Alexander McQueen

Maid-of-honor Pippa Middleton's ivory Alexander McQueen gown looks strikingly similar to the red Alexander McQueen dress Cameron Diaz wore to the 2010 Golden Globes. The silhouettes are almost identical, which could mean they created a custom version for Pippa based on the archived style. Pippa's sister Kate chose an Alexander McQueen dress for her marriage to Prince William. It looks to be a big day for British design house Alexander McQueen as well!

>> Sarah Burton was reportedly spotted going into the hotel where Kate Middleton is staying yesterday, and now word is floating around that Middleton's dress is Alexander McQueen, but Sarah Burton didn't design it.

Instead, the Daily Mirror's Mark Jefferies Tweets: "Sarah Burton seen in Goring hotel,but heard rumour from other journo design is by McQueen himself, so could be vintage or from his sketches!" And Telegraph UK's Bryony Gordon Twittered: "Top fashion source just msged to confirm that [Jefferies's] tweet. Apparently the dress is a vintage McQueen design." Gordon adds: "Apparently Sarah Burton is only doing the fitting, not actual design."

>> Although there have been numerous denials from both Sarah Burton and the Alexander McQueen camp, speculation that Burton may be Kate Middleton's wedding dress designer after all has reached a fever pitch.

A woman who arrived at the Goring Hotel (above, left) — where Middleton and her family are staying — three hours before Kate yesterday is suspected to be Burton (above, right). The woman, who hid her face and blonde hair with an oversized fur trapper hat, "ducked right down and ran in as quick as you like," according to an onlooker. "The whole thing was in under half a second. It was very odd."

But despite the obscured face, the Telegraph UK points out: "The distinctive silver link belt slotted through the waistband of [the woman's] jeans was identical to the one favoured by Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, as were the ballet pumps. Burton . . . is not often photographed. But when she is, the metal belt, buckled, and then individually slotted backwards, and the flat pumps, are present."

>> Bruce Oldfield, who has been tipped as the frontrunner to design Kate Middleton's wedding dress for months now, has confirmed that he is not Middleton's choice: “It has been such a subject of rumor and speculation over the past months, but I am not designing it. We will all know [on Friday] — and I thought I’d duck out of the ‘possibles list’ to give everyone 24 hours to place their final bets!” He added: “Catherine will undoubtedly look spectacular. She has a fantastic figure and knows well what suits her. I shall be intrigued to see her choice of design.”

With Oldfield out of the race, speculation is honing in on the other likely candidates who have not yet issued denials: Catherine Walker, a favorite of Princess Diana; Alice Temperley, and Daniella Helayel from Issa. Also entering late in the game: Jenny Packham, whose spokesperson said yesterday is “not commenting at all on the wedding.”

Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Sophie Cranston of Libelula, and Phillipa Lepley have all also been reported as frontrunners, but all have denied repeatedly that they're working on the dress.

And Vera Wang's name has surfaced as having some kind of role in the wedding, but WWD thinks "that seems highly unlikely" — particularly that Wang, an American, would be chosen to do the dress. Although: sources apparently indicated that the designer may be involved at another level. A Vera Wang spokeswoman denied the designer is involved with the wedding, however, last night.

A newly-released Mario Testino portrait of the Middleton and Prince William, above.

>> One of sure to be many fashion figures wearing Alexander McQueen to Monday's Costume Institute Gala? Daphne Guinness, who plans to dress herself for the event — in a feathery McQueen gown — in one of the windows of Barneys' Manhattan flagship, starting at 5 p.m. on May 2. The stunt — which was Guinness's idea — is not in any way a peep show, she says: “I am not doing a burlesque — no way. I’m going to be getting dressed behind something. I’m not Dita Von Teese, nor shall I be.” Instead, she likes the idea because “there’s been this discussion for longer than I’ve been alive that fashion is not art,” Guinness explains. “My feeling is that this is another piece of evidence that, yes, there is a commercial side to fashion that is needed, but there are these crossover moments that do become art. I hope it works, and I don’t faint.” [NY Times]

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• Who made Michelle Obama's green earrings? — InStyle
• Miss Wu, you had us at “hello" — Purse Blog
• Celebrating Alexander McQueen in anticipation of "Savage Beauty" — Vogue Daily