts about being part of the magazine’s centenary issue come from ‘a spokesperson for the Duchess,’ via The Daily Beast.
The Duchess was delighted to play a part in celebrating the centenary of an institution that has given a platform to some of the most renowned photographers in this country’s history. She is incredibly grateful to the team at Vogue and at the National Portrait Gallery for asking her to take part. She would like to thank Josh Olins for being such a pleasure to work with. The Duchess had never taken part in a photography shoot like this before. She hopes that people appreciate the portraits with the sense of relaxed fun with which they were taken.
Kate does look very relaxed in the pictures, more from Vanity Fair:
Styled by one of the magazine’s senior style directors, Lucinda Chambers, Olins’s shoot captured the duchess at her most natural. A source at the magazine said that Kate worked closely with the editor and style director on the shoot eschewing glamour for country chic when it came to the wardrobe.
The Duchess also wears minimal makeup in the photo spread. More about that topic from The Telegraph:
For the first time the Duchess, 34, allowed a professional make-up artist to prepare her for the photographer, giving her a fresher, more youthful look.
Vogue hired make-up artist Sally Branka, who persuaded the Duchess to do without her usual black eyeliner and heavy blusher, with striking results.
Josh Olins/British Vogue
It is Ms. Branka’s makeup work that is generating the most chatter online. As you might imagine, opinions are divided, although it should be noted that the minimalist look would have been discussed by Kate, Ms, Branka, Ms. Shulman and perhaps others involved in the shoot. Ultimately it would have been the Duchess’s decision to go ahead with the different approach. One more portion of the Vanity Fair story:
According to a spokesman at Kensington Palace, Wednesday will be “the first time” Kate has seen the images suggesting she did not have final approval over the portfolio of images which do not appear to have been heavily airbrushed.
Ms. Branka shared her elation about being part of the cover shoot in an Instagram post, saying she was “So proud to be part of this amazing cover!”
Sally Branka Instragram
Photographer Josh Olins was born in London but now lives in New York. He has a wealth of experience with fashion shoots as well as celebrity photographs. He also shared his delight about being involved with the project via Instagram.
Josh Olins Instagram
The photographer told Vogue he felt privileged to be chosen to take the photos, saying “This was the Duchess’s first sitting for a magazine and she was a joy to work with, a natural.” More about the shoot from Vanity Fair’s story:
According to Alexandra Shulman, the magazine’s editor in chief, who was on the shoot: “The Duchess watched how Josh worked with the light and asked a lot of questions. It was her choice to shoot that picture where she is leaning over the gate because the late afternoon sun was particularly beautiful.”
In the picture the couple’s Landrover Defender can just be seen. While William’s security team drives a fleet of luxury Discovery Landrovers the Duchess prefers to drive around in the less-conspicuous Defender.
Shulman said that the shoot took place all day, “in a field somewhere down several tracks. There were some farm buildings available for the crew and to use as a dressing room. We were very lucky with the weather and had bright sun for most of the time.”
Diana, the late Princess of Wales, appeared on Vogue’s cover four times. The first cover was shot by Lord Snowden for the August 1981 issue, not long after Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles, seen on the far left below. The other three cover images were all by Patrick Demarchelier. From second left to right you see the December 1991 issue; the noted July 1994 black and white cover; and October 1997’s cover, released posthumously with a photograph actually taken in July of 1994.
Vogue
Victoria Arbiter noted that Princess Anne also covered Vogue several times.
According to Vogue Kate chose the clothing, locations and photographer:
Having participated in choosing not only the clothes worn in the shoot and the locations used as a backdrop, but also the photographer who captured the images, the Duchess was pleased with the resulting feeling of informality in the final shots.
On to what Kate wore in the pictures, beginning with a Petite Bateau Striped Tee.
Petite Bateau
The tee is a standard silhouette for Petit Bateau in 100% cotton; this spring it is re-imagined with a vertically striped pocket. As you might expect, the piece has sold out in the red/navy colorway Kate wears, but it is available on the US site in blue/white and black/white. The inventory situation is identical on the UK site.
