Spy: Kiwi designer at royal weddings and on red carpets

Opera director Sophie Hunter - wife of actor Benedict Cumberbatch - wearing Wickstead's design at the Venice Film Festival.

London-based Kiwi fashion designer Emilia Wickstead has had her creations at two aristocratic weddings and on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival in the past week.

Wickstead is famous for dressing such as the Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex. Last week she cemented her "designer to the royals" status — the 38-year-old designer created the wedding dress for Lord Mountbatten's granddaughter, India Hicks for her marriage to long-time partner, David Flint Wood, in a picture-perfect English wedding.

Hicks is Prince Charles' goddaughter and was bridesmaid to Princess Diana 40 years ago. Her mother, Lady Pamela Hicks, was bridesmaid to the Queen. British Vogue described Wickstead's creation for Hicks as Grace Kelly-inspired.

Fashion designer to the the stars Emilia Wickstead.

It was a double royal wedding triumph for Wickstead last week with Sophie, Countess of Wessex wearing a pink Wickstead creation when she attended the wedding of Flora Ogilvy and Timothy Vesterberg. Ogilvy is the granddaughter of cousin to the Queen Princess Alexandra.

Meanwhile, theatre and opera director Sophie Hunter — who is married to actor Benedict Cumberbatch — wore a dress called Oceana from the Wickstead's 2022 resort collection on the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival. Cumberbatch was there for the screening of The Power of the Dog with Kiwi director Jane Campion, who won Best Director at the festival.