Entertainment

In Pictures: The Bruce Oldfield designs worn by stars and royals as he turns 70

British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield turns 70 on July 14.
British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield turns 70 on July 14. British fashion designer Bruce Oldfield turns 70 on July 14.

Bruce Oldfield, one of the royal family’s favourite fashion designers, is celebrating his 70th birthday on Tuesday.

The British couture designer, who was one of Diana, Princess of Wales’ favoured designers, was brought up in foster care before he was adopted by a seamstress.

He went on to create luxury dresses for royals, as well as celebrities such as model Jerry Hall and actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, in a career spanning 45 years.

Diana wore a glistening floor-length gown by Oldfield to a star-studded charity catwalk in aid of child care charity Barnardo’s, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in 1985.

Charity Event – Dr Barnado’s Gala – Grosvenor House Hotel
Charity Event – Dr Barnado’s Gala – Grosvenor House Hotel Diana, Princess of Wales with actress Joan Collins (PA Archive)

She attended the event as president of the charity, along with celebrities including actress Joan Collins.

At another Barnardo’s event at the Grosvenor House Hotel in 1988, Oldfield is pictured with Diana wearing his off-the-shoulder crushed purple velvet gown.

Charity Event – Barnado’s Gala – Grosvenor House Hotel
Charity Event – Barnado’s Gala – Grosvenor House Hotel Diana accompanied by Bruce Oldfield at the Grosvenor House Hotel (PA Archive)

Oldfield grew up under the care of Barnardo’s, received financial support from the charity in his teenage years, and is now vice president of the charity.

Oldfield’s designs have an enduring popularity with the royal family – the Duchess of Cornwall also occasionally wears his dresses.

Camilla attended the Bruce Oldfield Fashion Show, which raised money for the National Osteoporosis Society, in 2017, wearing his black knee-length gown.

She is pictured with Oldfield, and four models sporting his brightly coloured ballgowns, at Lancaster House in London.

Bruce Oldfield Fashion Show
Bruce Oldfield Fashion Show The Duchess of Cornwall and Bruce Oldfield pose for a photograph with models wearing his dress designs (Jonathan Brady/PA)

Models show off two dresses from Bruce Oldfield’s 1975 Borghese Spring Collection.

Fashion – Bruce Oldfield Borghese Spring Collection – 1975
Fashion – Bruce Oldfield Borghese Spring Collection – 1975 Models pose in Bruce Oldfield’s spring collection (PA Archive)

Actress Joanna Lumley wore an intricate lilac shawl and dress by Oldfield to celebrate his 50th birthday and 25 years in the fashion industry at Mansion House in London.

Oldfield Lumley
Oldfield Lumley Actress Joanna Lumley arrives for Bruce Oldfield’s 50th birthday at Mansion House (Peter Jordan/PA)

Model and philanthropist Lady Getty also accompanied Oldfield to his star-studded birthday party in 2000.

Oldfield & Getty
Oldfield & Getty Fashion designer Bruce Oldfield and Lady Getty (Peter Jordan/PA)

Diana wore Oldfield’s veiled hat and knee-length white dress when she opened the World Travel Market at Olympia, London, in 1985.

The long-sleeved design featured a wrap-neck collar and breast pocket detail.

Royalty – World Travel Market – Princess of Wales – London
Royalty – World Travel Market – Princess of Wales – London Diana opening the World Travel Market at Olympia in London (Ron Bell/PA)

She also wore Oldfield’s designs in Rome with the Prince of Wales in 1985.

She is pictured with Charles wearing a black and white cotton suit during their Vatican tour.

Royalty – Prince and Princess of Wales Italy and Vatican Tour
Royalty – Prince and Princess of Wales Italy and Vatican Tour Diana and Charles during their visit to Rome, Italy (PA Archive)

Oldfield’s designs have hit the red carpet at the Oscars, including when former model Heather Mills wore a flower-patterned cutout dress by him in 2002.

She attended the 74th annual Academy Awards at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, alongside her then-partner and Beatles musician Sir Paul McCartney.

Oscars McCartney
Oscars McCartney Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills arriving at the 74th annual Academy Awards (Myung Jung Kim/PA)

Oldfield designed the world’s most expensive abaya at the time – a long outer garment worn by some Muslim women – in 2008.

British electric violinist Linzi Stoppard modelled the £175,000 garment at the Intercontinental Hotel in central London.

Linzi Stoppard Models The Most Expensive Abaya – London
Linzi Stoppard Models The Most Expensive Abaya – London Linzi Stoppard models the world’s most expensive abaya, designed by Bruce Oldfield (PA Archive)

The British designer also created McDonald’s staff uniforms in April 2008, which were neutral-toned.

This range of specialist workwear was to be rolled out to the 67,000 McDonald’s employees in Britain at the time, according to Vogue.

Designer to the stars unveils fast-food uniform
Designer to the stars unveils fast-food uniform Bruce Oldfield at the Cannon Street branch of McDonald’s in the city of London (Lewis Whyld/PA)