Petite Bateau
On the magazine’s cover the Duchess is seen wearing Burberry’s Double Breasted Suede Coat ($7500).
Burberry
From the product description:
A suede coat cut with a classic double-breasted closure and wide revere collar. The tapered waist features an integrated martingale to cinch the silhouette and a softly pleated skirt for movement.
The $7500 piece remains available as of Monday, May 2nd. It’s possible the ‘Kate Effect’ won’t be quite so dramatic with this item, that has occasionally been the case with some of the very high-end items Kate has worn.
Burberry
The Duchess also wears Burberry trousers, the brand’s Stretch Boot-Cut Trousers.
Burberry
The pants are made of a rayon/elastene blend, with two back welt pockets and two side-seam (I think) pockets, detailed with ‘military style’ red topstitching. In the US they are $1195 and still available in several sizes; in the UK the trousers retail for £695, with many sizes still available.
Kate wears a hat by Beyond Retro. Anna of My Small Obsessions has received confirmation Kate wears the retailer’s Wool Felt Fedora in Dark Green.
British Vogue/Beyond Retro
Kate’s white shirt is also said to be a Burberry piece.
One other note about the Portrait Gallery: many wondered if the new photos meant the existing portrait of the Duchess would no longer be exhibited. According to the Gallery’s website the portrait is on display in room 32.
National Portrait Gallery
Some may recall discussion back in 2011 (and maybe again in 2012) about Anna Wintour hypothetically approaching the Duchess for a cover shoot, the following graphic is from a September 2011 Telegraph piece.
The Telegraph September 2011
And we wrote about the topic in this post.
The magazine will be available for newsstand purchase and downloading on May 5th, this Thursday.
Vogue
Many thanks to Anna of My Small Obsessions for identifying Kate’s trousers, hat and tee shirt; thank you to Middleton Maven for quickly locating the coat.
We’ll leave you with this quick video (1:10) from the National Portrait Gallery about the Vogue 100 exhibit.
LINKAGE:
- British Vogue’s story about the photo shoot is here; its piece about Kate’s style is here
- The NPG’s microsite about the Vogue 100 exhibition are here
- Visit the Josh Olins website here, or see more of his work here
- Learn more about Sally Branka by clicking here
- Click here to see the Vogue archive of cover images from all 100 years of publication
I have just received confirmation from Burberry that the red plaid shirt Kate is wearing in the Vogue spread will not be offered for sale at any point.
I understand she is attempting to become the modern version of the understated people’s princess, but I am not loving this look at all. She will become a princess and then a queen consort. I understand that she can be country and a little bit rock and roll, but the reason people watch future princesses is to be dazzled. That is what Princess Diana did best. She owned it. Queen Max does that with no regrets. Queen Letizia does that with no regrets. Princess Mary of Denmark does that with no regrets. True, the DOC is not at that level yet and maychoose to remain casual. Still, this is the time for her to build her brand quietly. We understand she loves the taupe shoes, re-wears dresses, etc., just like all of us, but she ought to go out with her A Game for a Vogue cover. This was an opportunity for her to knock it out of the park and I feel that the discussion has just become focused on her bad eyebrows. Disappointed.
Would we ever see the Duchess wearing these clothes again? Or are they loaned just for the photoshoot?
I can’t beleive you identified the trousers from what little we see of them!
WOW – DoC wears trousers.!!! – and she picked them!!! (According to Vogue Kate chose the clothing, locations and photographer:) ..and the universe re-aligns.
I had a chance to go to the exhibition today and the shots of Kate look wonderful. There is a lot of different styles in the one room and Kate’s pictures just look so beautiful, fresh and natural. I also picked up the June issue and while I think the photos are amazing it was really the article that stayed with me. Kate never once takes her phone out during the whole shoot preferring to engage with the team and has a complete lack of vanity, she scarcely looked at herself in the mirror trusting the hair and makeup team to create something they would both love. Inspiring!
