Does Kate Have a Stylist? Plus Your Holiday Weekend Sales & Savings List

We are back with another Q & A plus a quick look at the end of summer Sales and Savings opportunities.

Today’s question: does Kate have a professional stylist? This is one that I often hear; we’re all interested in how decisions are made regarding the clothing and accessories Kate wears on any given day. There is also interest in the basic logistics for creating a royal wardrobe: how pieces are found and then ordered; when, and by whom, are requests made for sketches and fabric samples; how are meetings with designers or their staffs handled? Do they always come to Kensington Palace, or does Kate travel to a designer’s studio? We’ll cover a few of those questions, but they are really ideal for a separate post.

Today we will primarily focus on the stylist element.  It is widely believed that Natasha Archer is Kate’s stylist. Many of you will recognize her; here she is seen as the royal entourage arrived in Victoria, Canada last September for the Canada tour.

More from an April 2018 Daily Telegraph story:

Although the palace has never officially confirmed that Natasha Archer’s helping hand in the Duchess’s wardrobe, a number of designers have spoken out about working with Archer on the looks which Kate has worn.

When the Duchess wore a grey wrap coat by SENTALER, the brand’s founder Bojana Sentaler told The Telegraph that she had worked with Archer to provide options. “Her stylist discovered SENTALER and reached out to us directly.

Below, the stylist at the Beaufort Polo Club for a match in June 2015.

The Duchess and Prince George at the same match. 

This Evening Standard story offers additional background on Ms. Archer:

After graduating with a Hispanic Studies degree from King’s College in London, she started work at the Royal Household as Will and Kate’s PA in 2007.

But, in 2014 she was given a promotion to become Kate’s style advisor and now is responsible for putting together all of her designer looks and accompanying the family on royal tours.

Archer’s presence on international tours is also sure to come in handy, as she also gained A levels in English, Art, Spanish and Italian from private boarding school Uppingham School in Leicestershire.

Below, Ms. Archer in April 2016 during the tour of India and Bhutan.

From a 2014 Vanity Fair piece:

“Initially Kate was a reluctant fashion icon, but now she enjoys it. Tash helps source some of the clothes. She shops a lot for Kate online, and calls in hundreds of dresses for Kate to try on,” a source close to Tash tells Royal Watch. “She has persuaded Kate to take some more risks. The hemlines are shorter and Kate’s really pushing the boat out in the fashion stakes.”

In this image you see Ms. Archer on the far right, speaking with Sophie Agnew (dark hair). On the left of the photo, you see Amanda Cook Tucker, Kate’s hair stylist. This is from the hike to Tiger’s Nest Monastery in Bhutan in April 2016. 

Kate and William on their way to the monastery. (Our full post is here.)

Below, arriving in Whitehorse, Yukon during the September 2016 tour.

Returning to the Telegraph piece:

The Hispanic Studies graduate began working as a PA in William and Kate’s office in 2007 but in 2014 it was reported that she had segued into the role of style adviser and wardrobe manager for the Duchess, sourcing outfit options and ensuring that looks are perfectly put-together for each engagement.

We learn more about Natasha’s involvement with the Anita Dongre dress worn in April 2016 when visiting India.

From Bethan Holt’s story in The Telegraph:

Dongre, who started her label seven years ago, told The Telegraph that Kate’s PA-turned-stylist Natasha Archer got in touch a month ago to request some clothes for the Duchess. “Her stylist emailed us and and we sent her a look book, then she came in and got some pieces for fittings,” says Dongre whose Rajasthan-inspired designs are already popular in India, where she has eight shops.

…according to Dongre, Archer’s styling contribution is even more significant than first thought: customising Kate’s clothing to make them appropriate- and original- for her royal appearances.

Below, Natasha at one of the Queen’s garden parties in 2016.  ‘Tash,’ as she is called by friends, is seen third from the right; second from the right is Amanda Cook Tucker, and on the far left you see Getty photographer Chris Jackson.

Natasha and Chris Jackson are married. The photographer occasionally posts family photos on his Instagram account, and he shared these from the wedding. Vogue reports the bride’s gown was by Kate-favorite Jenny Packham.

 

Kate and Natasha wear many of the same brands and sometimes even the same items. One example of this: the Longchamp Le Pliage tote.

Below, Ms. Archer and Mr. Jackson on their way to the 2015 Boodles Boxing Ball. 

It looks like Natasha was wearing a pair of Riva earrings by jeweler Monica Vinader; Kate has also worn pieces from the Riva collection.

I know there are other instances of Natasha in pieces the Duchess has worn, but my feeble brain is not remembering them. If you have any to share, let me know, and I will see if there are photos we can use to illustrate the point.

That’s our brief look at Kate’s stylist, I hope you enjoyed it!

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Now for our overview of Sales and Saving events happening this Labor Day weekend.

CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES

• LK Bennett is offering an additional 30% off sale merchandise on the US site; no promo code is required. There is not any special or extra discount on the UK/International site that I have seen.
• The Hobbs US site is promoting 30% off a select line of merchandise, no promo code needed.
• Nordstrom has a sizable amount of merchandise discounted in its summer sale
• Nordstrom Rack is taking an extra 25% off sale merchandise in its Clear the Rack Event
• Saks is offering discounts up to 75% off on select merchandise
• Saks Off 5th is doing an additional 30% off select goods with PROMO CODE GETREADY
• Neiman’s Last Call is offering an “extra 30 – 75% off everything“
• Ted Baker London has discounted almost 400 styles by 25%
• The Outnet (Net-a-Porter’s discount arm) is doing its end of season sale, with an extra 50% off a sizable group of merchandise.
• J. Crew is promoting 40% off your entire purchase with PROMO CODE BIGSALE
• J. Crew Factory is offering 50% off online only, as well as an additional 20% off sale prices with PROMO CODE  SALEAWAY
• Rebecca Taylor is offering an additional 40% off sale merchandise with PROMO CODE SUNSET18
• Boden is taking 20% off Women’s and Men’s styles, and 25% off childrenswear
• Topshop’s final clearance is underway, with discounts up to 70% off selected lines
• Madderson London has some great buys in its Outlet and Sample Sale sections

COSMETICS:

• At Bobbi Brown everything is 20% off, and shipping is free. This is a good one because cosmetics don’t go on sale all that often.
• Benefit Cosmetics is doing free shipping with promo code FLOATON.
• Nordstrom has a number of beauty/cosmetic items that are on sale or gifts with purchase

If there are any big bargains or special deals you think we should include, just email or leave a comment.