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Who was that figure in a white cape taking her seat at the very last moment before the Balenciaga show began at Paris Fashion Week? Was it a supermodel, Meryl Streep or an HRH? No, it was Meghan, Duchess of Sussex making her front-row debut in the fashion capital.
The former Suits actor upstaged front-row companions Lauren Sanchez-Bezos, Anne Hathaway and PinkPantheress with her unexpected appearance at the debut of former Valentino creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli as creative director of Balenciaga.
During her acting days as Meghan Markle, she was a regular fixture at New York Fashion Week, with her most recent fashion show RSVP to a runway at Toronto Fashion Week way back in 2015. A front-row seat in Paris is a right royal step up.
“Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, attended the Balenciaga show in Paris on Saturday night in support of Pierpaolo Piccioli, who recently assumed the role of creative director for the house,” a representative for the duchess said.
“This marks her first time back to the shows in over a decade.
“Over the years, the duchess has worn a number of designs by Pierpaolo.”
“They have worked closely together collaborating on design for key moments on the world stage.
“She has long admired his craftsmanship and modern elegance, and tonight was no different.
“This evening reflects the culmination of many years of artistry and friendship, reflected in her support for his new creative chapter at Balenciaga.”
With her hair slicked back into a bun, Meghan completed her top-to-toe Balenciaga look with a button-down blouse and wide-legged pants.
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Until Meghan’s front-row appearance, Balenciaga’s most famous royal client was the Duchess of Windsor, another member of the Windsor family left without an HRH title when her husband, King Edward VIII, abdicated in 1936.
Meghan’s appearance has been the celebrity highlight of a season that saw Meryl Streep in character as Miranda Priestly, filming the sequel to The Devil Wears Prada, at Dolce & Gabbana’s Milan Fashion Week show and Nicole Kidman’s daughter Sunday Rose Kidman Urban take to the runway for Dior.
Balenciaga guests wondered whether Nicole Kidman, who recently filed divorce papers from Keith Urban, would attend the Balenciaga show as an ambassador and former model for the label, but the Hollywood royalty stayed at home.
Heidi Klum modelling for Vivienne Westwood at Paris Fashion Week.Credit: AP
Hours before Meghan’s fashion moment, supermodel Heidi Klum must have thought the day’s headlines belonged to her, returning to the runway for Vivienne Westwood.
Like Meghan, the Project Runway host was dressed in an all-white ensemble, but the German fashion veteran had less fabric to work with, wearing an embellished bridal bodysuit. For her efforts Klum received a bouquet of sunflowers from designer Andreas Kronthaler at the end of the show.
Now the paparazzi will wait and see whether Meghan will stay in Paris for designer Matthieu Blazy’s debut at Chanel before heading to New York on October 9 with Prince Harry to accept Project Healthy Minds’ Humanitarians of the Year Award.
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