Sarah Burton, Designer of Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress, Departs Alexander McQueen After 26 Years

Discover Sarah Burton's iconic journey at Alexander McQueen, creating the royal wedding dress of Kate Middleton and defining luxury fashion.

Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, known for her iconic design of Kate Middleton's royal wedding dress, will be leaving the British label after her final show at Paris Fashion Week later this month, as announced by the brand on Monday.

Having worked alongside Alexander McQueen for over a decade before his passing in February 2010, Burton, 49, took on the role of director of the label in the spring of the same year. It was less than a year later that she created the now-famous wedding gown for the Princess of Wales.

Over the years, Kate Middleton has frequently chosen McQueen for various formal occasions, making it her preferred designer for both formal and less casual events. Whether it's the elegant long-sleeved lace dress she wore at her April 2011 wedding to Prince William, a stunning one-shouldered white BAFTAs gown earlier this year, a festive green Christmas coat, or a lovely lilac dress she wore more than once, the princess has delivered numerous memorable moments in McQueen's creations. She has also become a fan of McQueen's impeccably tailored blazers, owning jackets in an array of colors, including black, red, pink, and a white style she wore to a Rugby World Cup event.

Sarah Burton is the second designer to create a royal wedding gown and then part ways with their fashion house in recent years. Clare Waight Keller, who designed Meghan Markle's wedding dress, left Givenchy in 2020 after just three years with the label.

In a statement, Burton expressed her gratitude to the "incredible team at Alexander McQueen," describing the fashion house as her "home for the past 26 years." She also paid tribute to Alexander McQueen himself, saying, "He taught me so much, and I am eternally grateful to him. I am looking forward to the future and my next chapter and will always carry this treasured time with me," concluded Burton.

While her next destination remains unknown, it would come as no surprise if the princess continued to follow the talented designer's career closely.