Who will it be - Jigsaw or Westwood? Galliano or Marshall?

Souvenirs at the ready...

After much speculation and anticipatory rumor Prince William and Kate Middleton have today announced their engagement. While much comment has been generated over the choice of ring (William's mother, Princess Diana's own engagement ring) the real speculation in fashion circles is what will the bride be wearing, and perhaps as importantly, who will be given the task of creating what will no doubt become one of the most photographed, blogged and tweeted upon dress of the century? As a former employee of mid-range brand Jigsaw it's not outside the realm of possibility that in these straightened times that Kate may choose something ''off-the-peg''. More likely, however, the task will go to a ''name'' British designer, perhaps some satin-silk ''picture-dress'' with a huge bustle by Vivienne Westwood? Or perhaps an intricately embroidered number by Matthew Williamson? Or even something spiky yet seductive by Gareth Pugh or Hannah Marshall? Although fully-resident in Paris, John Galliano has on hand the full might of the Dior ateliers at hand...and one can only imagine what Alexander McQueen could have created...or perhaps Christopher Bailey could develop something tasteful with a little Burberry-check...and of course she must wear a hat or headdress of some kind, British milliners are second-to-none, step forward Stephen Jones...

Coming on the heels of recent royal weddings in Sweden and the Netherlands, such a state occasion offers the opportunity for Britain now, too, on an even grander scale to assert its authority in the sartorial stakes of its official consorts. While the sartorial battles between the likes of Michelle Obama, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy and Samantha Cameron are well documented, the royal consort holds a special place in the demonstrating the cultural, and thereby political, superiority of nation states. Although the potency of their sartorial influence has perhaps waned under the plethora of actresses, TV and pop-stars that now act as fashion's ''role models'', the royal consort still adds a certain glamorous and exotic allure that their less-than-royal counterparts cannot hope to provide, or indeed compete with, as examples such as Queen Rania of Jordon prove. Yet the figure of Kate Middleton provides a new-take on the ''fairy-tale'' updated for the 21st Century, being a middle-class girl from a wealthy, self-made family. In dressing Middleton for her wedding the designer entrusted with the task will not only be creating a fabulous gown for a one-off occasion, they will also find themselves on duty to provide a dress that defines a new era in bringing the royal wedding into the 21st Century

It's all gone orange...Happy Queen's Day!

To all my good Dutch friends wishing you a Happy Queen's Day! For those that are unfamiliar with this today is a big national holiday in the Netherlands for the celebration of the Queen's Birthday. Technically the date is the birthday of Queen Beatrix's mother, but has since been retained as the Beatrix's 'official' birthday, and as the national day to celebrate the Netherlands. The whole country literally turns 'orange', with much partying in both private homes and in the streets. As a foreigner living there one of the most curious rituals to was to see the sight of every city, but particularly noticeable in Amsterdam, being turned into one big jumble sale. Queen's Day is also the one day in the year when the general public can legally trade and sell goods on the street, usually contents of peoples attics or storerooms, such as old clothes, furniture, broken lamps and the odd valuable curio like a suit of armour.

My own research is looking at the value of cultural identity and how this portrayed through fashion in city culture. It remains curious how often ideals around cultural superiority are still played around national identity, and particularly through the so-called 'soft' display of clothing. In the UK England recently had it's national Saint Day, St. George (shared also with Russia and Portugal), yet this day is not a national holiday here. Indeed the whole idea of patriotism in the UK has become a much debated aspect of culture over recent years, especially as a unified sense of British identity has dissipated. Yet building up a strong identity of place, and an affiliation with place, remains important both culturally and within the fashion industry itself. There is a strong need it appears in all of us in feeling some kind of pride in the locality, through embracing it, and in turn feeling the locality embrace you. This process of identification with place and the emotional attachment we give to place is something I continue to explore through my research/curatorial project, Fashion Souvenirs. Why do people still feel the need to visibly demonstrate their affinity with particular places through the clothes they wear? As I have discovered 'patriotism' isn't necessarily linked only to your own country, as in this globalised world many of us have many 'homes' or home countries or cities, even if the attachment was made with just one or two visits. Instinctively it seems, we know when we have arrived 'home'.