Monaco has long been linked with polished elegance, and fashion has a place in both its glamorous past and its present.
Grace Kelly and the Kelly bag
Monaco Now credits Princess Grace with bringing Hollywood elegance to the principality, noting that her love of Chanel suits helped establish its reputation. The Monaco Tribune recounts that she first saw Hermès’s travel bag on the set of To Catch a Thief in 1954. After her marriage to Prince Rainier III in 1956, a photograph of her holding it in front of her, to hide an unannounced pregnancy, appeared in Life magazine. Customers began asking Hermès for Grace Kelly’s bag. Wikipedia adds that Hermès had created the style in the 1930s and later renamed it in her honour.
Monte-Carlo Fashion Week
The event was created in 2013 by the Chambre Monégasque de la Mode, led by its founder and president, Federica Nardoni Spinetta, with a focus on ethical and sustainable fashion. The tenth-anniversary edition ran from 17 to 21 May 2023 under the high patronage of Princess Charlène. Its runway shows took place at the Prince’s Private Car Collection museum, and its awards honoured contributors to green fashion. The 2026 edition, held from 14 to 18 April, included a sustainability roundtable with the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation.
A new generation
Pauline Ducruet, Princess Grace’s granddaughter, designs the unisex label Alter, which has drawn on reused materials such as denim. Timeless pieces, such as a well-cut suit or a classic handbag, outlast every season.
Sources: Monaco Now: Monaco and fashion, an endless bond, Monaco Tribune: How Princess Grace made the Kelly bag a legend, Wikipedia: Kelly bag, Monaco Tribune: Monte-Carlo Fashion Week celebrates ten years, Monaco Life: Monte-Carlo Fashion Week returns, Hello Monaco: Pauline Ducruet on Alter.
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