Anne, the Princess Royal has become an unlikely source of inspiration for Italian fashion house Fendi.
Anne, the Princess Royal has become an unlikely source of inspiration for Italian fashion house Fendi
The 73-year-old has become renowned for her frugal and straight-talking approach to fashion, and revealed in 2023 she had been happy to opt for full military regalia for her brother King Charles’ coronation because “not least of all, it solves my dress problem”.
It’s now emerged Fendi used her as the source of inspiration for its latest menswear collection.
Designer Silvia Venturini Fendi said it was the sight of the princess at the coronation in her Blues and Royals velvet cloak and feathered hat that prompted the choice.
He was quoted in The Guardian saying: “I fell in love with the style of Princess Anne who, to my mind, is the most elegant woman in the world.
“When I saw the coronation last year with Princess Anne in her uniform, I thought she looked beautiful.
“So I said, ‘Let’s be inspired for a men’s collection.’”
The house’s autumn/winter 2024–’25 collection is titled Town and Country and references traditional royal-wear in rainy winter weather across the moorlands of estates such as Balmoral in Scotland, where Anne’s mum Queen Elizabeth died aged 96 in 2022.
The collection includes oversized Barbour-style parkas, leather wellies, sou’wester rain hats, generously sized dark green sweaters and tartan skirts, skorts and kilts.
Anne is famed for rewearing clothes at public events, with one of her blue coats making appearances at the royals’ Christmas morning church services at Sandringham since 1976.
Last week, on a trip to Sri Lanka, she wore her trademark Adidas sunglasses, given to her by the British cycling team in the 2012 London Olympics – which are rumoured to have inspired Stella McCartney designs.
Anne has slammed fast fashion, and once said on a visit to a textiles facility: “You think about how much is going into landfill.”
Tagged in Stella McCartney Queen Elizabeth King Charles