>> Sarah Burton was reportedly spotted going into the hotel where Kate Middleton is staying yesterday, and now word is floating around that Middleton's dress is Alexander McQueen, but Sarah Burton didn't design it.

Instead, the Daily Mirror's Mark Jefferies Tweets: "Sarah Burton seen in Goring hotel,but heard rumour from other journo design is by McQueen himself, so could be vintage or from his sketches!" And Telegraph UK's Bryony Gordon Twittered: "Top fashion source just msged to confirm that [Jefferies's] tweet. Apparently the dress is a vintage McQueen design." Gordon adds: "Apparently Sarah Burton is only doing the fitting, not actual design."

>> Although there have been numerous denials from both Sarah Burton and the Alexander McQueen camp, speculation that Burton may be Kate Middleton's wedding dress designer after all has reached a fever pitch.

A woman who arrived at the Goring Hotel (above, left) — where Middleton and her family are staying — three hours before Kate yesterday is suspected to be Burton (above, right). The woman, who hid her face and blonde hair with an oversized fur trapper hat, "ducked right down and ran in as quick as you like," according to an onlooker. "The whole thing was in under half a second. It was very odd."

But despite the obscured face, the Telegraph UK points out: "The distinctive silver link belt slotted through the waistband of [the woman's] jeans was identical to the one favoured by Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, as were the ballet pumps. Burton . . . is not often photographed. But when she is, the metal belt, buckled, and then individually slotted backwards, and the flat pumps, are present."

>> Blake Lively had the train torn off of her gown a couple of nights ago at the Time 100 Gala (which she safety pinned back on) — but hopefully she'll have better luck at Monday's Costume Institute Gala. Lively, who just debuted a head of red hair, will be dressed by Chanel for the occasion — not a huge surprise given that she's a current face of the brand. As for her date? “Karl Lagerfeld, of course!” she said. [WWD]

>> Yesterday it was announced Jason Wu is collaborating with Brizo on a line of bathroom faucets, but Karl Lagerfeld still has him beat in the odd designer collaboration arena. As part of his partnership with Magnum Ice Cream, Lagerfeld designed a Paris hotel room — made solely with 10.5 tons of Belgian chocolate — and housing a chocolate statue of Baptiste Giabiconi in his underwear. [Boing Boing, AP, Reuters]

>> Plenty of talk has been made of Kate Middleton's wedding dress, but what about her wedding guests? Victoria Beckham is said to be wearing one of her own designs — from the Fall 2011 Victoria Beckham collection — paired with custom Christian Louboutin shoes and a Philip Treacy hat.

Alexandra Shulman has gone with Christopher Kane for the big day (who Samantha Cameron is also rumored to have chosen), while Anya Hindmarch picked a "classic and chic" Emilia Wickstead look. Harper's Bazaar's Sara Parker Bowles will wear Osman, while her mother-in-law Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, will be dressed by Anna Valentine, the designer who created her wedding dress when she married Prince Charles in 2005. And former Armani muse Lady Helen Taylor is wearing Erdem.

>> Yesterday afternoon, Lauren Santo Domingo and her husband, Andres, welcomed a healthy baby boy — their first child. The couple have been married since 2008, and last month Santo Domingo said her pregnancy was going smoothly: "I’m 8 ½ months pregnant and not much has changed — it’s been pretty easy, I haven’t had any sickness. . . . I’ve been really really lucky. In fact, my hair has grown two inches! I’m the same size, in everything that goes above or below the bump. I don’t really have cravings." [NY Post]

>> Bruce Oldfield, who has been tipped as the frontrunner to design Kate Middleton's wedding dress for months now, has confirmed that he is not Middleton's choice: “It has been such a subject of rumor and speculation over the past months, but I am not designing it. We will all know [on Friday] — and I thought I’d duck out of the ‘possibles list’ to give everyone 24 hours to place their final bets!” He added: “Catherine will undoubtedly look spectacular. She has a fantastic figure and knows well what suits her. I shall be intrigued to see her choice of design.”

With Oldfield out of the race, speculation is honing in on the other likely candidates who have not yet issued denials: Catherine Walker, a favorite of Princess Diana; Alice Temperley, and Daniella Helayel from Issa. Also entering late in the game: Jenny Packham, whose spokesperson said yesterday is “not commenting at all on the wedding.”

Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, Sophie Cranston of Libelula, and Phillipa Lepley have all also been reported as frontrunners, but all have denied repeatedly that they're working on the dress.

And Vera Wang's name has surfaced as having some kind of role in the wedding, but WWD thinks "that seems highly unlikely" — particularly that Wang, an American, would be chosen to do the dress. Although: sources apparently indicated that the designer may be involved at another level. A Vera Wang spokeswoman denied the designer is involved with the wedding, however, last night.

A newly-released Mario Testino portrait of the Middleton and Prince William, above.