A dress by the top designer who created the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding gown will be the centrepiece of an exhibition at Rochester’s Huguenot Museum.

Sarah Burton, who heads the Alexander McQueen fashion house, gained inspiration from the French Protestants who wove with silk from as early as 1570.

And in a remarkable coincidence, Ms Burton has been influenced by the work of a Huguenot weaver, also called Sarah Burton, who lived at La Providence, the French hospital next to the museum in the High Street, until her death in 1901.

The new McQueen collection, which has graced the pages of Vogue and Harper magazines, has been influenced by the floral patterns and delicate materials used by the skilled workers, known as the world’s first refugees.

It explores the history of their magnificent craftsmanship and skills including French Protestants’ silk weaving between the 16th and 19th centuries.

Through the stories of three families, it follows how the establishment of French refugee communities led to Canterbury becoming a leading centre for silk manufacture.

A dress of silk woven in Canterbury in 1724, will be on loan to the museum for the display which starts on Wednesday, April 20.

Museum director, Emily Fuggle, said: “We are delighted to mark the return of Huguenot design to the catwalk with this display and to explore the lesser-known story of Canterbury’s silk industry in Kent’s newest museum.

“This starts our journey of shining a spotlight on the Huguenot contribution to craft in Britain embracing silver-smithing, clock-making and jewellery design.”

The exhibition, which is above the visitor information centre, runs until Saturday June 18.

The museum, the first of its kind in Britain, is open Wednesday to Saturday between 10am and 5pm, last entry is 4pm. It is also open on Sunday, May 1 and Bank Holiday Monday, May 2.

Admission £4 adults, £3 concessions and £10 for families.