What Should Kate Wear?

Face it: There’s no escaping Kate Middleton’s wedding to Prince William, even from way across the pond in Eagle Rock. So instead of trying to hide from Kate Mania, we decided to embrace the royal nuptials by asking our local Eagle Rock stylemakers how they would dress the lovely Princess-to-Be if they could at her wedding Friday. Here’s what they said:

Leanna Lin, owner of and former dress designer:

• “When I think of a princess, I think of Audrey Hepburn. Givenchy was always creating couture gowns for her and a vintage Givenchy dress would be perfect for Kate Middleton because of her timeless beauty! An embroidered scallop edge lace corset top with a bustle back and floor length satin gown going into a short train. Since she's young and fashionable, I'd style her in a modern way, with a twist.

• “Her long wavy hair would be pulled back in a loose chignon, with strays of hair flowing and rhinestone pins throughout. A huge pink peony pinned off to the side with a simple plain soft tulle veil that lays softly over her head down to her waist. Her jewelry should be a simple design, with diamonds and a pop of a colored stones, such as emeralds. I'm inspired by Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette's shoes—pastel pink modern design with a rhinestone bow or buckle that peaks out with sparkle. Kate's make up would be soft with a touch of spring shimmer.”

Jamal Hamadi, celebrity hair stylist, founder of Hamadi Organics (hamadibeauty.com ) and longtime Eagle Rocker:

• “I would dress her in McQueen, in a very, very fitted hand-maid mermaid gown cut. The fabric would be hand woven with Inca-inspired tribal textures. I’d like to see her in an elaborate veil that would connect to her train—a metaphor for how this marriage unites different classes of people.

• “As for her hair, I would set it in a wave, and for the wedding ceremony, I would pull half of it up off her face, in a very classic way, and have the other half cascading down. It would look like a Greek goddess’s hair. For the celebrations afterward, I would take all the hair down, and brush it off her face and set it—a Grace Kelly kind of look.”

Craig Powell, owner and lead designer of and self-described “Willy Wonka of Plants”:

• “Funny you should ask about Kate as I’ve been thinking about this all week. I am enthralled by the young lady. She is brilliantly beautiful and down-to-earth. I think this is what Princess Diana would have been like if times had been different for her.

• “The 1980s might be back in vogue but that doesn’t mean we’re going to see shoulder pads, ruffles and a 25-foot train on Kate. She is more statuesque than Diana was and incredibly lean. She likes tight, fitted things and that’s how I’d like to dress her—in a fitted dress, with beading and brocade around the breast plate, and a long, lean silhouette. We’ll see a 10- to 12-foot train at the Abby, and layers of ivory antique silk. The dress won’t be stark white—she’s been living with Prince William, after all! She’ll be showing a little more skin than you would have thought, but nothing low cut. As for hair, I see a little French braiding on the side of her face, maybe lightly bunned.

• “Now onto the flowers! The bouquet will be everything that is understated and traditional about the spring countryside—that is where she grew up, after all. I’d choose scented English roses, Lily of the Valley, Gardenia, English hydrangea, and country lilac -- these would be white flowers. She loves wisteria and maybe I’d throw in some English ivy. I see lavenders and gray as accent colors. You won’t be seeing any orchids or  tropical flowers. The scale of this bouquet will be simper, more modern and fashion-forward than Princess Di’s bouquet.

• “This wedding is all about the perfect symmetry of traditional and modern. Everything is hinting at the fact that the royal family is taking tradition and a young happy modern couple and putting it together. It’s old meets new, and tradition meets modern.

• “Princess Diana will definitely be represented somewhere in the mix—either in the tiara that Kate wears or in some echo of what Diana looked like on her wedding day. But while Kate will be dressed in a reserved way, nothing about her will be stodgy or stuffy. We will see the princess bride that Diana would have wanted her son to marry.”