The Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended a glamorous evening reception held by the New Zealand Prime Minister, Jacinda Arden, and the Governor General, Patsy Reddy. The Duchess gave a very stirring and powerful speech on suffragettes dressed in an elegant navy satin cocktail dress.
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The Duchess worn a custom version of Gabriella Hearst ‘Herve’ dress, retailing for £1,944. The navy satin cocktail shows a square neckline fitted bodice, voluminous a-line flared tea length skirt silhouette and invisible rear zip closure. A contrasting front panel of the dress has small triangle cutouts along the bust and hip. When viewed close, Meghan’s dress uses the opposite fabric on the contrast panel to the sides of the dress, unlike the ready-to-wear piece. The dress is crafted from a silk/wool blend in Italy. The Duchess had very thin cap sleeves added to her dress for a touch of shoulder coverage. This elegant dress has a wonderful vintage look and feel, and is very reminiscent of Dior dress from the 1950’s.
You can view this dress here.
Below we show a combination of two Gabriella Hearst dresses. The off-the-shoulder dress shows the construction element of the short cap sleeves.
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Meghan carried a custom Dior clutch in navy leather. The clutch is based on the ‘Bee’ clutch. However, Meghan’s bag does not have the gold bee embellishment, is a little thinner and longer in length, and the flap is just shy of meeting flush with the edge of the bag. We believe this is the second Dior Bee Clutch Meghan owns, with the first navy satin clutch seen at the RAF 100-year anniversary celebration at Westminster Abbey.
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It was a new pair of shoes for the Duchess; she wore Stuart Weitzman ‘Nudist Song’ Sandal in black suede, retailing for £277. These 100mm black suede sandals have a very thin toe strap and super thin ankle strap, to show off the foot, hence the term ‘Nudist’. The Nudist sandal is a favourite of Hollywood celebrities, with almost all celebrities having worn this shoe in a myriad of different colour-ways and textures including leather, matte, patent and suede. It is very interesting that Meghan wore very similar heels to those that were styled with the Gabriella Hearst dress on the runway. You can purchase these pumps here.
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The Duchess accessorised with a beautiful diamond pendant necklace. A piece by Jessica McCormack, the ‘Tattoo Diamond Pendant’ sells for £8,829. The spiral motif of the pendant is inlaid with brilliant-cut diamonds of various sizes. There is a single larger diamond at the centre, and the piece is mounted in 18kt gold and the pendant hangs from a 18kt gold fine chain.
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The necklace design is based on the Koru Tattoo, a traditional symbol of the Maori people of New Zealand. The website states “Inspired by the ancient Maori art form of Ta Moko this collection symbolises new life, strength and peace. The perfect wearable talisman.’ The tattoo typically means new beginnings and a fitting meaning for the evening receptions focus. We are thinking that this necklace was a gift given to the Duchess by the host nation.
Meghan wore Birks ‘Snowflake Large Round Jacket Earrings,’ retailing for £5,250. Striking brilliant cut 1.39ct of diamonds are set in 18ct white gold. The top and bottom portion of the earrings both have a large diamond surrounded by smaller set diamonds to represent a snowflake. You can purchase these earrings here.
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We loved this uber glamorous evening look from the Duchess and are blown away by how many well put together evening looks we have seen on this tour. We have almost lost count.
You can get Meghan’s Gabriella Hearst style here.
with thanks to @MeghansFashion, @whatmegwore(Gabriella Hearst Dress ID, bag info, earrings), @MeghansFashion