We've got to admit it, this one surprised us. They weren't even on our shortlist of potential designers to get the nod to design the royal wedding dress.
Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised though. Princess Eugenie first met Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos – the design duo behind Peter Pilotto – when she was co-hosting an event in support of women artists in 2007. Since then Eugenie has been a loyal fan of the brand, famously wearing a dress by the London-based label for an appearance at the 2012 Paralympic games in London.
The dress, from their Spring/Summer 2012 collection was a zip front sail dress with sleeves and fitted-waistband, a silhouette favoured by the Eugenie for public engagements.
Just last year the Princess chose Peter Pilotto again, to Prince Christian of Hanover's wedding reception, wearing a black belted cold-shoulder dress embroidered with bright blue and green sketch details by artist Jean Cocteau from the Pre-Fall 2017 collection.
For her wedding dress – a long-sleeve gown in woven jacquard – Princess Eugenie worked with Pilotto and De Vos to research dresses worn by royal brides before her to find a silhouette that was right for her. The dress also featured a low-cut back which was a specific request from the Princess, to show off the scars of her surgery aged 12 to correct scoliosis, as a statement on the Royal Family website revealed.
Pilotto and De Vos also incorporated symbols of significance to the couple into the design: a Thistle for Scotland’s Balmoral, a place they love to visit; a Shamrock for Ireland as a nod to the Bride's Ferguson family; the York Rose and ivy representing the couple's home.
