Ever wonder how all those designer clothes get into celebrity hands? More specifically, ever wonder how Kate Middleton picks all the designers, both famous and obscure, that she'd like to fill her wardrobe with?
We spoke with Katherine Hooker, one of the duchess' go-to designers, to hear about the process: how Kate discovered her, how she picks her clothes now, and that question we all want to know -- is it true that Kate does not accept free clothes?
To start with the last question, the answer is yes, it's true: Unlike most Hollywood celebs, the Duchess of Cambridge does not accept free clothes gifted to her by designers or PR agencies. "She doesn’t take free clothes, and I’ve heard that from other people who sent her things," Hooker told HuffPost, walking us through her latest collection of coats last week. Rather, "She always comes to the shop, which is nice. And we've sent her a few things when she didn’t have time to come in."
This is a contrast, Hooker points out, with many other celebs who receive clothes for free or are even paid to wear certain items. Stars also occasionally buy clothing off the rack unbeknownst to the designer, something that doesn't happen to Hooker very often. "We are fairly in control of distribution," she says.
For Kate to obtain her clothes in this way, it helps that she has been wearing Katherine Hooker designs -- and many other designers -- since long before she became a royal. Her conservative fashion choices haven't changed much over the past years, Hooker says: "Her style was fairly appropriate for the role that she’s currently in ten years ago, so it didn't need to change."
Kate also hasn't let her new role change her as a person. "She’s just an incredibly lovely person," says Hooker. "It couldn’t happen to a nicer person, as they say." The same goes for Pippa Middleton, who's also been wearing Katherine Hooker designs for years. "She’s also pretty conservative and classic," Hooker tells us, contrary to how the media contrasts her with her prim, proper sister.
So there you have it, folks: Kate and Pippa are just as polite and lovely and gosh-darn perfect as we all thought. And dressing them, says this British designer, is a dream.
See the Duchess of Cambridge wearing some of her favorite Katherine Hooker pieces below:
From designer coats to Topshop, see everything Kate's ever worn:
