As it turns out, all the McQueen rumors were true; Kate Middleton wed today in a stunning long-sleeved creation by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.

Burton and Middleton worked closely on the design of the dress, referencing English traditions and signatures of the McQueen brand. From the descriptions on the Official Royal Wedding Website, it is obvious that this design made full use of the unbelievable technique and skill of the McQueen atelier.

Of the choice, the official site says:

Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen’s work..

The dress is made from hand-cut English lace, French Chantilly lace, and ivory and white satin gazar. The lace appliques were handmade by the Royal School of Needlework using a technique called Carrickmacross that originated in Ireland in the 1820s. The lace workers washed their hands every 30 minutes and replaced their needles every three hours to ensure that the lace remained pure white. The flowers designs in the lace are of actual flowers: rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock.

If you thought Kate Middleton looked curvier than usual, you’d be correct. The silhouette featured padding at the hips, as a reference to traditional Victorian corsetry as well as a signature of the most dramatic McQueen looks. 58 gazar and organza covered buttons ran up the back of the dress, no wonder Middleton needed help getting dressed this morning.

On top Middleton wore a tiara belonging to the Queen herself. The Cartier “halo” tiara was made in 1936 and given to Queen Elizabeth on her 18th birthday as a gift from her mother. Middleton’s veil is made of ivory silk tulle – nothing too heavy when she’s got to show off a vintage Cartier tiara.

Classic, demure, and elegant the dress is sure to please both the public and the fashion critics. WWD has already scooped up quotes from the fashion crowd about Middleton’s choice.

Karl Lagerfeld said “She is very elegant. The dress is classic and goes very well in the Westminster decor. It almost reminds me of (Queen) Elizabeth’s wedding, the royal weddings in the Fifties. The proportion of the train is good. The lace is very pretty. I like the veil a lot.”

If it’s a hit with Karl, I’m sure it’s a hit with everyone. He has very, very high standards. 

With an extravagant furry hood hiding her face, she ducked down and dashed at full tilt from the car into The Goring hotel – doing everything in her power to avoid being identified.

But there were several clues that the mystery woman who ran into Kate Middleton’s hotel in Belgravia yesterday afternoon was Sarah Burton, creative director of the Alexander McQueen label and very likely the wedding dress designer.

The late McQueen’s 36-year-old protégée has previously been tipped for the most coveted fashion commission of the decade.

She also owns an identical silver-studded belt, and her designs at Paris Fashion Week this year also included oversized fur hoods. 

An onlooker said: ‘She ducked right down and ran in as quick as you like. The whole thing was in under half a second. It was very odd. If that’s not Sarah Burton, I’ll eat my hat.’ 

Kate, 29, has been determined to keep her designer and gown under wraps to ensure maximum surprise when she emerges from her Rolls-Royce outside Westminster Abbey at 11am today.

The designer is understood to be British and rumours have suggested he or she is a relatively little-known, upcoming couturier. 

Sophie Cranston, Alice Temperley and Bruce Oldfield have also been mooted as possibilities.

Cheshire-born Mrs Burton was assistant and confidante to McQueen for 14 years – and was devastated by the East End designer’s suicide last year at the age of 40.

Kate is thought to have chosen Mrs Burton after being impressed by a £10,000 silk strapless wedding gown worn by her friend Sara Buys, who married the Duchess of Cornwall’s son Tom Parker Bowles in 2005.

She has also created dresses for Michelle Obama, Naomi Campbell, Lady Gaga, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Bjork. 

Reports earlier this year claimed that McQueen’s chief executive Jonathan Akeroyd had told a colleague that the label had secured the commission.

Mr Akeroyd, Mrs Burton and a spokesman for the label all hurriedly insisted the story was untrue.

But Kate’s chosen designer is understood to have been sworn to secrecy, and royal aides did not deny the speculation. 

One said: ‘Catherine genuinely wants to keep her dress and designer a secret until the day of the wedding, in line with tradition. 

‘The details are top secret – even high-up Royal Household staff aren’t being told, especially the men.’ 

Kate is contributing her own design ideas to the process but if the designer is Mrs Burton – who lives in north London with her photographer husband David – we can expect dramatic tailoring, clinging fabrics and a flowing veil.

