The designer who rejuvenated the Alexander McQueen brand following the tragic death of its founder and created Kate Middleton's acclaimed wedding dress is to receive an honour in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.
Sarah Burton, who took over as creative director after McQueen committed suicide in 2010, will receive an Order of the British Empire (OBE), it was announced on Saturday.
Burton has designed dresses for style luminaries such as Lady Gaga and Michelle Obama but is perhaps best known as the mastermind behind Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge's, wedding dress.
The designer said of the dress: "It was such an incredible honour to be asked, and I am so proud of what we and the Alexander McQueen team have created. I am delighted that the dress represents the best of British craftsmanship."
The project was an incredibly secret affair, with even those creating the dress not told who they were designing for. Burton revealed that she didn't even tell her mother that she'd been given the important role.
Models parade some of Burton's McQueen Autumn-Winter collection at Paris Fashion Week in March
Burton graduated from London's fashion designer factory Central Saint Martins, but was close to reading Fine Art at Oxford before deciding to head to the capital to pursue her fashion dream.
She first joined McQueen's firm in 1996 as an intern while it was still based in a tiny east London studio, progressing to become head of womenswear at the company and personal assistant to McQueen, before assuming the creative directorship in May 2010.
Since then, Burton has lead the company, which was going through times of financial uncertainty, from strength to strength, putting out acclaimed collection after acclaimed collection.
Click through the slideshow below to see some pictures of Burton's amazing design for Kate Middleton's wedding.