2011 has seen two of the most anticipated weddings in the UK, if not in the world and, for that matter, speculation about their wedding dresses. Both weddings taking place in the UK, both brides called Kate, both Kates hailed as style icons in the making or style legends per se.
Kate Middleton and Kate Moss, both had their fairytale weddings within a few months of each other and the sheer excitement about which dress they would choose to wear was skyrocket high.
Even though the princess and the rock'n'roll queen rank high on opposite poles of one scale: Kate Middleton living and breathing the image of the "good girl" and Kate Moss that of the "bad". Yet still, both of them stood firm in their decision to choose the two rebels of fashion for their wedding dresses. Another parallel? Both of these designers experienced their sad suicide almost within a year of each other, one literal (Alexander McQueen) and one professional (John Galliano).
Of course, Kate Middleton choosing Alexander McQueen (and the talented Sara Burton) enhances the tragic romance that the designer and also a lot of the royal memories stand for, making her choice beautiful.
Kate Moss had her mind set on fashion's other "enfant terrible", John Galliano, her friend and collaborator for more than two decades, before he destroyed his status as fashion darling and Creative Director of Dior in his much talked about eruptions at a Paris bar earlier this year. Far from the romantic, sensitive and sheer gorgeous designs that he is known for, all of a sudden Galliano stood for insult and disgrace, an image that many brides would have shied away from, in order to keep their wedding pure and pretty.
Not Kate Moss though: of course this does not come as a surprise... She has been known for doing exactly as she pleases, not thinking twice about how others might judge her for it. Good for her and in this case good for Galliano. Literally, Kate's wedding being the first positive news about the designer as well as a reminder of his talent since the scandal. What makes her choice special is the symbol of friendship that comes along with it.
Moss and Galliano go a long way back and in an industry that is ruled by politics and the unspoken rule of surrounding yourself with the right crowd, it stands out when people stick by their friends, no matter what.
Had Kate Moss dumped Galliano as a designer for her wedding dress, it would have been his true and possibly final fall from grace. Of course, it was Galliano who supported Moss, appointing her for Dior campaigns, when she was dropped by many advertisers after being caught on tape taking drugs. They have made it through ups, downs, high and lows and nonetheless, they have kept the mutual respect for each other, have been inspiration to each other as well as soul and heart.
Not only does the beautiful, fairytale dress that Galliano designed for Moss, reflect his creative vision, it also shows his ability to enhance Moss' sensitive side- the sweet child underneath the layers of hedonism and rock' n 'roll antics, that she sometimes nearly drowns in. To that end it is a match made in heaven - two rebellious souls, who shine the brightest when showing their softness, especially in collaboration with each other.
Moss might have saved Galliano, bringing him back to the public's eye for his designs and not his outrageous slurs. It is like a roller coaster, once one influential friend dares to stand up for a fallen star, it does not take long until others follow. It just takes one to make that first step, to stick out their neck, taking that risk of it being chopped off. Just like it did not take long before Moss had aplenty ads under her belt again.