We’re often used to seeing one version of Kate: lots of eyeliner and lots of blush and bronzer. I love that Vogue tried something different and stripped her of her eyeliner, bronzer and blush. Many people here have commented that she always overdoes her makeup and here Vogue has done what many of you have wanted, yet many of the complainers of the eyeliner still complain.
I think she looked beautiful with eyeliner, but she looks radiant without it and I loved that the makeup artist filled in her brows just the slightest and kept everything else very understated. It’s a very natural, understated look which fits the theme for this photoshoot. Her brows are very full as is, but I love how the artist played with her brows instead. It’s different and fun. She still looks like Kate, but I think the brows frame her eyes in a more fun way.
I love Kate’s trench coat. It’s a very classic 1930s/1940s cut but it has those buttons in the vent that make it modern and fun. The original trench coat that was developed in WWI had those large lapels so water and dirt would slide off the wearer in the trenches and so they could go over each other and be buttoned to keep in warmth (which is why you usually have an extra button on one side near the shoulder.) I bet this coat is very, very warm.
The Breton stripes shirt outfit is beautiful too. I’d love to have that shirt in every color.
Interesting info on the coat history, thank you! I still don’t like it, but I appreciate knowing the purpose for the huge lapels. Interesting too because Kate seems to favor military style — many of her other coats have military-like details.
Agreed on the makeup. I do think the brows are too much but I will take them with the pared down eye makeup any day. Less is more; the makeup in the Vogue spread is an improvement even if the brows are up for debate.
It’s not exactly pleasing to the eye if you have smaller shoulders like Kate, that’s true. If you have broader shoulders like me you can definitely pull off the original military trench look. Even her trench is a little oversized in the lapels, but if you look at trench coats from that time (the late 1910s – early 1950s when they were fighting in trenches) you’ll notice the bigger lapels.
I think it probably would have looked much better on her if the trench were cut to her mid-knee (my favorite length) with the button vent, and the lapels were just a tiny bit skinnier.
The photo of Kate at the fence is perfection. It blends her personality into an artistic shot in a very nice way. I really like it.
The cover is terrible. It looks like the cover of Seventeen magazine from the 1980s.
Why is no one talking about that weird coat? The lapels swamp her very tiny shoulders. That hat? Seriously, wt* is with that hat? The eyebrows? Oh, what did they do to you poor Kate? I’m surprised she agreed to Vogue at all given her (seemingly to me) eschewing of being a fashion icon. I get that she IS a fashion icon, but she doesn’t seem to seek it.
I love the statement that Kate makes with her first (and Vogue’s centenary) issue. It’s overly simplified and casual, and this is exactly who Kate is. She’s not decked out in makeup or jewelry. She’s not wearing a couture dress. She’s just Kate. Exploring. Fresh faced. Airy. Friendly. I love everything about this. It speaks volumes of the person she is and the legacy she wants to project.
Catherine looks beautiful….radient, happy, loved, and in the prime of her life. Although she looks different from ssy, 5 years ago, she looks more comfortable in her own skin and more reflective as well. The photo in the striped top is my favorite. They are all lovely though.
I find some of these comments disturbing, and frankly, mean. Why do women do this to each other? This is not the same as criticizing a particular dress or saying that certain shoes don’t go. To criticize her nose and forehead and so forth is unnecessary.
I have never minded her eyeliner so I instantly noticed it was missing. I will say that I think she would have looked great without the eyeliner had someone not gotten too heavy-handed with the eyebrow pencil. The duchess is a beautiful woman (inside and out) but I really think the eyebrows–especially in the hat pictures are too much.
I love everything about the picture leaning on the gate with the striped shirt—I feel like that is authentically Kate in every way and it looks like they did put just a bit of eyeliner on her for that photo.
Minor quibbles with makeup aside, I am happy to see her looking so happy and relaxed and I think it is safe to say that the errors of the past (when her late mother in law looked so lost and miserable most of the time) have been learnt from.
I would also say that I believe that the decision to not turn her into a glamazon was a combination of her natural tendencies and to not echo any of Diana’s covers.
