Queen Elizabeth II: Her Role in Fashion
This past week, the world lost a noticeably special woman. Known by many for her years of service and dedication to her country, the passing of Queen Elizabeth II signifies the end of an era for the United Kingdom. There is no question that the Queen had an overarching presence throughout her 70 years on the British throne. She truly was a worldwide icon. For fashion connoisseurs, her influence is indisputable in how she used fashion as a way to symbolize and relay important messages during her reign.
The Queen was very intentional when it came to choosing garments to wear for special occasions. For her coronation, the Queen entrusted her designer to create a dress that represented all the territories that she would rule over. Each territory was sewn on to the dress in accordance with their floral emblems. Using floras in her dresses as a way of representation was very common for the Queen. When she visited France in 1957, she attended a gala in which her dress was adorned with France’s national flower, bees, and the emblem of Napoleon. The Queen continued to use this as a way to greet forging countries with kindness and acceptance when she wore dresses embroidered with the Canada’s national flower and China’s national flower on each visit.
The Queen was also known for loyalty in her relationships with certain fashion designers as well as her participation in the fashion scene. One designer in particular is Norman Hartnell. He designed some of her most iconic dresses, including her coronation dress, throughout the beginning years of her reign. In addition, the Queen participated in fashion events. In 2018, she sat front row during London Fashion Week with Anna Wintour. She also created an award to give out for the occasion. It is called the Queen Elizabeth II Award for Design that is given to a designer during each London Fashion Week.
You may have noticed that the Queen stood out quite frequently in her fun, bright colored outfits. This was another way that the Queen used fashion as a symbol. While the Queen looked stunning in her colorful pieces, they actually had a significant purpose. The bright colors were used as a way to make sure she was rightfully seen as the main figure head at public appearances. This technique was used for many of her garments worn throughout the years. The Queen was certainly well-dressed for every occasion.
