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Kate Middleton: Alexander McQueen Sued For Stealing Design Of Kate’s Dress

By Jessica Dafoe
Published on: 13:44 PST, Apr 24, 2016

Kate Middleton’s stunning wedding dress made headlines back in 2011 when the Duchess walked down the aisle in the Alexander McQueen creation to her Prince. William and Kate have now been married for five years and the gown the Duchess wore is still making headlines due to a lesser-known designer claiming that the well-known fashion house stole the design for the famous gown.

The Mirror relays the words and details of the claims made by the designer, Christine Kendall, who declares that she is the one responsible for creating the sketches for the gown Middleton donned on her wedding day.

“Christine Kendall, who operates from a small studio in Hertfordshire, is suing fashion house Alexander McQueen for alleged breach of copyright. She claims the stunning lace wedding gown created by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, has similarities to her sketches. In a YouTube video from December 2013, she said: ‘I believe without my sketches the royal wedding dress would not have looked as it did.'”

The designer went on to claim that she had sent ideas that had a 1950s theme to Kate, as the Financial Express claims, a few months before the wedding, and stated that she received letters of thanks from the office of Prince William and Prince Harry in January of 2011. However, as was noted, the Duchess claims she never saw the sketches that are now the center of the controversy.

The McQueen fashion house fully denies the claims, and representatives for the Duchess state that the young royal never once laid eyes on the designer’s sketches. The solicitor for Kendall shares in regards to the actions that are being taken for the benefit of her client.

“Proceedings have been issued because our client is certain that her company’s design was unfairly taken and copied. This claim is not against the duchess and there is no allegation of wrongdoing against the palace.”

McQueen has responded noting that the allegations against the fashion house are purely “ridiculous.” The Mirror relays the words of a spokesperson for McQueen.

“We are utterly baffled by this legal claim. Christine Kendall first approached us at Alexander McQueen almost four years ago, when we were clear with her that any suggestion Sarah Burton’s design of the royal wedding dress was copied from her designs was nonsense. Sarah Burton never saw any of Ms. Kendall’s designs or sketches and did not know of Ms. Kendall before Ms. Kendall got in touch with us – some 13 months after the wedding. We do not know why Ms. Kendall has raised this again, but there are no ifs, buts or maybes here: this claim is ridiculous.”

Middleton’s dress was estimated to have cost around £40,000 and was reportedly hand stitched using a Carrickmoss lace-making process. As the publication reminds, it was “made by a team at the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace.” Those working on the gown were expected to wash their hands every half-hour and to wear gloves while working on the embroidery to avoid tarnishing the lace. It was such a top-secret operation that those working on the dress for Kate were not made aware as to the designer of the dress until the very day of the Royal Wedding.

It’s not surprising that the credit for such a glorious gown would be something sought after by any designer. Kendall has yet to prove her part, if any, in the McQueen masterpiece, and with the royals denying even having seen the sketches, the McQueen fashion house likely has nothing to worry about when it comes to the lawsuit.

[Photo by Chris Jackson/Getty images]

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