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 Twitteres: “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.”

Madewell welcomes their largest NYC store yet with an all-day fête.

This week, Madewell debuts their second and largest NYC location, occupying a 6,500-square-foot spread at Fifth Avenue and 19th Street. Staying true to Griffith Thomas’ original 1868 structure, the new space features double-height historic windows, original moldings, and cast iron columns—perfect to display all the summer must-haves I can’t wait to shop. To commemorate the grand opening, the Flatiron location will feature a special “Hometown Heroes” pop-up shop with a selection of some of their favorite NYC brands, including In God We Trust, Love Adorned, JF&Son, and Albertine, as well as summer-ready music picks from Other Music. The Madewell celebrations continue this Saturday, April 30, with an all-day Hometown Heroes party, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy special surprises every hour, cool styling tips, treats, and more. Of course, as they say, some things are just better in twos: Two Madewells means double trouble for your wallet.

Ranging from bad-ass South African gangsterism to the fresh-faced grace of a Brit songstress, the tunes blaring on our iPod are almost as varied as the musicians who craft them. And with this mishmash of sound—think Zola Jesus’ ethereal operatics or Jessie J’s pop-friendly dance tunes—each artist comes with wildly different and incredibly covetable styles. Suddenly, on top of singing along to Oh Land’s “Son Of A Gun,” I now want to blunt-cut our bangs like Die Antwoord’s Yo-Landi, and go thrift-shopping for beach style with Tennis’ Alaina Moore. Not every musician has to be a fashion inspiration, but I must admit: It’s awfully awesome when my fave artist look as good as they sound rocking the stage. Here are the songbirds currently inspiring ME ! 

Yo-Landi of Die Antwoord

The Sound: Irreverent, grimy, and unapologetic, Die Antwoord became an Internet sensation in early 2010, radically popularizing the part-electro, part-crunk sound known in South Africa as “Zef.” Rapper Ninja aggressively alters between English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa, and Yo-Landi spits deceptively sweet-sounding rhymes on hooks.

The Style: With hyper-short baby bangs and a penchant for gold and glitter, her style is not for the faint-hearted. Of course, we love her fearless sense of self in a cropped top or a scene-stealing graphic tee.

The Goods: Adidas Originals Hi Cut Sneakers, $110, available at Adidas; Laura Lombardi Brass Bar Earrings, $32, available at Refinery29 Boutiques; Urban Decay Bobby Dazzle Eyeshadow, $20, available at Beauty.com; See By Chloe Pants, $295, available at Shopbop; VPL Bra, $95, available at La Garçonne; Baebae Geometric Double Knuckle Ring, $99, available at Refinery29 Boutiques.

Rye Rye

The Sound: Emerging from mix-tape culture, the hard-hitting emcee Rye Rye was discovered by M.I.A., who called the young artist the “voice of Baltimore.” We fell in love when she brought her boogie-tastic beats to Alexander Wang’s post-Fashion Week carnival last year, and her kinetic energy and club-friendly tunes keeps our booties shaking.

The Style: Once a protégé of the always stylish M.I.A., Rye Rye has stepped out of her mentor’s shadow—but has borrowed a couple of her brightly colored tricks. Where M.I.A. embraced global patterns and an inherently Brit sensibility, Rye Rye rocks some real-deal Baltimore street style. We love matching her hair with her clothes, the excess of pink, and of course, those incredible door-knocker earrings.

The Goods: Manic Panic In Green Envy, $9.50, available at The Bruised Boutique; GirlProps Wing Earrings, $7.99, available at GirlProps; Jessica Simpson Ruffle Bustier, $29.99, available at Jessica Simpson; Deena & Ozzy Clear Metal Trim Purse, $39, available at Urban Outfitters; Diane von Furstenberg Miggy Poplin Shorts, $200, available at Net-a-Porter.

Jessie J.

The Sound: We couldn’t be digging this influx of smart, savvy pop mistresses hitting our ears—Robyn, Adele, and now Jessie J., who sounds like Pink and Nicki Minaj’s love child…if she were born across the pond.

