Pippa Middleton Weds James Matthews In Giles Deacon
After weeks of speculation, the British designer is confirmed to have designed Pippa’s stunning gown.
After weeks of speculation and dozens of educated guesses, British designer Giles Deacon has been confirmed as the designer of Pippa Middleton’s stunning wedding gown. The cotton crochet lace A-line gown with a Victorian-style, mock neckline, cap-sleeves and a keyhole back stunned the world for all the right reasons this morning, as Pippa arrived to St. Marks Church escorted by her father.
According to People, the designer explained the detail that went into crafting Middleton’s gown, and he noted that the bride was incredibly involved in the design process. The dress, created entirely in a bespoke silk cotton lace, featured a bodice that was hand-embroidered with pearl details. The designer included a light, tulle underskirt to give the gown a full-skirted feel, without the weight of a heavy dress.
The bride accessorized her gown with a tiara by Robinson Pelham, who designed her Asscher-cut engagement ring, and a cathedral length veil, designed by British milliner Stephen Jones. Pippa paired the look with the earrings she donned to her sister’s wedding in April of 2011, which were a gift from her mother at the time and now serve as her something old. We also hear that the bride is walking down the aisle in ivory satin Manolo Blahnik pumps, which–like the rest of her bridal look–are an undeniably chic but classic choice.
While Deacon seemed an unlikely choice for the job, Business of Fashion reports that after the months of speculation, it seemed almost too much to hope that the designer, whose well known as an eccentric, would be charged with designing an all-too-classic wedding gown for a top name on the royal fringe. The site reports that Deacon gives Middleton full credit for her style choices; after all, Pippa proved she knew how to make a style splash at a wedding long before her own.
Even more so than her sister’s, Pippa’s wedding gown was all about lace. Deacon wanted a look that created a look of seamlessness, and used hand appliqués of the bespoke crochet cotton lace to ensure that no seams would be visible. Additionally, Deacon ensured that when one looked at Pippa’s high-neckline, the eye slowly traveled down her lean silhouette–thanks to degradé beaded pearls which were hand-embroidered on the neckline and cascaded into the bodice and skirt. Deacon credited the dancing scenes in The Leopard for the inspiration for the sweeping movement in Pippa’s skirt. In his discussion with BOF, he mentioned, “I know they were all hoop crinolines in the film, but there’s something gorgeous about having that great movement, with the skirt spinning round, keeping its shape.” Seeking inspiration from art, film and culture is a staple of Deacon’s work, and it seems fitting that he would utilize his archive of visual references for one of the most important gowns he’s ever designed.
While the weekend was full of sheer bliss and true joy in England, with another one of the country’s key society names having walked down the aisle, it’s important to note that Deacon was present for Pippa this weekend even after dealing with a personal tragedy. While all of his attention was on the bride-to-be, Deacon buried his father less than a week ago, marking this week as key for him in both loss and professional accomplishment. As BOF reports, the designer, clearly a consonant professional, spoke about how he handled the onslaught of emotion; “My concentration has been to get the piece done as beautifully and professionally as possible.”