The designer of Meghan Markle’s bridal-inspired custom Theia evening dress, which she wore when accompanying husband Prince Harry to a reception in Tonga, has revealed that he knew about Meghan’s pregnancy before the world did.
“When her stylist reached out to inquire if I could make a dress for her Australian press tour, I stopped everything we were doing (my bridal show was just a week away) and immediately went to work on Her Royal Highness’ gown,” said Don O’Neill, the creative director of Theia. But there was one issue: “We needed to remake it with extra seam allowance. We knew immediately why this extra allowance was required, but mum’s the word, and with less than one week to my bridal show, all hands were on deck once more.”
The adjustment was nothing short of stressful for the designers. “We re-made the gown,” O’Neill added, “and I literally had to run down Broadway that Friday night to catch the UPS truck, making it with just two minutes to spare!”
But nevertheless, it was a dream come true for O’Neill to help dress the Duchess of Sussex, who he calls “a truly beautiful inspiring woman, a bright shining light in this world.”
“The Duchess of Sussex has long been a source of inspiration,” he said. “Her classic, effortless and chic style coupled with all the excitement leading up to her wedding earlier this year inspired my spring 2019 bridal collection, which I showed in April. It has been an exciting whirlwind collaboration … we at Theia are truly honored to be part of The Royal Tour of Australia, Fiji, the Kingdom of Tonga, and New Zealand.”
