Kate Middleton has always known the power of a well-chosen outfit.
Long before becoming the Princess of Wales, she made her mark in the royal family by sending messages through her clothes, whether it was a nod to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana, or wearing designers native to the country she was visiting.
However, Kensington Palace has announced that they will not disclose details of her outfits to the media going forward, a massive change in protocol after years of managing 'the Kate effect', where clothes she was spotted in sell out in hours.
Miranda Holder, Celebrity stylist and royal expert, joined Today with Claire Byrne to discuss the change in royal protocol around Kate Middleton's fashion choices and what it means for designers.
The decision, Holder says, "has disappointed many fashionistas around the world because she is such a fashion icon these days and really has developed celebrity status in her own right besides being a royal, partly for the fabulous clothes she wears".
One explanation, Claire suggested, could be the optics of the high designer prices of some of the items Kate wears, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis, which Holder agreed with.
"The PR machine behind Kate and William, Kate in particular, has been nothing but successful and one thing Kate does very well is appear to be relatable and accessible to the public and around the world", Holder said. "We see that through the way she dresses and mixes up high-end and high street, for example."
She added: "Kate is stepping into role now, it's getting really serious for her. She is now the Princess of Wales, the throne is definitely in sight as Queen Consort or Queen Catherine, and it's time to get serious and the palace understandably wants to focus the world's attention on her role as a working royal and the charities and functions she supports, rather than what she's wearing."
It's still a move away from traditional protocol, however, as details of what the Queen or Princess Diana were wearing were always shared with the public through the media. Times are changing, however, says Holder.
"I know it's disappointing", she said, "we can still find that information out these days through social media."
The boost that 'the Kate effect' gives to designers and fashion brands is a phenomenon and one that is worth millions, if not billions, in revenue. "It has been so transformative for the British fashion industry, she is a bastion of British style, and whoever she wears it is such an honour for them to be featured by Kate who is such a style icon", Holder said.
"It really can make a little cottage brand into an almost multi-million-pound business overnight. Things sell out within moments of being featured."
Central to 'the Kate effect' is how she weaves messages through her outfits. Holder said that it's "a little bit of both" intentional dressing and the media assuming there's a message there.
"Kate's outfits, just like the Queen's, will have been planned weeks, months, sometimes years in advance, and every little detail is meticulously organised and logged so it's not repeated, or it is repeated intentionally at a certain time. They know what they're doing.
"Every nuance, whether it's a brooch, a tiara, a colour, even the name of the beautiful white dress that she wore to the State Banquet last week was chosen because it was calls 'Elspeth' which is Scottish for 'Elizabeth', so a very subtle nod to the late majesty, the Queen."
Holder added that while thought goes into this process, she believes it's also become "an ingrained habit". "She's immersed in that world, she's learning from the Queen, Princess Diana", she said, "so some of it is just automatic."
We've seen years of the palace presenting Kate as a fashion icon, so despite the change in protocol there will always be fans eager to analyse her latest outfits, and her current US tour will be no different.
To listen back to the full interview, click above.
