The story of Kate Middleton’s transparent dress from a fashion show

Even the future queen is not immune to the charm of the current trend. When Kate Middleton AND Prince William were students of the prestigious University of St. Andrew in Scotland, they were first and foremost close friends. But one key moment is credited with turning their college friendship into a love story for the ages.

And all this thanks to the ia charity fashion show Very transparent dress. In March 2002, 19-year-old Kate walked the runway in a sheer dress and bandeau bikini. This moment apparently prompting Prince William to lean over and exclaim to his pal Fergus Boyd: “Wow, Fergus, Kate is hot!” According to another classmate at the time, Ben Duncan, had the handsome royal sitting in the front row with “stalk eyes” over a “daring” dress and suddenly saw Kate in a whole new light.

Over 20 years later, this iconic dress is still one of her most memorable. Here’s the story behind this key piece of clothing royal history.

Why was the fashion show so important?

Lorna RuaneA New York advertising executive who gained an online following for sharing royal fashion stories believes this pivotal moment in British history was one of the first in the Internet era where real-time news they were so available. This gave the world a front row seat to watch as a “normal girl from a normal family” who attended a “normal university charity event” became one of the most recognizable faces in the world.

“It definitely adds a level of credibility to their story and creates the feeling that anything is possible for any girl, like a Hallmark movie,” Ruane explains. “That the flame in William and Kate was born at something as casual as a college fashion show, and not at a big royal event or with matchmakers (as some believe was the case with Charles and Diana), makes it that much more more credible.”

What dress was Kate wearing?

This moment was also remembered because of the dress Kate Middleton wore: since then, a huge number have found their place in history. The work of Charlotte Todd, who was then studying fashion and textiles at the University of the West of England, Cost a student at the time earned just £30. The design was from her project “The Art of Seduction” and was original it was supposed to be a skirt. However, Kate opted to wear the look as a dress instead, pairing it with tight 21st century curls, makeup and a matte mani.

“When their relationship became public, the press had access to very few photos of Kate, but they had access to photos of Kate from that fashion show, so they were printed frequently and every time they were printed it was a reminder of the event for them,” he says Ruane.

She adds that although this dress was actually just one of her creations, it undoubtedly became the most iconic due to its risqué aspect. “Kate wore many outfits on the runway that evening, but it is the semi-sheer dress that is the most famous and widely commented on,” explains Ruane. “At that time, and even now, the prevailing view was that a woman wearing this revealing dress would go on to marry the direct heir. This is the complete opposite of how a member of the royal family dresses and what any public figure is like expected dress.”

The couple eventually married almost a decade later, and Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge and the future Queen of England. It’s safe to say that this dress did change the course of history – and one of the people making the joke is Kate herself. In 2012, ten years after that fateful night, the style star poked fun at the memory during a charity dinner for her alma mater. She reportedly turned to a student studying at the university he said: “I hope you didn’t attend the fashion show. You never know what you’ll be asked to wear!”

Where is the dress now?

When the couple finally got engaged in 2010, designer Charlotte Todd remembered the outfit hanging in the closet in her mother’s house and decided to put it up for auction. In 2011, it sold for a staggering £78,000 (equivalent to over $100,000) when purchased by a buyer through the Royal Society.

Two decades later, public fascination with the “penny drop” interaction, in which Prince William saw his future bride in a new way, thanks to a dress. The interaction returned to the news cycle recently thanks to its sixth season Crown, in which actors Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey played the roles of young Kate and William. The show recreated the moment, with costume designer Sidonie Roberts creating a replica of the dress.