I like these eyebrows so much! Without this heavy eyeliner she’s so pretty.
I think she tried to reproduce this look when she went to meet the Air Cadets but it was a fail because her clothes were far too formal (the hat was awfull with her beautiful but strict blue coat).
I think she too Sophia but it just didn’t translate in real life. We never saw them again after that engagement. I like the strong brows in these photographs though. A bit of avant-garde thrown into an otherwise girl next door stylization.
To start with I am a kate fan but it is very hard to understand whether this normality projected is also reinforced by the pr strategy of the palace.
Yes kate is a new age royal modern approachable more human. As such she would never be photographed in a tiara wearing haute couture. The countryside is more suitabl and it is also a rayional move as people of her background (the kind you meet in chelsea, and around sloane square) are exactly like this: down to earth self deprecating, nature and animal loving people. It may sound like a stereotype but it is not. Kate is like that from what we see as well: her kind of girls are natural down t earth dont comlalin get on with it. That is their charm.
I was thinking about travelling blush ‘s comment which is very good but I was also tninking if she were that unexpected or different (she is also very private) would she be really doing a photoshoot for vogue? I wouldnt think so as a vogue shoot was long expected.
This leads me to believe that this photoop was just another opportunity to promote brand britain and the new age monarchy as a brand. Kate is part of that brand and as such the images we see are staged. This normality is way too staged. Still for me it is hard to see who the real kate is. The strategy is to promote normality normal britain in all its glory in the countryside no airs and graces, because it is easier for people especially for brits who consider wealth and showing off wealth a taboo, it is more human.
The difference with the demarchelier diana pictures are that they more genuine: they are all about diana as a person. She is photographed on her own sitting down against a simple backdrop. It is all about her not her as part of that brand. I hope we see more of the real kate in the future as well.
N another note as much as I like the picture of her wearing the breton stripe, the cover is hideous. Kate is a beautiful young girl and this image doesnt really capture how fresh happy and beautiful she looks. Her countrystule outfit and look in bhutan was way better than this.the makeup aryist had good intentions but she executed it very bad. The eyebrows are very strong her look is very plain all these brown are so dampening her freshness…
I think vogue uk could have done better, but nevertheless I am happy to get a glimpse of kate in norfolk. It is a great opportunity….
I like the picture of Kate at the fence very much. That looks like her – outdoorsy, natural, friendly. And very pretty!
The cover pic is less appealing to me. My first thought was Town & Country horsey set – which I don’t associate with Kate at all. It’s an expensive-casual look (the hat puts it over the top), rather than a relatable one.
It is nice to see these photos, and for Kate to be participating in the anniversary of Vogue.
wow! such a natural beauty.
What a fun day for Royal photo lovers!! Agree with the other comments that Kate looks beautiful, but different. And indeed very “Town and Country” (and thus a very intentional contrast to Diana’s Vogue photos). I feel like the instantly recognizable new makeup look, along with the styling, give a loud and clear message of how Kate has and continues to want to be seen (and seems in my eyes to authentically be): a dramatically understated woman, low-maintenance, happy at home in the country, glowing not from flashy clothes and accessories but from a real contentment on the inside. (Did anyone else notice the complete lack of ornamentation other than wedding rings? Not even a stud earring in sight 😉 ) She just happens to be astromnically famous… but not because she likes to command attention.
I’m always so fascinated by famous people and their public images, especially with Kate as someone who has had to adapt her once “normal” life to one so completely under a global microscope. I have to admit, if I were a new princess Vogue had been courting for years, I’d be all up Gran’s crown jewel collection for my photosshoot (and the end result would be a Mario Testino haute couture wonderland). So kudos to always -classy Kate, for keeping her head on her shoulders far better than I could! 🙂
As always, thanks for the expedient and informative posts!
This is a different look, and quite interesting. I must say, the unexpecred is what makes this woman interesting. She gives something new to ponder and clearly is an open person to new ideas, with little if no interest to pander to the glamorous images expected of her.
