That Pippa Middleton’s fairytale wedding went off without a hitch came as no surprise to celebrity designer Giles Deacon, who not only spent more than six months playing cat and mouse with the press but also overcame personal tragedy to create her stunning look.

A take-charge Pippa oversaw every aspect of her gown’s creation, Deacon revealed after the bride and her financier groom had left the church, freeing him to take credit for what fashionistas are hailing as a breathtaking fusion of sheer romance and inspired design.

“She has a great eye, she knew what she wanted,” Deacon said.

And Deacon, often described as Britain’s most innovative couturier, knew exactly how to transform the bride’s vision from fantasy to fabric.

Together they conjured magic in lace and silk.

The body-sculptured and lace-layered sleeveless bodice showed off Pippa’s trim form and toned biceps, exactly as designer and client intended, while the full skirt whispered of timeless elegance.

Matched with a Stephen Jones veil, Pippa’s look was perfection from her delicate tiara, inspired by maidenhead ferns, to her Manolo Blahnik ivory satin pumps.

“It’s all hand-pieced which is why you don’t actually see a seam,” he said, adding “the effect was compounded by the pearls.”

“I wanted that ‘how-was-that-done?’ factor.

“I always loved the dancing scenes in The Leopard,” he added, citing as a prime inspiration director Luchino Visconti’s beloved classic 1963 movie starring Claudia Cardinale and Burt Lancaster.

Often unconventional – look at those shoes! – designer Giles Deacon invoked the classics for Pippa’s big day.

“I know they were all hoop crinolines in the film, but there’s something gorgeous about having that great movement, with the skirt spinning round, keeping its shape.”

The fashion world’s accolades made it a bitter-sweet moment for Deacon. The designer’s beloved father died only days before the ceremony, never getting the chance to see his son’s handiwork praised to the heavens.

Drying his tears, Deacon focused on fine-tuning what staffers in his studio were calling “The Dress” as the big day drew near.

Pippa, who had put herself in bridal boot camp, needed a series of re-fittings as she trimmed down. Deacon was happy to oblige.

The gown’s path to the altar – and the world’s front pages – began in December, when Deacon was spotted leaving Pippa’s London home. Quite deliberately, her friends floated red herrings to put the press off the scent.

But by last week, as Deacon returned several times with assistants and a bulging garment bag for final fittings, the secret was common knowledge.

“My concentration has been to get the piece done as beautifully and professionally as possible,” he told Business of Fashion. “That’s the way you’ve got to be.”