The Fashion Museum in Bath has named the dress by Giorgio Armani as its Dress of the Year 2021, and it will be displayed as the final item in an upcoming exhibition named ‘A History of Fashion in 100 Objects.’ The Duchess of Sussex wore the dress during her and Prince Harry’s televised interview with Oprah Winfrey during which they opened up about the reasons they chose to step back as senior members of the royal family and relocate to California. The $4,700 black silk wrap dress features a white lotus design embroidered on one shoulder, In a press release, the museum said, “It’s well known that members of the Royal family often use outfits to send a message through their choice of style, colour or motif. “It was reported that the Duchess chose a dress with a lotus flower design because of the flower’s symbolic association with rebirth, self-regeneration and spiritual enlightenment, and its ability to flourish despite seemingly challenging conditions.” Dazed magazine’s Ibrahim Kamara and Gareth Wrighton, who were the selectors for the prize this year, said that the dress was"worn to showcase a divine pregnancy” (Meghan was pregnant with Lili at the time) and “framed the Duchess in black against the bountiful landscaping of Tyler Perry’s Hollywood garden.” They went on, “This look now, through sheer association with a viral television moment, is firmly ingrained in our pop culture psyche.” The museum went on to thank Armani for gifting the dress to the museum. According to People, Meghan also chose to wear a diamond Cartier tennis bracelet that once belonged to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana so that her late mother-in-law “could be with them” during the Sussexes’ interview. It’s been rumored that the two smaller diamonds that flank the central diamond from Botswana in Meghan’s engagement ring was taken from this very bracelet by Harry when he was having the ring made. Meanwhile, her triple aquamarine necklace by Pippa Small symbolized tranquility and harmony, and her blue topaz stud earrings by Birks represented “honesty, clarity of feelings, and deep emotional attachment.” Next up, Can You Visit Princess Diana’s Grave—And What Dress Was She Buried In?