She looks lovely! Love, love, love the more fresh-faced makeup. The Duchess has beautiful eyes but with the heavy black line they are hard to appreciate. The photo of her leaning on the rail is my favorite. I think the hat is too severe for such a close-up. I am not a fan of most double breasted coats. Kate is so tiny already and she looks swamped by the double breasted coats. The large lapels are a miss for me. Looking forward to seeing the rest of the photographs
Scary eyebrows
That’s all I could see! Who would do that to her?
The eyebrows are twice as heavy as they should be; they’ve become objects in their own right, rather than blending in with the overall face.
I like seeing her with a more casual makeup look, but she does look quite different. There’s a resemblance to actress Jennifer Connelly that struck me when I first saw the pictures. Amazon sells copies of monthly magazines, without needing a subscription. Hopefully they will have the June issue of British Vogue soon.
I also immediately thought of Jennifer Connelly.
Interesting. The way they did her make-up and eyebrows, I think she looks like Jennifer Connelly. I almost didn’t recognize her with that hat either.
I read on another site that Kate will be visiting the National Portrait Gallery in May 4th to view the exhibition. Has anyone heard this? I’m in London on vacation and wondered if I should try to catch a glimpse.
That’s not something I have heard about Amy, but I could just be out of the loop. If it turns out that is the case I will update the calendar and the post. 🙂
So very happy to see her without that dated and aging eyeliner!
Of the many photos I’m sure were taken of the duchess for this shoot, this one with the hat is very disappointing for the cover. No cute bangs….she’s all forehead and eyebrows. The shot of her in the striped top leaning on the fence would have been so much nicer for the cover.
@SarahB, Barnes and Noble usually had a very good magazine section with international options
Nice pictures, not Vogue-y though, more Town & Country. I thought Kate’s makeup looked better of late, including on the India trip. I wonder if the hand of Sally Branka has played a role in Kate’s make-up being lightened up? The older you get, the less makeup you need/ can pull off, IMO.
Agree lawgirlNYC. But if Catherine helped with the style maybe she really did want to downplay the glamour part of her life. That would go a long way in explaining the photos. I also wondered if seeing herself professional made up had prompted her to use a lighter hand in her own make up. The make up is lovely, brows are a bit heavy but that does seem to be the style these days. I actually love strong brows just do not feel Cahterine’s were balanced out enough with clothes, or make up or setting. She looked gorgeous though. I do feel the hat is too overpowering and takes away from her face as opposed to enhancing her look. Will be fun to see the other photos.These two also did not look at all like an English countryside to me, mush more ranch looking.
I will for sure be buying a copy or two if I can get it at a newspaper shop in NYC. 🙂
I really like Branka’s work on Kate. I was also delighted to see a new lip color on her. It’s such an interesting choice for a woman who has stuck to pink lipstick for the last five years.
Anyone else notice the one comment on Olin’s IG that says, who is the model? 🙂
I think her brows look amazing. I’m taking this photo with me next time I get mine shaped! I thought her brows looked good at first but then I saw her older portrait at the bottom of the post and realized hour much fuller they are. I definitely prefer the full look on her.
It’s fun to see her with a different makeup look. The heavy eyebrows are a bit surprising, but still pretty. I wonder if she will be inspired to tweak her makeup routine.
The photos are lovely, despite another striped shirt 😀
Wowza, Princess Anne looks stunning on her covers. So glamorous!
Oh she looks practically radiant and is beaming with happiness.
On a different note,I just want to say my heart still aches whenever I see Princess Diana’s photograph anywhere. She was an out of the world beauty and a human being. I was very young when she died, I still remember how deeply sadness engulfed us when we heard the news on tv. She was THE Princess.
It’s strange how Vogue cover photos tend to have a slightly deadening effect on the features of various celebs who have featured there, maybe airbrushing, maybe the use of camera colour filters. I think my main problem here is that I’m unfamiliar with Kate looking quite like this, though they are clearly excellent photos.
