While Kate Middleton’s wedding dress was indeed iconic and undoubtedly duplicated for hundreds of thousands of brides across the world desiring her same look, the gorgeous ivory silk and lace gown wasn’t without its controversies. The dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was named in a lawsuit against the fashion house by bridal gown designer Christine Kendall, according to The Sunday Times. In 2016, five years after Middleton walked down the aisle, Kendall sued Alexander McQueen for a breach of copyright, claiming the former Duchess’s custom gown bore too much of a striking resemblance to her design.
Before the royal nuptials in 2011, Kendall participated in an open call by the Palace, calling on British designers to submit their wedding gown drawings leading up to the big day. In a since-removed YouTube video (per Refinery29), Kendall claimed, “I believe that, without my sketches, the royal wedding dress would not have looked as it did.” Kendall also admitted to receiving a letter from a royal official thanking her for her submission, which stated that Middleton was “most interested” in her designs.
Representatives for Alexander McQueen are not so confident, however, saying in a statement (per WWD): “Sarah Burton never saw any of Ms. Kendall’s designs or sketches … We do not know why Ms. Kendall has raised this again, but there are no ifs, buts, or maybes here: This claim is ridiculous.” As of the time of writing, there are no reports as to how the two managed to settle their dispute.
