by ANIL DAWAR, Daily Mail
Cherie: 'She wants to look beautiful'
With her sequinned dress, ornate jewellery and hair swept up, she drew comparisons with the style of the old French aristocrats.
This was Cherie Blair showing off a decidedly regal look at the Lord Mayor's Banquet.
The floor-length plum dress, created by South African designer Eric Way, is thought to have cost about £7,000. It was made from cashmere and silk and its thin shoulder straps were encrusted with glass bugle beads.
Mr Way is best known for dressing Charlotte in Sex and the City as well as Hollywood actress Charlize Theron. He said: "I brought her outfit to 10 Downing Street on Saturday and she was so excited she couldn't wait to show her daughter and Tony. It was not just another dress to her. She just wants to look beautiful."
Mrs Blair attended the event at Guildhall in London on Monday with her husband, who was giving a speech. The banquet is a notoriously difficult affair to dress for - and not just for the ladies. Mr Blair always wears a traditional white tie and tails, but Gordon Brown dons a lounge suit.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=326480&in_page_id=1770&in_a_source=