Camilla’s Favourite Designer Robinson Valentine

The Duchess of Cornwall has made a remarkable fashion transition since her wedding to the Prince of Wales in April 2005. With the help of her favourite design team of Robinson Valentine, milliner Philip Treacy and Linda Bennett (founder of the company L K Bennett), Camilla has ditched her country look for stylish ensembles befitting of the wife of the future King of England. Gone are the days of jeans and wellies and instead they have been replaced with smart suits and elegant evening dresses.

Robinson Valentine was a little-known British design house until they were given the honour of creating the wedding outfits for Camilla. She had used the company on a number of occassions prior to this but it was the choice by the Duchess for them to design her wedding dress that has made the company internationally recognised. The two wedding outfits worn by Camilla reflect the simple yet effective designs that have come to symbolise a Robinson Valentine creation. Outfits tend to be based around luxurious fabrics mostly velvet in the winter and soft-flowing chiffon in the summer. image1 , image2 More times than not it is a Robinson Valentine outfit, Philip Treacy hat or fascinator and her favourite pair of L K Bennett shows that will accompy the Duchess on an official engagement. image3 , image4

However not only does the couture house supply the majority of her daytime outfits they have also had successes in designing the evening wear as well. image5 , image6 , image7

Robinson Valentine’s wedding designs
For the civil marriage, the Duchess chose to wear an oyster silk basket-weave coat with herringbone stitch embroidery and a chiffon dress with applique woven lacquered disc detail. The Philip Treacy hat had French lace detaling trimmed with feahers whilst her L K Bennett beige suede court shoes set off the outfit perfectly.
image8 , image9
Camilla has choosen to recycle this outfit since her 2005 most notably in June of that year during her first Trooping the Colour and Buckingham Palace balcony appearance. So whilst she may not have ever had the chance on her actual wedding day to stand on the balcony she did at least get to wear her wedding outfit on it a few months later. image10

Camilla changed her outfit for the blessing in St George’s Chapel into a floor-length porcelain blue silk dress and coat which was hand-embriodered with gold thread. The design for the coat was taken from a piece of jewellery which had belonged to her late mother. Philip Treacy designed the spectular Swarovski-tipped gold leafed feather head-dress whilst her shoes were specially made to match the blue and gold of the coat.
image11 , image12

The universal praise from the press for the wedding outfits raised the profile of the design team and from that point Camilla beagn to win recognition for her style. Robinson Valentine were also given the honour of designing the wedding dress of Camilla’s daughter, Laura Parker Bowles, in May 2006. image13 Camilla at both her son Toms’ wedding to Sara Buys in Sepetmber 2005 image14 (later recycled at Peter and Autumn Kelly’s wedding in May 2008) and at Laura’s wedding image15 wore outfits designed by Robinson Valentine.

Some other classic Robinson Valentine designs
image16
image17
image18
image19
image20

Filed under The United Kingdom
Tagged Fashion, The Duchess of Cornwall.