The royal wedding is set and now attention is turning to who will design Meghan Markle's wedding dress when she marries Prince Harry next May. Enter Dutch fashion house, Viktor&Rolf, which has a pretty impressive bridal collection.
One half of the eponymous haute couture label, Rolf Snoeren, tells Newsweek he and partner Viktor Horsting would be delighted to create a bespoke piece for Markle, 36, to wear on her big day.
"I love her. I don't know her but she seems to me an interesting woman," Snoeren said Wednesday at the Winq Men of the Year Awards in London, where he and Horsting won the style award for their services to fashion.
Snoeren added: "Viktor and I have quite a big bridal line, which is doing quite well. I could see her in Viktor&Rolf."
Since Markle and Harry, 33, announced their engagement on November 27, think-pieces about the couple have suggested they will bring modernity to the royal family and help it better reflect life in the 21st century. Markle, of course, is an American, divorced and biracial.
Snoeren tells Newsweek he hopes Markle's wedding dress will be as progressive as her relationship with the prince. "Something that makes her look powerful, royal—but a bit more daring. I say sleeveless. A little bit sexy," he said.
Royal wedding dresses have veered toward the conservative in the past. Kate Middleton wore a long-sleeved dress designed by Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, at her wedding to Prince William in 2011. And Princess Diana's wedding dress had big, puffy sleeves and a 25-foot train.
The other thing that might hinder Viktor&Rolf from designing Markle's dress is that neither Snoeren or Horsting are British. Royal dresses have historically been made by British designers—Burton for Middleton, David and Elizabeth Emanuel for Diana.
"I don't know if she's allowed to wear something that's not English. But I would love that," Snoeren said.
While Markle gets the Viktor&Rolf stamp of approval, another prominent lady making fashion history of her own will have to look elsewhere.
First lady Melania Trump's sense of style has been a defining characteristic of her inaugural year in the presidential spotlight and she has notably opted for high-end couture from Christian Dior, Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein in public appearances. You probably won't see her in Viktor&Rolf, though.
Snoeren said he tries to "stay away from politics" and asked whether he and Horsting would like to dress the first lady, added: "That's not my ambition, no."
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
