Designer Kerry Ranginui adding his magic to the royal tour

Snap! Meghan and Kerry with the Karen Walker designed coat.

It's a coat that has been turning heads as the royal tour gathers pace ... and one of the designers behind it is none other than Whanganui's Kerry Ranginui (former WHS student).

The striking trench coat worn by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as she accompanies Prince Harry on their visit to New Zealand, has caught the eye of fashion gurus around the world.

 

It is the work of iconic Kiwi designer label Karen Walker, and its updated look is down to pattern-maker Ranginui who works as part of the Walker team in Auckland.

Ranginui, making his mark as a contestant on the TV fashion competition Project Runway NZ, took to social media to celebrate the royal connection.

"Great team at Karen Walker working on the coat for the Duchess of Sussex arrival to nz," he posted.

Ranginui also posted a photo of himself dressed in the coat saying: "The Duchess of Sussex trench coat!!! Pre-order now sold out in one day!"

He revealed to the Chronicle that Meghan had a long connection with Karen Walker clothes going back to her days as an actress.

"The coat's a Karen Walker design that has been part of the collection for a very long time ... since around 2003," he said, explaining that he and others in the team had updated the brown tweed trench coat.

 

"Meghan Markle was wearing Karen Walker designs before she became the Duchess of Sussex.

"Now that she is so much more high profile it means that people want to buy what she's wearing so, of course, there have been a lot of orders for the coat."

He said the Duchess was wearing Karen Walker again on Tuesday morning.

"The blazer was patterned by me and made by the team."

Ranginui again passed muster with the Project Runway NZ judges in Monday night's episode.

He was delighted for his fellow contestant Judy Gao who was the wowed the judges with her Holden Astra inspired black dress and was named the winner.

By Liz Wylie
Whanganui Chronicle 31/10/18