Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge, widely admired for her poise and sense of style, got an unexpected message from fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood today. According to Ben Rankin at popular UK tabloid, The Daily Mirror , Westwood said, “I think it would be great if she wore the same clothes over and again, because that’s very good for the environment and it would send out a very nice message.”
Sarah Karmali, reporting from London Fashion Week for Vogue UK , noted that the eccentric 71-year-old designer certainly presented a “striking” collection today. Asked about the closing model who came out holding a most decidedly unglamorous clipboard, Westwood told Karmali, “It’s always about being informed.”
Most people would say that stylish Kate Middleton has gotten into trouble only when she takes off her clothes. The Duchess was forced to file a lawsuit against French magazine Closer , which published grainy photographs of a topless Kate taken without her knowledge when she was sunning on vacation.
Italian magazine Chi quickly followed suit by publishing 26 pages of similar low quality photos of the blushing Kate Middleton.
When Kate first married Prince William, son of popular icon Princess Diana , there was a fair amount of speculation that she would find it hard to live up to her late mother-in-law’s sense of style. However, it soon became apparent that Kate — as well as her sister, Pippa — possess a sense of style and grace all their own.
Rankin reports that when Westwood made the suggestion that Kate stop buying clothes, she herself was dressed in a “wacky” outfit complete with a T-shirt featuring the face of Julian Assange. Karmali points out that Westwood is committed to the support of environmental causes and fighting climate change — and thus she is a strong supporter of recycling and re-using high quality clothes.
The designer’s heart may be in the right place, even though the startling pronouncement looks like an attempt to use the Kate Middleton name to draw attention to her own causes.