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How the Duchess of Cambridge made the Glittering Golden Gown into the red carpet look of the year

Jennifer Lawrence, the Duchess of Cambridge and Kate Hudson wearing versions of the Glittering Golden Gown - Getty Images
Jennifer Lawrence, the Duchess of Cambridge and Kate Hudson wearing versions of the Glittering Golden Gown - Getty Images

When the Duchess of Cambridge arrived at the premiere of No Time to Die in late September, it was A Fashion Moment. Her glittering golden gown seemed to hail a new era of glamour after the low key previous year. It epitomised a return to celebration, opulence and dressing-up, so much so that the £4,064 Jenny Packham design sold out when it became available to buy soon after.

Almost three months on, it’s clear that Kate’s Bond girl moment has had a more profound effect. Look at almost any red carpet of late and somewhere you will see another iteration of what we can now christen the Glittering Golden Gown. More and more famous women, from reality TV stars to Hollywood celebrities and tastemaking designers, have adopted the GGG and made it their own.

On Sunday evening, the GGG received one of its most significant votes of approval since the Duchess’s outing when Jennifer Lawrence wore a version to ‘debut’ her baby bump at the premiere of her new film Don’t Look Up in New York. With its floaty tulle cape and sequin embellishments, Lawrence’s Dior creation bears a striking resemblance to Kate’s look, but with a slightly subtler, more delicate effect.

Ellie Goulding wearing a Glittering Golden Gown on Sunday evening - Getty Images
Ellie Goulding wearing a Glittering Golden Gown on Sunday evening - Getty Images

Then there was Ellie Goulding who attended the 44th Kennedy Center Honors gala in Washington wearing a metallic pleated gown encrusted with crystals around the neckline. If the future queen was reminiscent of the Bond girl Jill Masterson who was covered in gold paint in Goldfinger, then Goulding’s style alter ego on Sunday evening was the angel on top of the Christmas tree.

The GGG might have peaked in the past few days, but its influence has been building for weeks. Throughout November, GGGs were seen in all guises at glitzy parties across the globe. The month kicked off with The Vampire’s Wife designer Susie Cave appearing in a lurex maxi dress at the Leopard Awards in London, proving that a GGG can be as laid back as it is lavish. At the Fashion Trust Arabia awards in Qatar the following night, model Anna Cleveland wore a goddess-like Alberta Ferretti gold chiffon gown cinched with a glittery abstract belt. Then a few days later, Salma Hayek opted for a liquid-gold, puff-sleeve design at the UK premiere of the House of Gucci film.

Susie Cave, Anna Cleveland and Salma Hayek trial the GGG trend - Getty Images
Susie Cave, Anna Cleveland and Salma Hayek trial the GGG trend - Getty Images

From royalty to world-famous actresses, the GGG’s reign continued; Kate Hudson did a demure take on the look with a silhouette-skimming polo neck version by Michael Kors at the InStyle awards in LA, Maggie Gyllenhaal sported a slinky, 1930s version by Rodarte at the Gotham Awards in New York, Lady Amelia Windsor went the romantic 1950s route in Sabina Bilenko Couture at the Fashion Awards in London and Gugu Mbatha-Raw did ethereal-meets-90s simplicity in a Galvan London take at the British Independent Film Awards.

Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lady Amelia Windsor and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in their opulent GGGs - Getty Images
Maggie Gyllenhaal, Lady Amelia Windsor and Gugu Mbatha-Raw in their opulent GGGs - Getty Images

While the GGG definition is versatile enough to encompass these many interpretations, each one does something very specific: unmissable and sumptuous, these are the party dresses to end all party dresses. They semaphore that you have gone to great lengths to look as posh as possible, that you want to be memorable and feel ultra-special - this is a gold medal look for a gold medal effort.

Like the emerald Vampire’s Wife and spotted Alessandra Rich dresses which the Duchess of Cambridge has previously worn and sparked a VIP trend for, the GGG feels particularly apt for now. It speaks of this not being just <any> party season, but one where we’re all making up for lost time (Omicron variant permitting). And while Duchesses and Hollywood doyennes have made the GGG a hit, there’s no reason why the rest of us can’t get involved too...

The five best GGGs to buy now

gold dresses
gold dresses

Gold midi dress, £120, River Island (riverisland.com); Gold slip dress, £749, Ralph Lauren (ralphlauren.co.uk); Gold tulle dress, £239.20, Coast (coastfashion.com); Gold halterneck, £49.99, Zara (zara.com); Gold pussy-bow, £335, Normal Kamali (matchesfashion.com)