Kate Middleton Puts Her Stamp on Party Dressing in a London Label

The Royal Variety Performance has seen Kate Middleton rub shoulders with One Direction wearing black Diane von Furstenberg lace, meet the cast of Mary Poppins in embroidered Alexander McQueen, and elevate the level of glitz and glamour at the charity fundraiser in emerald Jenny Packham sequins. It is not an easy gig to dress for. But tonight, Kate ticked all the boxes once again in a caped Safiyaa gown befitting a sub-zero night in the spotlight.

Kate’s sister-in-law, Meghan Markle, wore Safiyaa to the Royal Variety Performance in 2018.

Toeing the line between red-carpet wear and royal regalia, Kate’s evening look epitomized her appeal as a modern-day Princess. Since assuming her new title in 2022, she has cut back on any albeit subtle frou-frou and zeroed in on tailoring. This precisely-cut teal dress by a London label is an evolved version of a Kate signature, but spells out a quiet kind of confidence. It is aeons away from the woman who wore a Cinderella-blue Jenny Packham gown with a crystal overlay to the 2017 Royal Variety Show, for example.

Kate has swapped her curls for loose dark glossy waves.

The Princess’s secret weapon this year was not the frosting of diamonds that accented her block-colored demi-couture, but Kate’s new glossy dark chocolate dye job, which looked perfect for the season. Earlier in the day, she welcomed the King and Queen of Sweden to Windsor Castle wearing a bespoke dark green Emilia Wickstead dress that could have read overly sensible, but that high-shine blow dry elevated the outfit from conservative to classic. A welcome reminder that, during a sequin-saturated season celebrating excess, it’s the small details that make an impact and outlast the party circuit.