News
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Designer gifts help Camilla sparkleDaily Times Monitor
LAHORE: While her husband was engaged in formal dialogue with political leaders, Islamabad presented an opportunity for the Duchess of Cornwall to expand her burgeoning Islamic wardrobe, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.
As she and the prince toured stalls of leading Pakistani entrepreneurs at the prime minister’s residence she was presented with two glittering outfits made especially for her by one of Pakistan’s leading designers.
“I’m not trying them on here,” she joked, as she was handed a “hot” pink shalwar kameez embroidered with pearls and silver, and a “royal” blue satin-edged flowing evening tunic with diamante and Swarovski crystals around the neckline and diamantes sewn around the bottom of the trousers.
Designer Farah Leghari, whose clients include Queen Rania of Jordan, said the government had commissioned them especially for the royal tour and had picked up the bill. The pink number had been designed for the duchess’s visit later this week to a mosque, said Ms Leghari, while the blue was suitable for the presidential banquet, which General Musharraf and his wife are hosting for the royal couple.
Whoever commissioned them had given Ms Leghari some measurements but had obviously made an educated guess as Clarence House officials said details of the duchess’s vital statistics had certainly not come from them. “They were a gift and she did not know about them until today,” said a spokesman for Clarence House. Was the duchess likely to wear them? “I’m not sure. We already have all the clothes she needs for the trip.”
Ms Leghari said: “They’re a fusion of East and West. We wanted her to be able to wear them after her trip as well. The government asked me. I was given an idea of her measurements and we’ve flown in a tailor in case they need to be altered.” Prince Charles was not forgotten, and found himself the recipient of a white woollen chitrali hat. He, too, refused the offer to try it on for size. “Maybe in private,” he said.
So far for this tour the duchess has stuck to her tried and tested designers, Robinson Valentine, but the outfit for her day engagements meant she had to discard her Remembrance Day poppy.
Courtesy DailyTimes.com.pk