Celebrity designer Macdonald talks fashion with the Queen

Paris Hilton wearing a £6,000 Julien Macdonald cocktail dress at the Brit Awards this year
12 April 2012
The Weekender

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Designer Julien Macdonald chatted to the Queen about diamond necklaces, Audrey Hepburn and the famous "little black dress" today as he collected his OBE.

Macdonald, famed for styling celebrities in high octane glamour, revealed the monarch's interest in fashion after meeting her at Buckingham Palace.

• OBE for celebrity dress designer and chef Rhodes

"She just asked me about my career and how I started off. I said it was doing knitwear for Chanel in Paris. She said it must have been a fantastic place to start.

"I told her about Givenchy and she mentioned Audrey Hepburn and added 'Ah - the little black dress'.

"Audrey Hepburn was Hubert de Givenchy's muse. The Queen was very familiar with the little black dress.

"Givenchy dressed Hepburn for all her films - Sabrina, Breakfast At Tiffany's, where she wore her famous black dress."

The 34-year-old also revealed that the Queen took a shine to his jewellery.

"She said 'I like your necklace'. I told her it was my good luck charm and she said I didn't need it."

The glittering pendant - a ring of diamonds with a floating solitaire in the middle - was designed by David Morris.

Macdonald, who wore his hair in a side parting with a swept back fringe, was dressed in a black Dunhill bespoke suit with open-necked black shirt and white collar.

In his lapel was a delicate white orchid sent to him by pop princess Kylie Minogue in a good luck bouquet this morning.

"I've always dressed Kylie. I've just made something for her Australian tour - a silver sparkly dress. She sent me a huge bouquet or orchids today."

Macdonald, who was honoured for his services to the fashion world, is known for producing some of the most skimpy red-carpet wear.

His knicker-revealing pink dress made Kelly Brook a star at the premiere of Snatch, while his shimmering gold minidress helped turn British actress Joely Richardson into Hollywood hot property.

Macdonald said the Queen did not refer to his more revealing creations, but he added: "She said she was familiar with my work and that she liked it. She wished me good luck."

Describing the Queen as a "fashion icon", he said of her wardrobe: "She always looks sophisticated and chic. What I love about the Queen's style is her sense of colour.

"She's a very glamorous woman and she's a fashion icon.

"I'd like to make her a violet dress, baby violet with perhaps lace dusted with a scattering of Swarovski crystals to add that bit of Julien Macdonald glamour."

Born in Merthyr Tydfil in the Welsh valleys, Macdonald inherited his love of fashion from his mother, Joan, a former swimwear model who taught him to knit and who accompanied him today, along with his father, Glyn, and sister, Beverley.

After gaining an MA in fashion from the Royal College of Art, he was spotted by Karl Lagerfeld and was working for Chanel by the age of 20. He went on to work for Givenchy and in 2001 was named British Designer of the Year.

Macdonald was accused of turning British Airways cabin crew into "sex objects" when he redesigned their uniforms.

He described the highlight of his career as designing an Oscar dress for Liv Tyler and walking down the catwalk with Lagerfeld when he was just 20 as he was introduced to the fashion world.

"I'm really happy. It's such an achievement to get an OBE. I'm only 34. I've come from a small town in South Wales.

"A lot of teenagers really look up to me because I left and started my own business. Hopefully it will inspire lots more people to stay in education.

"My dream was to become a fashion designer and lucky enough it came true."

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