I find the hat too heavy and low on her forehead and in the black-and-white shot she comes close to imitating a 1960s folk singer. And in all the times I’ve wished there could be less of the eyeliner the lightening effect of that is lost with such heavy eyebrows. The huge lapels of that coat seem to swamp her.
The Kate I’m used to seeing has peeked out when she’s back in familiar stripes and leaning on the gate. Interesting portraits, I shall no doubt have to come back to them and ponder.
I couldn’t agree more with your comments regarding both fashion and makeup styling. Particularly the eyebrows – they engulf rather than frame her face.
Although the photos are visually striking, I feel Vogue was brought to the Duchess rather than the Duchess brought to Vogue. Catherine has such a lovely balance between her feminine and sporty sides and, although I’m not suggesting the photos needed to be formal, the tone of these images seems theatrical and androgynous – two things I personally wouldn’t associate with her. I’m not sure they flatter her?
I welcome others’ views but, for me, the images above just don’t quite work. Perhaps the photos in the interior spread will be better. (And, regardless of my aesthetic views, her personality still shines through in a lovely way.) 🙂
I was struck by the makeup in the photos. Personally, I like the way Kate looks in other photos much more. If she is still doing her own makeup, I like it much better. Whoever did the Vogue makeup made her look too harsh. She is so beautiful! These photos make her look rather plain.
The Duchess does not look like herself on the cover.
I thought the same thing! At first I thought this was an ad to bring back an 80’s clothing line, Outback Red, because those models wore safari-style hats and super thick eyebrows.
I didn’t recognize her because the lighting, hat and eyebrows had a negative effect. The hat hides her forehead expanding the lower part of her face, the thick eye brows make her eyes look closer together and the lighting under her chin and nose makes them look bigger. Thank God for her smile!
She is a gorgeous woman and we see so many fantastic pictures of her that I don’t know why the Vogue cover wasn’t breathtaking. I was hoping to be more impressed than when she stepped out in a white Roland Mouret dress back in May 2012 to attend a private dinner for the Thirty Club at Claridge’s Hotel.
I wonder if she is afraid to really pull out the stops because it will bring her the kind of interest and adulation it brought his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Perhaps wearing safe clothes at public engagements and having her Vogue pictures taken in the country is a way to keep interest at a moderate level.
Sadly for her fans, that means she is pulling out the good stuff at private functions. But if boring us means more privacy for her and her family plus she never appears to upstage her in-laws like Diana was accused of than the Duchess’s choices make sense. Still, British Vogue, the ‘country pictures’ could have made her prettier.
I agree–rather like Georgia O’Keefe.
I’m not crazy about the hat and suede coat photo. They seem a little too Ralph Lauren circa 2003. I’m glad Kate posed in a Breton top, though. That’s definitely her signature look. Overall, the photos seem kind of dark.
Had to laugh when read the remark of “Ralph Lauren @2003”. Yeah that was first thing popped out my head: Why does Kate look like more a frontier woman than British Royal? Did you see Brooke Shields in hallmark channel recently? So Americana… That being said, I actually like these shots, especially her in stripes…happy and glowing.
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your wonderful efforts. Please will you scan all the pics / entire article, so those of us around the world, can see what’s inside!
Hope you’re having a smashing weekend!
I instantly noticed she is not wearing eyeliner and I think it makes a huge difference. I myself wear eyeliner everyday and when I don’t, I feel half naked. I do think that Kate looks better with eyeliner, probably because she has always worn it and it’s strange to see her without it.
This is exciting and I love the fact she has decided to do this iconic photo shoot in her own comfortable and relaxed manner..I would call it very kate!! Cant wait to see the remaining pictures, but I do feel something is bit off…her face is coming out very masculine on the cover picture, but she looks lovely in the striped red t-shirt, so it could be the makeup, lighting or perhaps it’s photo shopped!!
Lovely surprise! Mega Amazing post! So many information! 😀
Thanks a lot!
