Fashion
A year in sumptuous style reviewed: Tatler reveals the Gowns of the Year
In a year that’s seen Labour take parliament, Paris Hilton return to music and a new Artistic Director at Chanel, it was fashion that continually stole the show. Raising hemlines and making headlines, Bond Street revellers and style-sleuthing netizens were awash with countless moments of glamour and glory. But which of those breathtaking gowns really changed the zeitgeist as much as Charli XCX’s Brat Summer? Style editor Chandler Tregaskes crowns the couture that truly set the tone for 2024.
January
Kicking off the year with a stellar start, Saltburn siren Rosamund Pike made a dramatic entrance at the Golden Globes. Donning a corseted Dior gown befit with ornate lace flowers, the actress paired the striking silhouette with a face shield from Philip Treacy, imbuing an Isabella Blow-like homage of daring glamour. Meanwhile, at Paris Couture Week, Princess Alexandra of Hanover raided her mother, Princess Caroline of Monaco’s wardrobe for her front row ’fit at the Chanel show. Arriving in regally-chic bliss, the Princess oozed with 90s sumptuousness in an archival Karl Lagerfeld-designed piece from the house.
February
With January blues officially out of the picture, February proved to be a dazzling month for party-dressing. Lady Amelia Windsor kept it light and airy in a whimsically wonderful design by Bora Aksu during London Fashion Week, and Sabrina Dhowre Elba conjured an icy-cool appeal when attending the grand opening of the One & Only Za’Abeel in a hooded Mouawad design.
March
The Monaco Rose Ball is always an occasion for palace-worthy glamour in March. This year, Beatrice Borromeo took home the prize for best-dressed guest, opting for a shimmering fringed gown from Dior for the 1970s-themed gala. Over in Hollywood, Carey Mulligan vied for the return of Golden Age decadence with her mermaid-skirted Balenciaga gown – a piece that was recreated and revived by the house’s Creative Director, Demna, from an archival 1950s design.
April
Champagne hues were the recipe for resplendence when Queen Maxima of the Netherlands attended the Four Freedoms Awards in Middleburg in April. Paired with perfectly pretty pearl jewellery, the monarch looked the picture of elegance in the belted design. Meanwhile, back in London, the Marchioness of Bath was ready to sparkle as brightly as the stars at night when she donned a celestially-chic minidress from Annie’s Ibiza x Clio Peppiatt at a special film screening.
May
Indeed April showers really do bring May flowers! Those blooms in question were immediately placed on top of Zendaya’s head in the form of an archival Philip Treacy for Alexander McQueen headpiece and paired with a breathtaking vintage Galliano for Givenchy gown at the Met Gala on the all-important first Monday in May. And as spring began to blossom, Maria-Olympia of Greece put on a bouquet of glamour when attending a Bulgari gala at the Duke of Northumberland’s West Lodnon home, Syon Park.
June
And they’re off! Is there a better place to show off your most marvellous millinery and sizzling summer style than Royal Ascot? I think not! This year taking home the crown for the most heaven-sent outfits was Lady Frederick Windsor (in Catherine Walker) and Zara Tindall (in Rebecca Vallance). Divine.
July
Long before some cynics declared Wicked-fatigue following quite possibly the longest press tour to ever exist, stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande debuted their fashion-focused takes on Glinda and Elphaba on quite the stage: the Paris Olympics. Erivo’s Emerald look hailed from Louis Vuitton, and Grande’s gorgeous blush-pink affair was from Thom Browne. Back across the channel, Wimbledon was well underway, and tennis WAG Paige Lorenze nailed the picnic-and-Pimms-perfection look in a polka-dot design from Self-Portrait.
August
In the height of summer, it was the duchesses who shone the brightest. The Duchess of Edinburgh put on a dramatic chintzy display at a special performance of Starlight Express in support of the Orpheus Centre. Across the globe, the Duchess of Sussex opted for a similarly patterned number from Johanna Ortiz when on her tour of Colombia.
September
Fashion Month came round again in September, bringing with it a catalogue of It-girls in drop-dead-gorgeous attire. Rising up above the ranks of well-dressed elegantes was Lady Mary Charteris, who turned heads for all the right reasons in a hooded minidress from Nina Ricci. Meanwhile, the art crowd were partying too, as Frieze took over the capital. Super-stylist Olivia Buckingham shimmered in crystal-clad Self-Portrait with a look that should hang in the National Gallery when she attended a star-studded soirée at Annabel’s.
October
Tatler Best Dressed alum Sophie Hermann, well-known on the London scene for her pure party-girl-bliss approach to fashion, was headed for the Highlands when she debuted her tartan-filled collection in collaboration with Lebanese atelier, Glamoda. The plaid-walled private rooms of Mount Street Restaurant was the perfect rendezvous to celebrate its launch, with the style starlet dressed in a striking ensemble from the line of course. Over in Chichester, the Duke of Richmond was putting on his annual Goodwood Revival event at his Sussex stately, and none other than the ultimate burlesque diva, Dita Von Teese, made sure to make an appearance, ready to teach us all a thing or two about vintage va-va-voom.
November
Nicky Hilton Rothschild bought all the sartorial charms of Ascot to Australia when she attended the Melbourne Cup in a sunshine-yellow pleated-skirt ensemble from Rebecca Vallance and a Jackie-O-adjacent pillbox hat. Meanwhile, in Spain, Queen Letizia revealed a striking new royal portrait by Annie Liebovitz. For the occasion, the monarch oozed regal grandeur in an archival piece by Cristóbal Balenciaga.
December
As the year drew to a close, millions of royal fans across the globe were delighted at the return of the Princess of Wales’s carol service at Westminster Abbey. Following her difficult year, many were enthused to see her beaming and as beautiful as ever. For the occasion, Kate Middleton kept it festive in a berry-red coat dress from Alexander McQueen with a statement velvet bow. At Royal Albert Hall earlier in the month, Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer were the talk of the town at the British Fashion Awards. Donning glorious monochromatic gowns from Pamella Roland and Gaurav Gupta respectively, the twins injected the famed steps with haute high-society-chic.
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