Scandal at Buckingham Palace! Thankfully, this week it was more boob than bombshell as Alexa Chung opted for a translucent sequin dress by the Chinese-born, London-based designer Huishan Zhang, to make a royal arrival.
The risqué number, which was first seen on London Fashion Week’s catwalk last September, was Chung’s pick for a reception celebrating the British East and South-East Asian communities on Wednesday night.
She wore a sleek black dinner jacket with satin lapels over the peach-shade dress, and a silver crystal-embellished midi dress to shake hands with King Charles and the Queen Consort, alongside her brother Dominic Chung, who is global head of music at Soho House. Princess Anne and Prince Edward were also in attendance.
While it was all smart inside, Chung shared a sneaky picture of the body-baring look outside the palace, complete with the caption “Naked dressing for Bucky P”. See-through, or “naked”, dresses of this kind held a monopoly over the catwalks and red carpets of 2022 – from Kate Moss to Emily Ratajkowski and Camille Charrière, literally every It-girl tried it.
Zhang, who graduated from Central Saint Martins in 2010 and launched his label two years later, is overjoyed to count Chung as a fan. “I was so thrilled to see Alexa wearing the Farah Gown to the Lunar New Year inaugural reception,” he says. “It was especially exciting to see her wearing it to such a special event, celebrating the British East and South-East Asian communities and to one which I was also in attendance.”
Chung has made a splash in his sensual, sequin frocks before, and posted an Instgram post earlier last month donning a full-length, clear shimmering version. “It never gets old seeing women in person wearing my designs,” Zhang says.