So much information, sorry 😛
This was such a nice surprise. Kate looks amazing in the photos…so relaxed. I especially love the Burberry coat. I, however, am not a fan of the hat. I usually love hats especially fedoras but for some reason this one I think really does nothing for Kate.
I am so jealous that this is in British Vogue and not the US Vogue…I would love a copy.
I like the pictures, I always think she looks more relaxed in her casual outfits even when performing royal duties. It’s interesting she allowed a make up artist for the shoot, for all the criticism of Kate’s eyeliner etc I think I prefer her own make up look. The make up artist has gone wild on her eyebrows or perhaps they are the same as normal but less balanced out by the rest of her make up? I’m not sure.
I completely agree — I love these relaxed poses, and the Duchess certainly knows her angles, but the brows do seem doubled in size (I am comparing to the recent close-ups seen in the Heads Together post). That combined with the throwback clothing choices gives the images a very 70s feel to me.
Overall, though, what a surprise treat!
I think I agree with you about the eyebrows. I like the different make-up, but am not a fan of the really bold eyebrows. But maybe that’s just my personal taste in eyebrow style.
I thought her eyebrows looked heavy as well. Like too much filling in with the brow pencil. I even went back and looked at the photos from the Heads Together promos and there is definitely a difference. All that said I still love the photos!
i agree. I prefer lighter brows and eyeliner. And just some light tweezing on the right eye to conform more to the corner of the eye. But honestly, doesn’t matter. the DoC looks grande. Her zest, good humor and strength of character win the day.
I love this cover! Kate is always radiant, but she seems especially relaxed and happy in these photos. There’s a sense that this is Kate without all the rules and pageantry. She’s never taken a bad photo, but I especially love these.
April has really been a boon to Kate watchers. One unexpected surprise after another. Beautiful pictures. Looking forward to seeing the whole spread. The Burberry coat and Beyond Retro fedora are fantastic.
Do you know how we might be able to get a copy here in the US?
You can find it at any major newsstand or bookstore with magazines (Barnes & Noble carries it). To be safe, you might reserve one. It can take a few weeks to get here. Also, you can download the mobile version.
many bookstores carry British Vogue.
British vogue is sold at Barnes and Noble. Some local newsstands/bookstores also sell it.
I think you can purchase individual issues online at Zinio: https://www.zinio.com.
British Vogue is widely available in the US. Anywhere that has an extensive magazine selection, for example, large bookstores. In metropolitan cities there are often large magazine stands that carry international magazines, usually a wide selection of fashion publications from around the world. Short of that, this issue will be available from online sources. In fact, there are already two listings on ebay. Good luck!
Hi Sarah, Barnes and Noble usually carry British Vogue, although several weeks later than it comes out in Europe. Also, someone on another blog mentioned that it can be bought through Amazon. I haven’t checked that out myself.
Hi Sarah, forgot about the reply button! I’ve replied above
Thanks everyone!!
Kate is a beautiful woman, but I feel like the hat does her no favors. I am not saying it makes her look horrible. But at the same time….there is something unflattering about it. that is just my opinion though.
I couldn’t agree more. I think that hat is very unflattering and that combined with the ridiculously over-enhanced eyebrows – gives her an unfamiliar, masculine look IMO.
I’m all for a casual look rather than a ball gown, but I think this was a miss.
On a more positive note, pretty impressive to do your own make-up better than an artist hired by Vogue.
Agree on all counts!
I think The Duchess looks smashing, so relaxed, so natural. My favorite is probably the one where she’s wearing the hat and laughing (not the cover photo). She just exudes this really relaxed look in the photo. I like her makeup, but I’m also not too overly bothered by her use of the black eyeliner (maybe it’s from a lifetime of having friends who prefer the same eyeliner look, lol). I think she’s beautiful regardless. Great coverage, as always!
Attractive pictures. It was good of the Duchess to help British Vogue celebrate its anniversary.
Painted and photographic portraits are, of course, of different genres, and all major art museums include both. There’s no reason to think that the addition of photographic portraits to a collection would necessarily result in the removal from display of already existing painted portraits. Both are of importance and both deserve study.