The Style: Imagine Katy Perry’s dark side, with flat-ironed black hair and thick swipes of black eyeliner. Except Jessie isn’t just vamp: Her playful style of pin-up elements with killer tights, cheeky hair accessories, and mega-hoops show the singer can switch effortlessly between sex-kitten and LOLcat.

The Goods: House of Holland Fringed Tights, $27.99, available at Modcloth; Vena Cava Bomber Jacket, $310, available at Refinery29 Boutiques; Juicy Couture Multi-Layer Fringe Bracelet, $100, available at Ssense; MAC Russian Red Lipstick, $14.50, available at MAC; Halston Heritage Sandals, $225, available at Net-A-Porter.

Zola Jesus

The Sound: With a flair for the dramatic (maybe stemming from her opera background), front-woman Nika Roza’s otherworldly vocals are dark but not goth, flitting through Zola Jesus’ echo chamber-like soundscapes. We love.

The Style: Aside from being haunting musically, Nika’s signature style leans to the dark. But the singer mixes it up, pairing a pencil skirt with a silk top or adding flowing layers of black for texture. Porcelain skin and red lips, however, is a must.

The Goods: LauraKranitz Two-Sided Headband, $29.95, available at KarmaLoop; ASOS Long Sleeve Slinky Dress, $32.27, available at ASOS; K-198 Nevin Hoodie, $315, available at Nicholask; Smashbox Brow Tech To Go, $26, available at Sephora; Pamela Love Cuff, $378.01, available at Pamela Love.

Alaina Moore of Tennis

The Sound: How’s this for an adorable story? Post college, married couple Alaina Moore and Patrick Reilly sailed around the world and returned to write beachy, nostalgic sounds about their experiences. Think slow dances, kisses under the boardwalk, and rubbing your toes in the sand.

The Style: A summer-obsessed retro sound should have a summer-obsessed retro style, and when it comes to casual shorts, convertible-ready hair, and rocking out on your organ, Alaina is set. We love her use of patterns, from nautical stripes to floral.

The Goods: Deena & Ozzy Foldover Boot, $68, available at Urban Outfitters; Warehouse Palm Print One Shoulder Dress, $113, available at Warehouse; Lowestoft Sunglasses, $89, available at Jack Wills; Living Proof No Frizz Styling Cream, $35, available at Sephora; Vanessa Bruno Hawaiian Print Shorts, $364.50, available at Matches.

Oh Land

The Sound: There’s something about the music of Nanna Øland Fabricius, or Oh Land, that reminds us of a romp through the mythic and mysterious Danish forests. Driving beats harmonize perfectly with her rapturous voice, like a percussive-heavy Florence and The Machine.
The Style: If you can ignore Oh Land’s model-like looks (if you can), you’ll see an imaginative, colorful world filled with capes, maxi dresses, and a couple beauty tips swiped from Twiggy. Of course, Oh Land learned from the best for her gorgeous stage style: Designer Christian Joy works with both her and our girl-crush Karen O

The Goods: Unique Printed Mesh Dress, $450, available at Topshop; Modekungen Space T-Shirt, $98.02, available at Modekungen; Modcloth Never Felt This Way Hat, $24.99, available at ModCloth; Nars The Multiple In South Beach, $39, available at Nars; Minimarket Space Shoe, $219.95, available at Solestruck.

Ellie Goulding

The Sound: It will be nearly impossible to mention 2011 in music without talking about Ellie Goulding. The Brit It-Girl not only sweeped at the BRIT awards, but she’ll be at every summer festival you can name. Her upbeat sound and breathy voice is the soundtrack both to our workouts and our evenings at home.

The Style: Perfect for the warm weather, Ellie’s bright eyes and pale lips are anytime-appropriate. Girly, effortless, and classic, her girl-next-door vibe is always modernized with a bright print or her dreamy, flawless waves (can her hair be any more perfect?).

The Goods: Lover Coppelia Cotton Lace T-Shirt, $350, available at Net-a-Porter; Lancome Hypnose Waterproof Mascara, $24.50, available at Buy; Kyler By Joy O Coyote Pendant, $78, available at Kyler Designs; Topshop Cream Rose Dress, $75, available at Topshop; Madewell Striped Spring Polo, $59.50, available at Madewell; Beauty Is Life Lipstick, $28, available at Barneys.