The Duchess of Cambridge strikes a politically correct pose in Prabal Gurung It's only day one of her Diamond Jubilee tour of Southeast Asia and the Pacific, and the Duchess of Cambridge has already scored a major fashion hit. It's hardly news that The Duchess of Cambridge is a smooth operator. Over a decade in the public eye, she's never put a foot wrong politically or, on the whole, sartorially (we've mentally parked that heinous Princess Anne-esque brocade suit she occasionally revisits). And if you're thinking that today's shock decision to deviate from her diplomatic resolution to only wear British brands by stepping out in New York-based designer label Prabal Gurung in Singapore is her first such gaffe, think on. The Duchess - who so far as anyone knows doesn't have a stylist (standard issue staffing for any Hollywood celebrity) - is one step ahead of the rest of us and has cannily sourced a dress by a designer who hails from Singapore. IN PICTURES: Kate Middleton's fashion hits and misses Gurung, who has become quite the red carpet darling since launching his eponymous collection in 2009, was born in Singapore, raised in Nepal, started designing in Delhi, before training in New York (at legendary fashion college Parsons and under New York darling, Donna Karan), is the perfect fit for the Duchess' edgier alter ego (we call her Kate Cambridge, née K Middy). His designs always have femininity at their heart, but cater to the girl who's not content to just stand around looking pretty. IN PICTURES: Stars who love Prabal Gurung This electric purple print dress, a modified version of a catwalk look from Gurung's spring 2012 collection, is a classic example: eye-catching yet elegant, it's infinitely more exciting than yet another drippy dress from one of Kate's high street favourites. Call us unpatriotic, but we're kind of hoping she'll get the bug now and start flexing the plastic on labels based outside the British Isles a bit more often. There's a whole world of un-tapped sartorial wonders out there, and after all, what's the point in being a duchess if you can't dress in Dior? A version of Kate's Prabal Gurung dress on the New York Fashion Week catwalk. PHOTO: Vladimir Potop