There have been hints along the way regarding who will design Meghan Markle‘s wedding gown for her wedding to Prince Harry on May 19th–from Meghan’s Ralph & Russo engagement gown, to rises in bets for Alexander McQueen in Britain’s all-too-popular royal speculations gambling scene.
But now, industry signs are pointing to Erdem Moralıoğlu, the lead designer of his namesake line, Erdem. While his line is based in London and showcases its new collections at London Fashion Week, Moralıoğlu is Canadian-born, which honors Markle’s home prior to her move to London. Markle lived in Toronto prior to her move to the United Kingdom and was based there during her time filming Suits.
Additionally, the brand just announced that they are no longer outsourcing their public relations to an agency (they previously had agency representation in Europe and stateside) and are now bringing their PR department in-house. According to Dictionary Diary, Erdem announced the hire of Kathryn Lo, their new PR Manager, today.
Erdem is a long-standing royal favorite–the Duchess of Cambridge has worn the brand countless times to events, pictured below, as has her sister, Pippa Middleton Matthews. Princess Eugenie also donned the designer for her official engagement portraits with her fiancé, Jack Brooksbank.
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Per the gambling game, Erdem has been one of the favorites, and speculation is growing stronger as evidence rises that the brand is “staffing up” in anticipation of May 19th, People reports.
Choosing Erdem, it seems, is the best of both worlds for Markle. Picking a designer with Canadian roots is a nod to her life pre-Harry, while opting for a brand that has its roots firmly planted in London embraces her new home. Erdem is a favorite of royals across the board for events, luncheons, appearances and more, but no royal has publicly donned the brand for her wedding day, leaving Markle a chance to stand apart, veer slightly away from tradition and make her fashion mark.
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Stylistically, the brand is a slight departure for Markle, who tends to opt for minimal silhouettes, body-conscious dresses and architectural lines in her day to day personal style. However, when given the opportunity to dress up for her engagement portraits at Windsor Castle, Markle opted for a whimsical, romantic option with some drama. We’ve been looking to Meghan’s daily style and red carpet appearances as clues to the type of look she’ll wear down the aisle, but there’s a solid chance her (royal) bridal style is slightly more ethereal than many have expected.
Erdem is consistently inspired by all things romantic, often finding inspiration in literature, film and in eras past, particularly the Victorian era. This too could be Markle’s subtle nod to embracing her new role as a Duchess, opting for a brand who consistently seeks to bring the regal dressing from times past into the closets of today’s modern, fashion-forward set.
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Should this rumor be true (and we really hope it is), expect Markle to walk down the aisle in something with a flair for the romantic–most likely including lace and/0r a floral motif. However, without an official statement, it doesn’t seem to be signed and sealed as of yet. The designers of Markle’s Haute Couture engagement gown, Ralph & Russo, may still be in the running. Per LinkedIn, Ralph & Russo is currently hiring in their PR Department as well.
This article originally appeared on Harper’s BAZAAR US.
