2013年03月26日
Fashion renews its love affair with the royal family 【The Guardian】
The Duchess of Cambridge leads the advance as the Countess of Wessex becomes patron of the London College of Fashion
The Countess of Wessex has recently been appointed the first patron of the London College of Fashion. No word as yet on a resurgence of disruptive pattern material. Photograph: Indigo/Getty Images
Giant puff sleeves, frosted blue eyeliner and octopus hats … the royal family haven't exactly been known for their style prowess in the past. However, with the Duchess of Cambridge now leading by example, the royal family are very much back in fashion.
This week it was announced that the Countess of Wessex was to be the first ever patron of the London College of Fashion . The Countess' work will focus on sustainability. "I was impressed by her innate sense of style," says the college's pro-vice chancellor, professor Frances Corner. "She's a very thoughtful person – one that will help us demonstrate that fashion is about more than frocks."
This follows the announcement that Buckingham Palace will be the unlikely site of a fashion show this July. As part of the Coronation Festival, to celebrate 60 years of the Queen's reign, brands with royal warrants will showcase their wares. Hunter Boot Ltd, jewellers Garrard & Co, and Savile Row tailors Gieves & Hawkes are some of the names that will be taking part.
The royals' current moment in vogue follows a revival in popularity – helped by the Jubilee celebrations last summer, and the Queen's participation in Danny Boyle's opening ceremony for the Olympics . Corner describes the reaction to the Countess' appointment as "hugely positive. I think in a world saturated with celebrities like Victoria Beckham or Rihanna, people appreciate someone who represents something lasting."
Prince Charles has even had some love from the fashion world after he wore his make-do-and-mend coat on the BBC's Countryfile two weeks ago. Deep Kailey, fashion director at Tatler, described the prince as "always stylish", and menswear designer Patrick Thornton also praised him on Twitter.
According to Kailey, though, all of this still pales in comparison to the influence of the Duchess of Cambridge. "She wears British designers, and images of her in those clothes go all around the world," she says. "That's more powerful than anything because it's a choice." The Duchess wearing a design has been known to crash retailers' websites, and her popularity shows no sign of waning. With her conservative but pretty style, she has resonated with, as Kailey says, "normal girls. She's not fashion crazy, but she makes all the right noises." Recently, the Duchess – who is now five months pregnant – has impressed with her understated maternity chic. The rose-pink funnel-necked Joseph coat she wore to the races at Cheltenham was a hit with the style press , and though the teal Malene Birger coat worn to Thursday's event celebrating the 150th anniversary of the tube might have been seasons old, it saw "demand increase" for similar designs from the brand.
Diana, Princess of Wales' style in the eighties and nineties is perhaps the last time fashion and royalty were so close. Interest in her remains high. An auction last week of 10 dresses made just over £860,000 at Kerry Taylor Auctions in London. "The dresses sold for the upper end of the estimate," says company director, Kerry Taylor. "£240,000 [paid for the gown Diana wore to dance with John Travolta] is a world record for a Diana dress. We are very proud of that."
記事はこちら⇒ http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/mar/22/fashion-renews-love-affair-with-royal-family
投稿者 unicon : 2013年03月26日 10:25