How Instagram changed royal fashion forever
Ten years ago today, the first version of Instagram was released. 41 days later, Kate Middleton and Prince William announced their engagement. A little over seven years after that, news came that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, an actress who had amassed an Instagram following of three million (making her a bona fide #influencer), were also to be married.
Kate and Meghan not only represented a new generation of glamorous royal women, but they were the first to navigate the centuries-old tradition of the royal family showing support to the clothing industry under the full microscopic glare of social media attention.
Queen Victoria might have worn tartan in Scotland or emerald green in Ireland, but for the Duchesses of Cambridge and Sussex, the significance of their fashion choices went far beyond wearing the right print/ colour at the right time (though that was more essential than ever for racking up the likes on @kensingtonpalace, established January 2015, and @sussexroyal, Harry and Meghan’s spin-off account, which was active from April 2019 until March 2020).
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Mar 8, 2020 at 5:08am PDT
With Instagram, which was quickly adopted as the fashion industry’s preferred form of social media thanks to its focus on addictive visuals, images of the royals’ appearances could flood feeds within minutes, designers would be tagged and the minutiae which might once have remained mysteries could become points of obsession for royal watchers seeking to unpick every element of a look.
“She thought through her outfits and jewellery. She really does put a lot of thought into those details,” George Northwood, Meghan’s hairdresser during her time as a senior working royal, told me earlier this year. “I always remember wherever we went, she would always try to hero small businesses and local jewellery designers. When we were in Australia, she would always pull out such thoughtful things when we were getting ready, like earrings by a little New Zealand designer.”
Incorporating these thoughtful elements is a classic royal move, but the power of Instagram meant that messages could be imbued into every single choice. On the trip to New Zealand and Australia which Northwood mentions, Meghan created numerous standout social media moments.
There was her decision to wear jeans by Australian label Outland Denim which immediately brought 25,000 Instagram ‘likes’ to the brand - the jeans she had worn sold out, helping to spread the label’s story of helping victims of trafficking in Cambodia to reach a global audience. In the same outfit, she wore a blazer from Serena Williams’ ‘strong, sexy, sophisticated’ collection of clothing, Serena.
A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) on Oct 16, 2018 at 5:51pm PDT
This prompted the tennis star to post several pictures to Instagram celebrating the moment, including a shot of herself wearing the same design. The same tour also allowed Meghan’s best friend and rumoured stylist Jessica Mulroney to use Instagram to hint at her involvement, despite not being able to confirm anything officially, by wearing pieces on her account similar to those Meghan had been seen in.
The Duchess of Sussex displayed her social media nous in her projects with Vogue and the charity Smart Works, too, deploying Instagram to align herself with a fashion-y black and white aesthetic which elevated the charity project to more elegant, viral-worthy echelons.
A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on Sep 12, 2019 at 5:08am PDT
The Duchess of Cambridge may not have the natural social media inclination of Meghan, but her own fashion sense has developed with an awareness of Instagram in mind, too. Perhaps the most powerful example of this was last autumn’s tour to Pakistan when the Duchess paid tribute to her hosts by wearing clothing inspired by the country’s traditional dress.
A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Oct 14, 2019 at 10:42am PDT
The decision was emphasised by @kensingtonpalace’s first post from the trip, showing the Duke and Duchess from behind as they left their plane, emphasising Kate’s turquoise Catherine Walker and co. gown and the dupatta draped scarf detail which it incorporated. The shot epitomised regal glamour and deft diplomacy, leaning on the language of fashion to send the message in a visual captured by Kate and William’s in-house photographer.
A post shared by Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@kensingtonroyal) on Jan 20, 2020 at 1:37pm PST
There’s evidence, too, that the Duchess crafts outfits which will make a splash on social media, like the twinkling red dress she wore for a reception at Buckingham Palace earlier this year. Not only did the Needle and Thread design coordinate with the palace curtains, but it drew instant comparisons to the dancing red lady emoji.
Just recently, Instagram’s integral role in the royal fashion machine was reiterated again when the Duchess debuted two new pieces of jewellery which appeared to have mysterious origins. The earrings and necklace turned out to be by tiny Irish label All The Falling Stars which had gifted the items to Kate during her trip to Ireland earlier this year.
‘You hear about the Kate Effect but this is unreal, I have had 83,000 hits on my website,’ founder Aisling O’Brien told me last week. It was through Instagram posts that her contribution to Kate’s wardrobe was uncovered, ‘Previously, I’d only had a couple of orders from outside of Ireland, now I’ve had women from all over the world get in touch. Orders have come from Hong Kong, South Africa, Saudi Arabia,’ she continued, adding that she was now considering giving up her day job to focus on her jewellery.
While the Duchess of Cambridge may not have quite the Insta-coterie of friends as the Duchess of Sussex, her team have still used their Instagram accounts as a surreptitious route to underlining their Cambridge associations.
Evidence! (Forced her to wear it all through lunch)
A post shared by Chris Jackson (@chrisjacksongetty) on May 2, 2019 at 7:15am PDT
Kate’s hairdressers, Amanda Cook Tucker, once photographed the kit required for a week on tour with the Duchess to her personal Instagram account (it was hastily deleted) while Kate’s stylist Natasha Archer is married to Getty’s royal photographer Chris Jackson, who has 183,000 followers on his account, and has posted images of Natasha wearing looks similar to those loved by Kate, from her Jenny Packham wedding dress to Breton tops and the L.K Bennett tea dress worn when she was made a Member of the Victorian Order for her services to the Royal family.
A post shared by Lady Janelle (@royalreplikate) on Sep 4, 2020 at 5:25am PDT
Beyond palace social media strategies, Instagram has democratised royal fashion too. Huge communities of women who #replikate and #mimicmeghan have found one another on the platform, swapping advice for emulating their royal style icons.
The miles higher than you club #FyouCC
A post shared by Princess Di (@ladydirevengelooks) on Jul 14, 2020 at 3:09pm PDT
It’s not just Kate and Meghan whose fashion trajectory has been transformed, either. Princess Diana’s style is now appreciated by a generation who were only children when she died thanks to the obsession with nostalgia which dominates some corners of Instagram. That nostalgia extends to other royals too… The Queen, Princess Margaret and Princess Anne have all enjoyed a fashion revival thanks to extensive sharing of their throwback outfits.
30 years from now, might the Duchess of Cambridge’s beige L.K Bennett heels be seen through the same rose-tinted lens that Diana’s pussy-bow blouses are seen now? If Instagram’s still around, I wouldn’t be surprised.
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