Duchess Sophie played into this spring’s biggest, boldest trend with a joy-inducing maximalist fashion moment. Banishing the greys and neutrals of a seasonally-depressive winter, the Duchess of Edinburgh wore an ebullient paisley maxi dress from Lexy London on the second day of her official visit to Kenya. At a meeting with women peacebuilders in Wajir, north-east Kenya, Duchess Sophie spoke of “community resilience” in the region, which faces significant instability in its climate and access to resources. She sat barefoot in a circle with the women, her cheerful dress brightening the conversation that could otherwise feel very heavy.
For the visit, Duchess Sophie chose Lexy London’s Deborah dress in Wild Meadow, described by the brand as “a bright and multi coloured summery print.” The design is crafted “for effortless styling, allowing you to simply slip it on and go.” The Duchess of Edinburgh paired the dress with neutral espadrille wedges and coordinating, simple drop earrings for an uncomplicated outfit. An easy hero piece, like this bold paisley dress, makes the maximalist trend feel accessible and wearable.
As Emma Childs declared in Marie Claire earlier this month, “high saturation [is] the name of the game.” The Spring 2026 collections were a rainbow of cobalt, magenta, and “Big Bird yellow.” As the temperatures climb, and the flowers eventually start to bloom, Childs explains that the fashion goal is to “be as vibrant as a kindergartner’s coloring book.” While other royal women are out in neutral beiges, blacks, and greys, Duchess Sophie is wearing a loud, unapologetically cheerful dress. “The color palette presented last fashion month was the final nail in the quiet luxury coffin,” Childs said, emphasizing that quiet luxury is out, and electric hues are in.
The Duchess of Edinburgh’s bright dress was hard to miss, and created an approachable rapport between the royal woman and the women peacebuilders she was meeting. When the cultural divide can feel so vast, a cheerful fashion moment can lend a sense of friendliness—the bolder, the better.
