The Princess of Wales was the epitome of elegance on Tuesday as she stepped out to present a prestigious award in London.
Princess Catherine attended an event hosted by the British Fashion Council at London’s 180 Studios to celebrate the impact of young British creatives and the UK’s fashion industry, while also recognising designers championing sustainability.
Catherine’s fashion
Exuding sophistication, the stylish royal, 43, rocked a moss-green suit designed by Victoria Beckham.
It featured a pair of 70s-inspired flared trousers, complete with statement pockets, and a matching single-breasted jacket in the same olive hue.
Elevating her ensemble, Catherine teamed her razor-sharp tailored pieces with a white ruffled shirt, dark brown pumps and some elegant pearl drop earrings.
While Catherine is rarely spotted wearing Victoria’s designs, she has previously worn a handful of items from the brand, including a pair of sunglasses and a handbag.
As for hair and makeup, Princess Catherine wore her chestnut locks down loose in gentle waves, and opted for a radiant beauty look with lashings of mascara and sweeps of bronzer.
Presenting the award
During the event, the royal mother-of-three was on hand to present The Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design to winning designer, Patrick McDowell.
‘It’s a huge privilege and honour’
Of their award, Patrick, 29, said: “It’s a huge privilege and honour. Throughout her tenure she’s been an amazing advocate of British fashion and really flies the flag for British fashion.
“She also looks incredible and is a real style icon. It is extra special to receive an award from her today.”
Patrick founded their eponymous label in 2018 after graduating from Central Saint Martins. Their brand is renowned for crafting made-to-order garments with unexpected materials and surprising silhouettes.
The designer has since dressed an array of famous faces, including singer Lady Gaga and actresses Keira Knightley and Sarah Jessica Parker.
The prestigious gong, now in its eighth year, is presented to an emerging British fashion designer who exhibits exceptional talent and originality, while also demonstrating value to the community and strong sustainable policies.
Catherine also visited the winning designer’s pop-up studio to find out more about their sustainable designs.
She later viewed designs of recipients and shortlisted designers from the BFC Foundation’s designer initiatives: BFC NEWGEN, BFC Fashion Trust, BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund and BFC/GQ Designer Fashion Fund.
Elsewhere, the royal was shown a pattern for a new style of jacket called Wales Bar and when she asked “why Wales?” was told it was named in her honour.
The award’s history
These initiatives are funded by the BFC Foundation and help to support the British fashion industry by offering education, grants and business mentoring.
The first ever Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design was presented to renowned designer Richard Quinn back in February 2018.
Other previous winners include menswear designer Saul Nash, Priya Ahluwalia, Rosh Mahtani of Alighieri, Bethany Williams and Foday Dumbuya of Labrum London.
Princess Catherine’s commitment to sustainable fashion
The Princess of Wales is continuing to fly the flag for sustainable fashion. Aside from supporting initiatives and awards such as the Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, Prince William’s wife also looks to champion slow fashion in her own day-to-day life.
In a stand against overconsumption, Catherine is particularly committed to recycling her wardrobe. Over the years, she’s re-worn numerous outfits, including her beloved pink Emilia Wickstead dress which she memorably wore twice in one month.
Beyond this, she makes deliberate choices when choosing designers, and often wears items from companies that are known to be ethically made and that support charities.
